Georges Bank

Underwater plateau of the Atlantic Ocean lying off Nova Scotia, Canada (to the northeast) and Cape Cod, Massachusetts (to the west). Georges Bank extends for some 280 km/175 mi from east to west, and is situated at the edge of the Continental Shelf. It is one of the most productive fishing grounds in the world, especially for cod, haddock, herring, and scallops.

Georges Bank is a place where tidal currents meet, with those from the Bay of Fundy and the Gulf of Maine (to the north) mixing with predominant east–west ocean currents. This creates waters that are rich in nutrients. Traditionally fished by US and Canadian fleets, the area were overfished in the mid-20th century by Soviet, Eastern European, and Japanese trawlers, severely depleting stocks. However, the introduction of a 400 km/250 mi offshore fishing limit in 1977 once more limited fishing to the US and Canada. In 1984, the World Court awarded control of the eastern sixth of the Bank to Canada, and the remainder to the USA. Georges Bank is also the site of exploratory drilling for gas and oil.