Heceta Bank is a rocky bank located 55 kilometers (km) off the Oregon coast near Florence, centered on approximately 44°N, 125°W, and is roughly 29 km long and upwards of 13 km wide.[1][2] Heceta Bank is an area of ecological and oceanographic importance. The unique bathymetric features and seasonal circulation within the bank provides habitat for a diversity of economically-important fish species.
Heceta Bank also plays an important role in current understanding of prehistoric human migration. During the last glacial low stand, approximately 15,000–20,000 years ago, prehistoric humans migrated from northeastern Asia into North America. Scientists hypothesize that Heceta Bank, due to its topography and morphology, is a possible area of this historical migration.[3]
- ^ Maloney, Neil Joseph (1965-04-23). "Geology of the continental terrace off the central coast of Oregon". ScholarsArchive@OSU.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Pearcy 1989was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Discovering Oregon's Lost Coast: Heceta Bank Expedition".