All trenches
AtlanticSubduction trench
Puerto Rico Trench
Northern Caribbean, north of Puerto Rico
The deepest point of the Atlantic Ocean, at a complex transform-subduction boundary.
Max depth
8,376 m
Length
800 km
Deepest point
Milwaukee Deep
First explored
1939
Timeline
Exploration
- 1939USS Milwaukee records the deepest Atlantic sounding.
- 2018First crewed dive to the Atlantic's deepest point.
Abyssal fauna
Life at pressure
Cusk eelsAmphipodsSea pensSea cucumbers
Atlantic hadal life differs markedly from Pacific trench communities.
Science
Scientific facts
- Holds the most negative gravity anomaly on Earth.
- Potential tsunami source for the Caribbean.
Seafloor geology
Rock & structure
- Carbonate platform rock
- Serpentinised peridotite
- Turbidites