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Tyrrhenian Sea

Oceans and seas:

Tyrrhenian Sea

Source: NASA Source: NASA
Published:
Updated: May 13, 2013, 10:35 pm
Topics: Oceans and seas Geography Environmental History Marine Ecology
This article has been reviewed by the following Topic Editor: C Michael Hogan

The Tyrrhenian Sea is a region of the Mediterranean Sea to the west of Italy, east of Corsica and Sardinia, and north of Sicily

A number of major cities along the west coast of Italy front the Tyrrhenian Sea, including  Livorno, Rome, Napoli, Palermo (Sicily), and Cagliari (Sardinia).

The sea is named after a Greek word ("Tyrrhenoi") for the Etruscan peoples who populated the part of the Italian coast in ancient times .

Regional setting of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Source: Norman Einstein Regional setting of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Source: Norman Einstein

Geography

The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Tyrrhenian Sea as follows:

  • In the Strait of Messina: A line joining the North extreme of Cape Paci with the East extreme of the Island of Sicily, Cape Peloro. (Note the cities of Messina and Reggio di Calabria sit on the Strait)
  • On the Southwest: A line running from Cape Lilibeo (West extreme of Sicily) to the South extreme of Cape Teulada in Sardinia.
  • In the Strait of Bonifacio: A line joining the West extreme of Cape Testa in Sardinia with the Southwest extreme of Cape Feno in Corsica.
  • On the North: A line joining Cape Corse (Cape Grosso) in Corsica, with Tinetto Island and thence through Tino and Palmaria islands to San Pietro Point on the coast of Italy.

North of the Tyrrhenian Sea is the Ligurian Sea; southwest beyond the Strait of Messina is the Ionian Sea; and, west beyond the Strait of Bonifacia is the Balearic Sea.

Ecology

Part of the Mediterranean Sea Large Marine Ecosystem, the Tyrrhenian Sea is characterized by its temperate climate. Intensive fishing and eutrophication are significant forces impacting the ecology of the sea.

The southern portion of the Italian coast and the Sicilian coast bordering the Tyrrhenian Sea, and Sardina and Corsica are covered by the ecoregion Tyrrhenian-Adriatic sclerophyllous and mixed forests. The northern portion of the Intalian coast bordering the Tyrrhenian Sea is covered by the ecoregion Italian sclerophyllous and semi-deciduous forests.

Aeolian Islands

Source: Norman Einstein Source: Norman Einstein

The Aeolian Islands are located within the Tyrrhenian Sea off the north coast of Sicily. These islands are part of a World Heritage Site.

There are seven main islands:

  • Alicudi
  • Filicudi
  • Salina
  • Lipari
  • Vulcano
  • Panarea
  • Stromboli

"La Montagne delli Felci e dei Porri" on Salina is a statutory reserve, created by the Region of Palermo in 1984. The small islands of Alicudi (278 ha), Panarea (154 ha), Filicudi (562 ha) and Stromboli (718 ha), plus their islets, have been designated Nature Reserves under Regional law. Vulcano and Lipari do not apparently have any legally defined reserves. (IUCN Evaluation visit).

The Eolian Islands have an important value for their geodynamic, volcanic and archaeological natural and ethno-anthropological features. They include a recent volcanic system of seven volcanoes, formed approximately one million years ago.

Pelagos Sanctuary for Mediterranean Marine Mammals

The northern part of the Tyrrhenian Sea is part of the Pelagos Sanctuary for Mediterranean Marine Mammals which was originally called originally called the Ligurian Sea Sanctuary. The Pelagos Sanctuary is a Marine Protected Area recognized by the three nations with coastlines on it - France, Italy and Monoco. It came into existance in 2003. 47 percent of the sanctuary lies in the national waters of these three countries, while 53 percent lies in international waters.

The Cetacean species found in the sanctuary include:

and those with an occasional presence include:

In addition, there are species of tuna, swordfish, sunfish, sharks and giant devil rays within the sanctuary.

Further Reading

 

Citation

Peter Saundry (Lead Author);United Nations Environment Programme-World Conservation M, World Wildlife Fund (Contributing Author);C Michael Hogan (Topic Editor) "Tyrrhenian Sea". In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth October 14, 2009; Last revised Date May 13, 2013; Retrieved May 19, 2013 <http://www.eoearth.org/articles/view/156749/Aeolian_Islands,_Italy/?topic=49523>

The Author

Peter Saundry Stewardship Committee The Encyclopedia of Earth Dr. Peter Saundry is the Executive Director of the National Council for Science and the Environment (NCSE), a nonpartisan organization working to improve the scientific basis of environmental decision making. The NCSE works closely with the many communities that create and use environmental knowledge to make and shape environmental decisions, including academic, scientific, environmental, and business organizations, as well as federal, state ... (Full Bio)

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