Welcome to brain Stuff production of iHeart Radio. Hey, brain Stuff, laurn Boga bomb here. It's not often we add a new geographical feature to the map of the world. For the past century, we've impressed upon our grade schoolers that there are four major bodies of saltwater on our planet, the Arctic, Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. These oceans are
connected to one another but divided by the world's seven continents. However, Ever, since James Cook explored these southern latitudes in the seventeen seventies, people have debated the status of a fifth ocean, sometimes called the Southern Ocean. It's the body of water surrounding Antarctica. It formed thirty million years ago when the Antarctic and South American continents parted ways. At different points in history, it's been lumped in with the Indian and Atlantic Oceans,
but most recently the Pacific Ocean. In seven it was recognized by the International Hydrographic Organization, only to be stripped of its status by the organization in nineteen fifty three. In the United States, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recognized the fifth Ocean in and now the international scientific
community has taken the Southern Ocean public once more. The recognition of the world's fifth ocean was made official on World Ocean's Day this year, June eight, in order to increase awareness of the need for conservation in a region where industrial fishing has all but destroyed populations of endemic
fish species over the last few decades. This designation makes it the second smallest ocean in the world, hugging the coasts of Antarctica up to sixty degrees south latitude, which means it doesn't even touch the southernmost point of South America. Only the Arctic Ocean is smaller. Most of the other oceans are separated by continents, but the Southern Ocean is divided from the Indian, Atlantic, and Pacific Oceans by currents.
This specifically a fast moving current called the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, which flows west to east around Antarctica. The waters of this current are colder and less salty than those of its neighboring oceans. The Southern Ocean is home to a unique and fragile ecosystem. It's the only place in the world where you can see the Emperor penguin, what else, seal and thousands of other unique organisms that live nowhere
else in the world. Not only that it's a feeding ground for animals like the humpback whale, which migrates to the Southern Ocean to eat krill each summer to fatten up before heading north again. Climate scientists have been pushing for the Southern Ocean to find its way onto our maps because it's a hot spot in the climate crisis. In one alone, two of the largest icebergs ever recorded
broke off of the continent. Not only that, industrial fishing pressure in the area on krill and Patagonian toothfish, which you might order is to lay in sea bass and restaurants, has made it even more necessary to highlight and preserve
this vulnerable area of the world. Today's episode is based on the article five things you Should Know about the New Southern Ocean on how stuff Works dot Com, written by Jesselyn Shields and brain Stuff is production to by Heart Radio in partnership with how stuff Works dot Com and it's produced by Tyler Klein. For four more podcasts my Heart Radio, visit the heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.