The World’s New Fifth Ocean

As kids back in school, we grew up memorizing basic facts about Geography- there are seven continents and four oceans. Until now. National Geographic, the world’s most pre-eminent and visible mapmaking group has officially decree the existence of a fifth ocean. This is the water body that surrounds Antarctica and is known as the Southern Ocean. The decision to announce the new ocean coincides with the launch of a new initiative called Planet Possible and the idea behind it is to inform, inspire and empower people regarding the planet.

Ever since National Geographic started making maps in 1915, it has recognized four oceans, namely, Indian, Atlantic, Pacific, and the Arctic. But from June 8, which is World Oceans Day, it recognized the Southern Ocean as the world’s fifth ocean. However, this ocean is not new it came into existence when Antarctica and South America split 30 million years ago. This ocean stretches from Antarctica's coastline to 60 degrees south latitude, excluding the Drake Passage and the Scotia Sea. This is the second smallest water body after the Arctic Ocean.

The conversation around the Southern Ocean is not something new, in fact, its boundaries were first proposed back in 2000. However, countries never unanimously agreed on it and so it couldn’t be recognized by the International Hydrographic Organization. Geographers kept debating whether the ocean had unique characteristics to deserve its own name. Contrary to this, Seth Sykora Bodie, a marine scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says, “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.” Even the fauna is unique here. There are only certain types of fish, seals, penguins, and birdlife. It is also homes to minke whales.

While all the other oceans are defined in terms of their nearby continents, the Southern Ocean is defined by its current known as the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) or Conveyor Belt. This wave helps in circulating heat around the earth and also helps in carbon storage as cold water sinks to the ocean floor. It makes the water around Antarctica colder and slightly less salty than those in the North. The Southern Ocean Carbon and Climate Observations and Modeling Project (SOCCOM) has sent approximately 200 robotic floats fitted with sensors into the ocean to measure the salinity, oxygen levels, chlorophyll, and other environmental data.

The main reason for National Geographic to name a fifth ocean was to give it a status. It wanted to raise attention to the challenges and the fast global warming of the Southern Ocean. This will have an impact on both conservation efforts and education. “Students learn information about the ocean world through what you’re studying. If you don’t include the Southern Ocean, then you don’t learn the specifics of it and how important it is", said Alex Tait, a National Geographic Society Geographer. The development surely comes at a time when there is a strong need to put more focus on the region’s peril and the need for conservation.

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