The Patagonian Shelf, designated as a Mission Blue Hope Spot, is part of the South American continental shelf on the Atlantic seaboard. Two currents mix in the waters near the Patagonian Shelf — the southward flowing Brazil Current, which is warm and saline mixes with the northward flowing Falklands or Malvinas Current carrying cool, less saline, nutrient-rich sub-Antarctic water. The Patagonian Shelf is an important fishing grounds for short-fin squid, hake, southern blue whiting, anchovies, and grenadier. This important and abundant ecosystem is threatened by the increasing pressures of commercial fishing and oil drilling. The Wildlife Conservation Society has ongoing initiatives in the area and last year successfully helped establish Argentina's first open ocean reserve at Burdwood Bank.
