The Sargasso Sea is named after a genus of free–floating seaweed called Sargassum. The Sargasso Sea is located to the east of Gulf Stream and to the west of Canary Current. It lies within the Northern Atlantic Subtropical Gyre. The Sargasso Sea lies inside a clockwise–setting ocean–current system. It is characterised by weak currents, low precipitation, high evaporation, light winds, and warm, saline waters.