The Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone is composed of two parallel linear oceanic features that cut across the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in the northeast Atlantic Ocean. The unusual name reflects this duality – “Charlie” named for the ocean weather station located on one, and “Gibbs” for the research vessel used to discover the other. Subtropical and subpolar waters collide here over an abrupt seafloor feature called a fracture zone, creating a high-nutrient convergence that sustains an exceptional abundance of zooplankton like krill and copepods—the basis of the marine food web that support countless species. In 2010, The Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone was established as two separate MPAs, demonstrating that official protection is possible within international waters!
