1 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:07,000 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff production of iHeart Radio. Hey, brain Stuff, 2 00:00:07,080 --> 00:00:10,840 Speaker 1: laurn Boga bomb here. It's not often we add a 3 00:00:10,880 --> 00:00:14,400 Speaker 1: new geographical feature to the map of the world. For 4 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:17,799 Speaker 1: the past century, we've impressed upon our grade schoolers that 5 00:00:17,840 --> 00:00:21,040 Speaker 1: there are four major bodies of saltwater on our planet, 6 00:00:21,520 --> 00:00:26,520 Speaker 1: the Arctic, Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. These oceans are 7 00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:31,960 Speaker 1: connected to one another but divided by the world's seven continents. However, Ever, 8 00:00:32,080 --> 00:00:36,120 Speaker 1: since James Cook explored these southern latitudes in the seventeen seventies, 9 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:40,159 Speaker 1: people have debated the status of a fifth ocean, sometimes 10 00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:44,479 Speaker 1: called the Southern Ocean. It's the body of water surrounding Antarctica. 11 00:00:45,159 --> 00:00:47,680 Speaker 1: It formed thirty million years ago when the Antarctic and 12 00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:51,520 Speaker 1: South American continents parted ways. At different points in history, 13 00:00:51,600 --> 00:00:54,920 Speaker 1: it's been lumped in with the Indian and Atlantic Oceans, 14 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:59,040 Speaker 1: but most recently the Pacific Ocean. In seven it was 15 00:00:59,120 --> 00:01:03,480 Speaker 1: recognized by the International Hydrographic Organization, only to be stripped 16 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:06,720 Speaker 1: of its status by the organization in nineteen fifty three. 17 00:01:07,360 --> 00:01:10,800 Speaker 1: In the United States, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 18 00:01:10,959 --> 00:01:16,280 Speaker 1: recognized the fifth Ocean in and now the international scientific 19 00:01:16,319 --> 00:01:20,319 Speaker 1: community has taken the Southern Ocean public once more. The 20 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:23,120 Speaker 1: recognition of the world's fifth ocean was made official on 21 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:26,360 Speaker 1: World Ocean's Day this year, June eight, in order to 22 00:01:26,440 --> 00:01:29,800 Speaker 1: increase awareness of the need for conservation in a region 23 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:33,720 Speaker 1: where industrial fishing has all but destroyed populations of endemic 24 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:38,399 Speaker 1: fish species over the last few decades. This designation makes 25 00:01:38,400 --> 00:01:41,440 Speaker 1: it the second smallest ocean in the world, hugging the 26 00:01:41,480 --> 00:01:44,839 Speaker 1: coasts of Antarctica up to sixty degrees south latitude, which 27 00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:47,960 Speaker 1: means it doesn't even touch the southernmost point of South America. 28 00:01:48,360 --> 00:01:52,040 Speaker 1: Only the Arctic Ocean is smaller. Most of the other 29 00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:55,480 Speaker 1: oceans are separated by continents, but the Southern Ocean is 30 00:01:55,520 --> 00:01:59,200 Speaker 1: divided from the Indian, Atlantic, and Pacific Oceans by currents. 31 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:04,160 Speaker 1: This specifically a fast moving current called the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, 32 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:08,760 Speaker 1: which flows west to east around Antarctica. The waters of 33 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:12,000 Speaker 1: this current are colder and less salty than those of 34 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:16,560 Speaker 1: its neighboring oceans. The Southern Ocean is home to a 35 00:02:16,680 --> 00:02:20,080 Speaker 1: unique and fragile ecosystem. It's the only place in the 36 00:02:20,120 --> 00:02:22,880 Speaker 1: world where you can see the Emperor penguin, what else, 37 00:02:22,880 --> 00:02:26,960 Speaker 1: seal and thousands of other unique organisms that live nowhere 38 00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:29,920 Speaker 1: else in the world. Not only that it's a feeding 39 00:02:29,919 --> 00:02:33,040 Speaker 1: ground for animals like the humpback whale, which migrates to 40 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:35,600 Speaker 1: the Southern Ocean to eat krill each summer to fatten 41 00:02:35,720 --> 00:02:40,200 Speaker 1: up before heading north again. Climate scientists have been pushing 42 00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:42,519 Speaker 1: for the Southern Ocean to find its way onto our 43 00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:45,400 Speaker 1: maps because it's a hot spot in the climate crisis. 44 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:49,960 Speaker 1: In one alone, two of the largest icebergs ever recorded 45 00:02:50,200 --> 00:02:54,120 Speaker 1: broke off of the continent. Not only that, industrial fishing 46 00:02:54,120 --> 00:02:57,560 Speaker 1: pressure in the area on krill and Patagonian toothfish, which 47 00:02:57,600 --> 00:03:00,000 Speaker 1: you might order is to lay in sea bass and restaurants, 48 00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:03,560 Speaker 1: has made it even more necessary to highlight and preserve 49 00:03:03,840 --> 00:03:12,400 Speaker 1: this vulnerable area of the world. Today's episode is based 50 00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:15,120 Speaker 1: on the article five things you Should Know about the 51 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:18,000 Speaker 1: New Southern Ocean on how stuff Works dot Com, written 52 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:20,760 Speaker 1: by Jesselyn Shields and brain Stuff is production to by 53 00:03:20,760 --> 00:03:23,000 Speaker 1: Heart Radio in partnership with how stuff Works dot Com 54 00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:25,919 Speaker 1: and it's produced by Tyler Klein. For four more podcasts 55 00:03:26,040 --> 00:03:29,160 Speaker 1: my Heart Radio, visit the heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 56 00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:31,080 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.