Economy - overview:
The Atlantic Ocean provides some of the world's most heavily trafficked sea routes, between and within the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. Other economic activity includes the exploitation of natural resources, e.g., fishing, dredging of aragonite sands (The Bahamas), and production of crude oil and natural gas (Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and North Sea).

Marine fisheries:
the Atlantic Ocean fisheries are the second most important in the world accounting for 25%, or 19,735,777 mt, of the global catch in 2016; of the seven regions delineated by the Food and Agriculture Organization in the Atlantic basin, the most important include the following:

Northeast Atlantic region (Region 27) is the third most important in the world producing more than 10% of the global catch or 8,313,901 mt in 2016; the region encompasses the waters north of 36º North latitude and east of 40º West longitude with the major producers including Norway (1,869,403 mt), Iceland (1,067,015 mt), Russia (1,034,743 mt), UK (695,936 mt), and Denmark (664,122 mt); the region includes the historically important fishing grounds of the North Sea, the Baltic Sea, and the Atlantic waters between Greenland, Iceland, and the British Isles; the principal catches include Atlantic cod, haddock, saithe (pollock), Blue Whiting, herring, and mackerel; not all fish caught are for human consumption, half of fish catches in the North Sea are processed as fish oil or fish meal, which are used in animal fodder

Eastern Central Atlantic region (Region 34) is the second most important Atlantic fishery, and seventh largest in the world producing 6% of the global catch or 4,795,171 mt in 2016; the region encompasses the waters between 36º North and 6º South latitude and east of 40º West longitude off the west coast of Africa with the major producers including Morocco (1,407,807 mt), Nigeria (357,099 mt), Mauritania (594,754 mt), Senegal (442,910 mt), Ghana (237,457 mt), Cameroon (205,190 mt), and Sierra Leone (200,000 mt); the principal catches include pilchard, sardinellas, shad, and mackerel

Northwest Atlantic region (Region 21) is the third most important Atlantic fishery and ninth in the world producing a little more than 2% of the global catch and 1,811,436 mt in 2016; it encompasses the waters north of 35º North latitude and west of 42º West longitude including the important fishing grounds over the continental shelf of North America such as the Grand Banks, the Georges Bank, and the Flemish Cap, as well as Baffin Bay with the major producers including the US (917,337 mt), Canada (650,950 mt), and Greenland (171,770 mt); the principal catches include sea scallops, prawns, lobster, herring, and menhaden

Mediterranean and Black Sea region (Region 37) is a minor fishing region representing 1.5% or 1,236,999 mt of the world’s total capture in 2016; the region encompasses all waters east of the Strait of Gibraltar with the major producers including Turkey (301,470 mt), Italy (188,783 mt), Tunisia (113,837 mt), Russia (99,759 mt), and Spain (78,491 mt); the principal catches include European anchovy, European pilchard, Gobies, and clams