It might not rise from the waves like Atlantis, but a long-lost tropical island buried beneath the South Atlantic for tens of millions of years has resurfaced—at least in scientific and political discourse. But what sets the Rio Grande Rise apart is its current location: deep beneath the Atlantic Ocean, outside any nation’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ). In light of the discovery, the Brazilian government has formally requested that the United Nations extend its continental shelf to include the Rio Grande Rise. The Rio Grande Rise currently falls under the jurisdiction of the International Seabed Authority (ISA), which regulates deep-sea mining in international waters. The seabed around the Rio Grande Rise is home to fragile ecosystems, including coral communities and microorganisms that have never been fully studied.