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 found 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. During times when sea levels were much 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 using stories from navy officers Lieutenants Kolff and Modera. They thought the sea might be named after a group called the Harrafora, meaning "the people of mountains" in the Moluccas. Another explorer, Thomas Forrest, wrote in 1775 about people calling themselves "Harafora" living near New Guinea and in places like Mindanao.

Fisheries

The Arafura Sea is a rich area for fishing, especially for shrimp and certain types of fish. Important species found here include barramundi, grouper, Penaeid shrimp, and Nemipteridae fishes.

Even though many fish populations around the world are getting smaller, the Arafura Sea remains one of the richest places for fishing on Earth. However, its resources face challenges from illegal and unregulated fishing. To help protect these seas, the Arafura and Timor Seas Expert Forum was created in 2002 to support sustainable management.