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AtlAntic fishing
the Atlantic Ocean, a productive fishing ground for centuries,
contains over half the world’s total stock of fish. in the north Atlantic,
cod, haddock, mackerel, and lobster are the main catch, while the
south Atlantic catch is dominated by hake and tuna. freezer trawlers
that can catch and process a ton or more of fish in just an hour are in
danger of overfishing the Atlantic. countries claim exclusive rights to
zones extending 200 nautical miles
(370 km) from their coastlines
to conserve fish stocks.Atlantic Ocean 49-
Find out more
Oceans and seas
ships and boats
submarines
Volcanoes
Windthe underWAter lAndscApe of the Atlantic
Ocean is dominated by the mid-Atlantic ridge, the
world’s longest mountain chain. some of the ridge’s
peaks rise above sea level as volcanic islands, such as
iceland and the Azores. the deepest part of the
Atlantic, the puerto rico trench, plunges to
30,185 ft (9,200 m) below sea level. the Atlantic
Ocean is rich in oil and natural gas. in recent
years, offshore oil reserves have been exploited
in the gulf of Mexico, the niger river delta,
and the north sea. sand, gravel, and shell
deposits are also mined by the us and uK for
use in the construction industry. the Atlantic is the
most productive and heavily utilized fishing
ground in the world, providing millions of tons
a year. the Atlantic Ocean has been crossed
by shipping routes for many centuries. it
is still heavily used for seaborne trade,
especially the bulk transportation of
raw materials, such as oil, grain,
and iron, to industrial centers.the Atlantic Ocean is bounded
by the Americas in the west and
by europe and Africa in the east.
Along the mid-Atlantic ridge, a
long submarine mountain chain,
high volcanic peaks pierce the
water’s surface as islands.icelAndic heAting
iceland was formed by
volcanic action along a fault
line in earth’s crust,
65 million years ago. iceland
still has over 100 volcanoes,
many still active. the vast
natural heat reserves beneath
iceland’s icy surface are being
harnessed to provide hot water and
heating for much of the population.nAVigAtiOn
compasses are
vital in cross-ocean
navigation. the
compass needle points
to magnetic north, in
the canadian Arctic.Plumes of steam rise
from a geothermal power
station (left). Iceland has
the most solfataras (volcanic
vents) and hot springs in the
world. The intense heat deep
underground creates bubbling
hot springs and mud pools.subMArine ActiVity
during the cold War, from the 1950s to
the 1980s, the Atlantic Ocean was patrolled
by both the us and russian navies. since
the 1990s, us and russian scientists
are sharing advances in submarine
technology—developed for defense
purposes—to survey, map, and analyze the
unexplored world beneath the Atlantic.subtrOpicAl scillies
the gulf stream is a warm ocean
current that flows up the east coast
of north America and then across
to western europe, driven by
northeasterly trade winds. these
winds carry moisture and warmth
from the ocean to the land. in
england’s scilly islands, subtropical
plants flourish in the winter because
of the impact of the current.AtlAntic tOurisM
the volcanic islands that have
emerged along the ocean’s
mid-Atlantic ridge, especially
the canaries, Azores, and Madeira,
are major tourist attractions. the fertile
black soil of the canaries is ideal for the
cultivation of bananas, tomatoes, sugar
cane, and tobacco. the mild subtropical
climate attracts winter visitors from europe.A trawler braves the
rough seas of the Atlantic
Ocean. Its crew are
fishing for lobster.US_049_Atlantic_Ocean_1.indd 49 20/01/16 4:33 pm