Map of the Celtic Sea, part of the Atlantic Ocean

The Celtic Sea (; ; ; ; ) is the area of the Atlantic Ocean off the south coast of Ireland. It is bounded to the east by Saint George's Channel, the Bristol Channel and the English Channel, as well as adjacent portions of Wales, Cornwall, Devon, and Brittany. The Celtic heritage of the bounding lands give the sea its name, first proposed by E. W. L. Holt in 1921. The northern portion of this sea had previously been considered as part of Saint George's Channel and the southern portion as an undifferentiated part of the "Southwest Approaches" to Britain. The need for a common name came to be felt because of common geology and hydrology. The name is now commonly used by workers in the hydrocarbon exploration and fishing industries.

The southern and western boundaries are less clearly defined. Holt suggested the 200 fathom (366 m) marine contour and Ushant; the International Hydrographic Organization definition uses rhumb lines and extends slightly further south.

See also

• Irish Conservation Box

References

• IHO Limits of Oceans and Seas (page 39, section 21A).

External links

• cs-locale.png Map of the Celtic Sea: Sheffield Centre for Earth Observation Science
• Coccoliths in the Celtic Sea: a bloom of phytoplankton in the Celtic Sea, visible from outer space in an MISR image, 4 June 2001

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