The Green Banana Hole is a
blue hole
A blue hole is a large marine cavern or sinkhole, which is open to the surface and has developed in a bank or island composed of a carbonate bedrock ( limestone or coral reef). Their existence was discovered in the late 20th century by fishe ...
off the coast southwest of
Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota () is a city in Sarasota County on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The area is renowned for its cultural and environmental amenities, beaches, resorts, and the Sarasota School of Architecture. The city is located in the sout ...
. The rim is approximately below the surface and the hole extends downward approximately . Blue holes in this area are thought to have formed as
sinkholes
A sinkhole is a depression or hole in the ground caused by some form of collapse of the surface layer. The term is sometimes used to refer to doline, enclosed depressions that are locally also known as ''vrtače'' and shakeholes, and to openi ...
on land 8,000 to 12,000 years ago. Due to lower sea levels at this time, the Florida coastline extended approximately 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.
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
Florida Atlantic University (Florida Atlantic or FAU) is a Public university, public research university with its main campus in Boca Raton, Florida, and satellite campuses in Dania Beach, Florida, Dania Beach, Davie, Florida, Davie, Fort Lauderd ...
. In May 2021 scientists from
NOAA
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (abbreviated as NOAA ) is an United States scientific and regulatory agency within the United States Department of Commerce that forecasts weather, monitors oceanic and atmospheric conditio ...
,
Mote Marine Laboratory
Mote Marine Laboratory is an independent, nonprofit, marine research organization based on City Island in Sarasota, Florida, with additional campuses in eastern Sarasota County, Boca Grande, Florida, and the Florida Keys. Founded in 1955 by Eug ...
, 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
Benthic landers are observational platforms that sit on the seabed or benthic zone to record physical, chemical or biological activity. The landers are autonomous and have deployment durations from a few days (for biological studies) to several ...
. 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
The Amberjack Hole is a blue hole located off the coast of Sarasota, Florida. The rim of the hole is approximately below the surface, and extends down approximated .
Exploration
As part of a three-year study, a group of scientists set out i ...
.
[; ]
See also
*
Marine geology
Marine geology or geological oceanography is the study of the history and structure of the ocean floor. It involves geophysical, geochemical, sedimentological and paleontological investigations of the ocean floor and coastal zone. Marine geolog ...
*
Oceanography
Oceanography (), also known as oceanology and ocean science, is the scientific study of the oceans. It is an Earth science, which covers a wide range of topics, including ecosystem dynamics; ocean currents, waves, and geophysical fluid dynamic ...
*
Physical oceanography
Physical oceanography is the study of physical conditions and physical processes within the ocean, especially the motions and physical properties of ocean waters.
Physical oceanography is one of several sub-domains into which oceanography is divi ...
References
External links
Changing Seas: Episode 1201: Florida's Blue Holes: Oases in the SeaEpisode PBS
Exploration of the West Florida Shelf Blue Holes American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2006.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Green Banana Hole
Cave geology
Landforms of the Gulf of Mexico
Marine geology
.Blue
Sinkholes of Florida
Underwater diving sites in the United States