Seram Sea | |
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Laut Seram (Indonesian) | |
Coordinates | 2°20′S 128°00′E / 2.333°S 128.000°E |
Type | Sea |
Basin countries | Indonesia |
Surface area | 120,000 km2 (46,000 sq mi) |
The Seram Sea or Ceram Sea (Indonesian: Laut Seram) is one of several small seas between the scattered islands of Indonesia. It is a section of the Pacific Ocean with an area of approximately 120,000 km2 (46,000 sq mi) located between Buru and Seram, which are two of the islands once called the South Moluccas. These islands are the native habitat of plants long coveted for their use as spices, such as nutmeg, cloves, and black peppercorns, and the seas surrounding them were busy shipping routes. The Seram Sea is also the habitat of several species of tropical goby and many other fish. Like many other small Indonesian seas, the Seram Sea is rocky and very tectonically active.