Why was the south blocked by the union navy at the start of the war?

At the start of the Civil War, the Union Navy implemented a blockade of Southern ports as part of the Anaconda Plan, aiming to suffocate the Confederacy's economy and limit its access to supplies and trade. This blockade was intended to prevent the South from exporting cotton and importing essential goods, thereby weakening its war effort. The Union's naval superiority allowed them to enforce this blockade, making it difficult for the Confederacy to sustain its military and economic needs. Ultimately, the blockade played a crucial role in undermining the South's ability to fight the war.