Those familiar with the Southern Ocean, the body of water encircling Antarctica, know it’s unlike any other.
“Anyone who has been there will struggle to explain what’s so mesmerizing about it, but they’ll all agree that the glaciers are bluer, the air colder, the mountains more intimidating, and the landscapes more captivating than anywhere else you can go,” says Seth Sykora-Bodie, a marine scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and a National Geographic Explorer.
Since National Geographic began making maps in 1915, it has recognized four oceans: the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Arctic Oceans. Starting on June 8, World Oceans Day, it will recognize the Southern Ocean as the world’s fifth ocean.
“The Southern Ocean has long been recognized by scientists, but because there was never agreement internationally, we never officially recognized it,” says National Geographic Society Geographer Alex Tait.
Four oceans or five? It's #WorldOceansDay🌊 and National Geographic is making a change to recognize the Southern Ocean as a fifth official ocean in our atlases and maps! https://t.co/HSHRUAyWuE
— National Geographic (@NatGeo) June 8, 2021
There is of course just one interconnected world ocean, but it has traditionally been divided into four regions: the Pacific, Atlantic, Arctic, and Indian oceans
— National Geographic (@NatGeo) June 8, 2021
Scientists have known for many years that the icy waters around Antarctica form a distinct ecological region defined by ocean currents and temperatures pic.twitter.com/AQJPKZwUNN
— National Geographic (@NatGeo) June 8, 2021
The ecological boundary of the Southern Ocean follows a sinuous line around the Antarctic continent called the Antarctic Convergence or polar front pic.twitter.com/eFv7y2DqAQ
— National Geographic (@NatGeo) June 8, 2021
We're excited to bring attention to the Southern Ocean—and with it the richness of this marine ecosystem, which programs like @insidenatgeo's Pristine Seas initiative are working hard to protect https://t.co/kFr50eNq2i
— National Geographic (@NatGeo) June 8, 2021
Read more at National Geographic
