The World Ocean circles the whole earth. It is divided into five smaller oceans. The second largest is the Atlantic Ocean. North and South America are on the west. Europe and Africa are on the east. The Atlantic Ocean connects to the Arctic Ocean on the north. It meets with the Southern Ocean in the south.

The far north and far south parts of the Atlantic Ocean are very cold. The air may be colder than the water. This makes fog called sea smoke. The middle Atlantic is near the equator. It is hot all year.

People in ancient Rome named the Atlantic Ocean after the Atlas Mountains. Traders explored the ocean looking to trade goods. Soon other explorers crossed the Atlantic looking for new land.

Part of the Atlantic sea floor is an underwater mountain range. It is called the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Earthquakes and volcanoes can happen near the ridge. Earthquakes and volcanoes cause the ocean floor to crack open. Melted rock leaks through the cracks. That forms a new ocean floor. Parts of the mountain range poke above the water to form islands.

Many plants and animals live in the Atlantic Ocean. Phytoplankton lives near the coasts. These plants are food for fish and whales. Sargassum weed floats in the Atlantic. The weed is home to crabs and small fish.

Coral live only in the warm waters of the Atlantic. Lobsters and jellyfish live near the coasts. Mammals like whales, dolphins and seals live in the Atlantic, too.