Green Banana Hole

{{short description|Blue hole off the coast of Sarasota, Florida}}

{{Use American English|date=October 2020}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2020}}

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| location = Sarasota, Florida

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| coords = {{Coord|26.801192|-83.081980|display=inline,title}}

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| depth = {{convert|130|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

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| elevation = -{{convert|47|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

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| features = One of the deepest blue holes known

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The Green Banana Hole is a blue hole {{convert|50|mi|km|0|abbr=on|order=flip}} off the United States western seaboard southwest of Sarasota, Florida. The rim is approximately {{convert|47|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} below the surface and the hole extends downward approximately {{convert|130|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}. Blue holes in this area are thought to have formed as sinkholes on land 8,000 to 12,000 years ago. Due to lower sea levels at this time, the Florida coastline extended approximately {{convert|100|mi|km|0|abbr=on|order=flip}} farther into the ocean. The vertical shape of the hole is roughly like an hourglass, making it especially difficult to explore. It is one of the deepest known blue holes.{{cite news |last1=Murphy |first1=Heather |title=Why Everyone's Talking About the 'Green Banana' Off Florida's Coast |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/25/science/blue-hole-florida-ocean.html |accessdate=27 July 2020 |work=New York Times |date=July 26, 2020}}{{cite web |title=Scientists Embark on Journey to the "Deep" to Explore Blue Holes |url=https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/20blue-holes/welcome.html |accessdate=23 July 2020 |work=Office of Ocean Research and Exploration}}; {{cite news |last1=Rice |first1=Doyle |title=Mysterious 'blue hole' near Florida wows scientists |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/07/23/florida-blue-hole-mystery-wows-scientists/5495805002/ |accessdate=27 July 2020 |work=USA Today |date=July 23, 2020}}; {{cite news |last1=Davidson |first1=Jordan |title=Scientists to Explore Mysterious Blue Hole off Florida |url=https://www.ecowatch.com/blue-hole-florida-ocean-2646793174.html?rebelltitem=2#rebelltitem2 |accessdate=27 July 2020 |work=EcoWatch |date=July 24, 2020}}

Etymology

The name Green Banana was reported to come from the captain of a commercial fishing boat who, while fishing in the area of the hole, saw a green banana skin floating in the water.

Exploration

In August 2020 the hole was explored by diver Marty Watson and a team of scientists from Florida Atlantic University.{{cite news |url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/florida/fl-ne-green-banana-blue-hole-20200929-iyihpfq4onbgvbfjeisakndtpi-story.html |newspaper=Sun-Sentinel |accessdate=December 27, 2020 |title=There's a giant 'Green Banana' off Florida's coast, and researchers have finally gotten to the bottom of it |first=Chris |last=Perkins |date=September 29, 2020}} In May 2021 scientists from NOAA, Mote Marine Laboratory, and other regional scientific organizations plan to conduct a research expedition to the site where divers and crew using specially designed instruments will explore the hole. Scientists and engineers have built an instrument package called a benthic lander. The lander is a triangular-shaped prism that will be lowered into the hole and will have the expedition's instruments mounted inside. The researchers plan to gather data about the structure of the hole as well as information about seawater chemistry and marine life inside the hole. The team also hopes to gather information about possible connection(s) between the many blue holes that exist off the coast of Florida and the Floridan aquifer system. This expedition is part of a three-year study and builds on the information and experience gathered from an earlier expedition to Amberjack Hole.{{cite news |last1=Allen |first1=Karma |title=Scientists flock to mysterious 'blue hole' off Florida's Gulf Coast |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/scientists-investigate-blue-oceanic-mystery-off-florida-coast/story?id=71919756&cid=social_fb_abcn |accessdate=27 July 2020 |work=ABC News |date=July 22, 2020}}; {{cite news |last1=Delbert |first1=Caroline |title=Why Divers Are Venturing Deep Inside a Baffling Blue Hole |url=https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a33382170/green-banana-blue-hole-sink-hole/ |accessdate=28 July 2020 |work=Popular Mechanics |date=July 22, 2020}}

See also

References

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