Reference
- Atlantic OceanWorld's second-largest ocean stretching from the Arctic Circle in the N to the Antarctic Ocean in the S. Its name derives from the Atlas Mountains, which, for the ancient Greeks, marked the western boundary between the known and the unknown world. Its most striking feature is the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which runs N-S for its entire length. At the crest, the ridge is cleft by a deep rift valley which is frequently offset by E-W transform faults. The age of the crust increases with distance from the central rift, and so there is little doubt that the rift has evolved by seafloor spreading and is associated with the movement of the Americas away from Europe and Africa at a yearly rate of 2-4cm (0.8-1.6in). The average depth of the Atlantic is 3,700m (12,100ft). The greatest known depth is the Milwaukee Deep in the Puerto Rico Trench, at 8,650m (28,370ft). The N clockwise gyre is dominated by the fast-flowing Gulf Stream, travelling at speeds of up to 130km (80mi) a day, and forming the W boundary current of the gyre. The S anti-clockwise gyre is atypical in having a weak western boundary current, the Brazil Current. Apart from oil (found mainly in the Gulf of Guinea), sand and gravel are the most important minerals from the Atlantic. The world's largest single offshore mining operation is located at Ocean Cay on the Grand Bahamas bank, where calcium carbonate is extracted in the form of aragonite. Valuable diamond deposits occur off the coast of Namibia. Area: 82 million sq km (32 million sq mi).
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Perspectives
Deep Atlantic
From the author of Monsters of the Sea and The Book of Whales comes an exhilarating armchair expedition to the last frontier on earth--the bottom of the sea. Ellis first surveys the history of deep-sea exploration, then plunges into the Atlantic's great repository of strange and wondrous fauna, 102 drawings. 32 photos.
Facing the Ocean
In this highly illustrated book Barry Cunliffe focuses on the western rim of Europe--the Atlantic facade--an area stretching from the Straits of Gibraltar to the Isles of Shetland.We are shown how original and inventive the communities were, and how they maintained their own distinctiveidentities often over long spans of time. Covering the period from the Mesolithic hunter-gatherers, c. 8000 BC, to the voyages of discovery c. AD 1500, he uses this last half millennium more as a well-studied test case to help the reader better understand what went before.The beautiful illustrations show how this picturesque part of Europe has many striking physical similarities. Old hard rocks confront the ocean creating promontories and capes familiar to sailors throughout the millennia. Land's End, Finistere, Finisterra--until the end of the fifteenth century thiswas where the world ended in a turmoil of ocean beyond which there was nothing. To the people who lived in these remote places the sea was their means of communication and those occupying similar locations were their neighbours. The communities frequently developed distinctive characteristicsintensifying aspects of their culture the more clearly to distinguish themselves from their in-land neighbours. But there is an added level of interest here in that the sea provided a vital link with neighbouring remote-place communities encouraging a commonality of interest and allegiances. Eventoday the Bretons see themselves as distinct from the French but refer to the Irish, Welsh, and Galicians as their brothers and cousins. Archaeological evidence from the prehistoric period amply demonstrates the bonds which developed and intensified between these isolated communities and helped tomaintain a shared but distinctive Atlantic identity.
Guide to the Offshore Wildlife of the Northern Atlantic
This is a comprehensive guide to all the birds, whales, dolphins, seals, and sea turtles of the northern Atlantic. Written by a recognise authority on seabirds, and whales and illustrated in detailed colour paintings, it provides both previously unknown an common field marks to help identify and enjoy all the offshore wildlife in the Atlantic Ocean north of the Tropic of Cancer, as well as in the Gulf of Mexico, the North Sea, and the Bay of Biscay.
Atlantic History
Atlantic history is a newly and rapidly developing field of historical study. Bringing together elements of early modern European, African, and American history--their common, comparative, and interactive aspects--Atlantic history embraces essentials of Western civilization, from the first contacts of Europe with the Western Hemisphere to the independence movements and the globalizing industrial revolution. In these probing essays, Bernard Bailyn explores the origins of the subject, its rapid development, and its impact on historical study. He first considers Atlantic history as a subject of historical inquiry--how it evolved as a product of both the pressures of post-World War II politics and the internal forces of scholarship itself. He then outlines major themes in the subject over the three centuries following the European discoveries. The vast contribution of the African people to all regions of the West, the westward migration of Europeans, pan-Atlantic commerce and its role in developing economies, racial and ethnic relations, the spread of Enlightenment ideas--all are Atlantic phenomena. In examining both the historiographical and historical dimensions of this developing subject, Bailyn illuminates the dynamics of history as a discipline.
From Heaven to Hell (Tropical)—Atlantic: Wildest Ocean On Earth
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The warm, tropical Atlantic Ocean is home to dolphin, manatees, coral reefs filled with algae, fishermen, and many more species. As the temperature rises in the summer and is cooled by torrential downpours caused by hurricanes, the life cycles of the flora and fauna are affected in their oceanic habitats. This film features the Atlantic spotted dolphins, the lush sanctuary of the mangrove forest, and the violent storms off the coast of Africa.
Ocean of Extremes
- Films on Demand This link opens in a new windowThe Atlantic Ocean stretches from the Antarctic to the Arctic. Off the coast of Norway, herrings arrive to spawn. Humpback, fin, and orca whales travel to feast on the fish.
Life Stream (North)—Atlantic: Wildest Ocean On Earth
- Films on Demand This link opens in a new windowThe Atlantic Ocean stretches 10,000 miles, including a 90 kilometer stretch of a warm current called the Gulf Stream. The Gulf Stream propels the migration of many different animal species, creating unique feeding frenzies for the predatory whales of the Atlantic Ocean. Jellyfish, sea turtles, fish, plankton, and people are also affected by the Gulf Stream that warms Northern Europe and keeps the Arctic Ocean from freezing. Learn about the symbiotic essence of the Gulf Stream and the Atlantic Ocean.
Online Resources
- South-western Atlantic reef fishes: Zoogeographical patterns and ecological drivers reveal a secondary biodiversity centre in the Atlantic OceanAim: To present an updated database of fish species recorded on south-western Atlantic reef environments and to explore the ecological drivers of the structure, the latitudinal gradient of biodiversity and the centre of endemism in this peripheral province. Location: South-western Atlantic (SWA): Brazilian and Argentinian Provinces. Methods: A database composed of 733 fish species along 23 locations in the SWA (00°55' N to 43°00' S) was compiled based on primary data, literature and museum records. Cluster and beta diversity analyses were carried out to evaluate faunal overlaps among locations and subprovinces. "Target-area-distance effect" and "stepping stones dispersal" hypotheses for assemblage composition were tested through Mantel tests. Relationships between the distribution patterns and ecological traits of reef fish species were investigated through generalized linear mixed-effect models. Results: Out of the 733 fish species, 405 are SWA resident reef fishes, of which 111 (27%) are endemics and 78 are threatened with extinction. Cluster analysis detected six subprovinces in the SWA structured following the target-area-distance model, and with no evidence for a latitudinal gradient in diversity. The greatest overall richness and endemic species richness were found in the east-south-eastern region. Depth range, habitat use and body size were the main drivers of SWA reef fish assemblage structure. Main conclusions: The Brazilian and Argentinian coasts constitute different provinces structured by oceanographic barriers and environmental filters. Similarities among oceanic islands indicate connectivity driven by stochastic and ecological factors. Species richness and endemism indicate that peripheral provinces may also bear centres of origin and biodiversity, patterns driven by parapatric/ecological speciation and the overlap between tropical and subtropical reef fish species. Ecological drivers of reef fish distribution, such as habitat specialization and body size, support hypotheses of speciation in the periphery. New approaches for spatial planning, marine protected areas and off-reserve marine management are essential for the conservation and sustainability of SWA reef fishes.
Mountains of the Deep (South)—Atlantic: Wildest Ocean On Earth
- Films on Demand This link opens in a new windowUnderwater volcanic forces created the longest mountain range on Earth, the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, 60 million years ago. In this film, explore the undersea ridges and islands, and the animals that live among them— the crabs of Ascension Island and spinner dolphins of Fernando de Noronha. The strong circumpolar current brings life and sustenance to the creatures of the depths and the skies of the Atlantic Ocean.