Arafura Sea

The Arafura Sea, also known as the Arafuru Sea, is a beautiful part of the ocean. It lies to the southeast of the Malay Archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean. This sea covers a wide area above the continental shelf between two large lands: Australia to the south and Western New Guinea (also called Papua) to the north. Western New Guinea is the Indonesian part of the Island of New Guinea.

The Arafura Sea is important for many reasons. It is full of different kinds of sea life, making it a special place for scientists and nature lovers. The sea also helps connect nearby countries, making it useful for travel and trade. Because of its natural beauty and rich resources, the Arafura Sea is valued by many people who live near it.

Geography

The Arafura Sea is between northern Australia and the western part of New Guinea, which is part of Indonesia. It is bordered by the Timor Sea to the west, the Banda and Seram seas to the northwest, and the Torres Strait to the east. Farther east lies the Coral Sea.

This sea is about 1,694 kilometres long and 605 kilometres wide. Most of it is fairly shallow, with depths between 50 and 80 metres. When sea levels were lower, the Arafura Sea was part of a land bridge connecting Australia and New Guinea, helping people move from Asia to Australia.

Etymology

The name "Arafura Sea" has been used since at least 1663. A map maker named Joan Blaeu wrote that people from the Moluccas called themselves "Alfores."

In 1837, a sailor named George Windsor Earl wrote a guide for the Arafura Sea. He used stories from navy officers. They thought the sea might be named after a group called the Harrafora. This name means "the people of mountains" in the Moluccas. Another explorer, Thomas Forrest, wrote in 1775 about people calling themselves "Harafora." They lived near New Guinea and in places like Mindanao.

Fisheries

The Arafura Sea is a good place for fishing, especially for shrimp and some kinds of fish. Important fish here are barramundi, grouper, Penaeid shrimp, and Nemipteridae fishes.

Even though some fish numbers are getting smaller around the world, the Arafura Sea still has lots of fish. But, people sometimes fish in ways that are not allowed, which can hurt the sea. In 2002, a group called the Arafura and Timor Seas Expert Forum was started to help take care of the sea.