Molucca Sea

The Molucca Sea (Indonesian: Laut Maluku; Indonesian pronunciation:) is located in the western Pacific Ocean, bordered by the Indonesian Islands of Celebes (Sulawesi) to the west, Halmahera to the east, and the Sula Islands to the south. It has a total surface area of 77,000 square miles (200,000 square kilometres), divided into three basins, and functions to transport water from the Pacific Ocean to the shallower seas surrounding it. The deepest basin is the 15,780-foot (4,810-meter) Batjan (Indonesian: Bacan) basin.

It is known for periodic earthquakes, stemming from the sea overlying a microplate, the Molucca Sea Plate, which is being subducted in two opposite directions: one in the direction of the Eurasian Plate to the west and the other in the direction of the Philippine Sea Plate to the east.

The Molucca Sea is rich in coral and has many diving sites due to the depth of its waters.