How does North Atlantic deep water enter the Caribbean Sea?

North Atlantic deep water enters the Caribbean Sea beneath the Windward Passage.1

Once inside, this water—characterized by its high oxygen content and a salinity slightly below 35 parts per thousand—divides to fill the Yucatán, Cayman, and Colombian basins at depths of approximately 6,500 feet (2,000 metres). It also flows into the Venezuelan Basin, introducing oxygen-rich water at depths ranging from 5,900 to 9,800 feet (1,800 to 3,000 metres).1

While the Anegada Passage also serves as a gateway for subsurface water, it is primarily associated with the entry of Subantarctic intermediate water at shallower depths. Because the shallow sill depths of the Antillean arc prevent the entry of colder Antarctic bottom water, the Caribbean's bottom temperature remains significantly warmer than that of the open Atlantic.12