Long Sea
Geography
Long narrow salt water sea that forms a long inlet to the Besseam isthmus. It's entry is the Hypho straights to the east. The sea is at it's deepest around 300 feet, the average depth is around 40 feet. The coast line is mostly sandy beaches with several deep harbors. The bottom of the sea is filled with clay and sediment from the rivers that empty into it. Storms can cause flooding, erosion and destructive waves especially when winds are blowing northerly or southerly.
Ecosystem
The Long Sea has an active ecosystem of oceanic corals, plankton, fish of all sizes, whales, giant reptiles, and amphibians. The coasts are generally savanna and sandy. This sea supports a substantial humanoid population, birds and mammals. It can however, fall prey to algal blooms if the supply waters contain too much run off from farms.
Ecosystem Cycles
The Long Sea is in the southern tropical zone and experiences only minor shifts in temperature over a given year. The storm patterns will vary based on the storms that follow the Meridian sea cold currents, or that pick up energy from the thousands of miles of plains to the west. The fall and winter will see more storms and rain fall, followed by a dryer spring and summer. the waters of the sea are refilled from the many rivers that empty into it
because it's temperature is stable throughout the year it is a migration zone for many species of fish, reptiles, birds, whales and other creatures in the winter months leaving the colder Shavari Sea and Lettha Seas. Fall and winter are prime fishing season and feeding season for many of the creatures in the basin.
Natural Resources
Fish and sea creatures are the primary resource from this Sea. The coasts are abundant in fish, shell fish, and crabs. The deeper waters have larger sport fish and icththyosaurs
Second are salt extraction operations that supply high quality salt to far away locations.
. There are many islands that dot the seas that were formed by volcanic forces and may yield rare gems like diamonds, iron bearing ores, and other resources.
Salvage and relic hunting has been done to extract resources or treasure from sunken ships, abandoned cities and other ruins that dot the landscape.
History
Formed over the last 25 million years as the Uthgart plate and the Grand Campo plate slide closer together this sea has gotten narrower and narrower over the eons. The Grand Campo plate is sliding under creating a subduction zone and some areas of vulcanism and tectonic movement. This is a slow zone so events happen about every 5 centuries, but they are violent and have been known to create tsunamis and powerful earthquakes that destroy cities.
First settled on the west end of the sea in the first century after arrival, the area of the isthmus is dotted with ruins, sunken ships, and other evidence of 6000 years of humanoid activity. It took about a century for the basin to be inhabited and settled by the Ayorhah peoples. As their first civilization spread the long sea became an important trade corridor and fishing ground. In the 5th century great canals were built to connect it to the Meridian Ocean which introduced many new species upending the balance for decades.
After the decline of the technological civilization the sea was a lifeline for news and trade. As cities were abandoned deeper into the interior the cities of the long sea kept the Ayorhah peoples connected and surviving.
In the modern era the sea is still an important trade and communications link and has it's share of political engagements and piracy. It is the primary link to wider travel and settlement east to the Henob, Shavari, and Lettha seas and to the southern Vastness, the Dragon's Tail, and Eridani.
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