WEBVTT - How Did Earth Gain a New Ocean?

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to brain Stuff production of iHeart Radio. Hey, brain Stuff,

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<v Speaker 1>laurn Boga bomb here. It's not often we add a

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<v Speaker 1>new geographical feature to the map of the world. For

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<v Speaker 1>the past century, we've impressed upon our grade schoolers that

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<v Speaker 1>there are four major bodies of saltwater on our planet,

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<v Speaker 1>the Arctic, Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. These oceans are

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<v Speaker 1>connected to one another but divided by the world's seven continents. However, Ever,

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<v Speaker 1>since James Cook explored these southern latitudes in the seventeen seventies,

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<v Speaker 1>people have debated the status of a fifth ocean, sometimes

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<v Speaker 1>called the Southern Ocean. It's the body of water surrounding Antarctica.

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<v Speaker 1>It formed thirty million years ago when the Antarctic and

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<v Speaker 1>South American continents parted ways. At different points in history,

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<v Speaker 1>it's been lumped in with the Indian and Atlantic Oceans,

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<v Speaker 1>but most recently the Pacific Ocean. In seven it was

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<v Speaker 1>recognized by the International Hydrographic Organization, only to be stripped

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<v Speaker 1>of its status by the organization in nineteen fifty three.

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<v Speaker 1>In the United States, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

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<v Speaker 1>recognized the fifth Ocean in and now the international scientific

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<v Speaker 1>community has taken the Southern Ocean public once more. The

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<v Speaker 1>recognition of the world's fifth ocean was made official on

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<v Speaker 1>World Ocean's Day this year, June eight, in order to

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<v Speaker 1>increase awareness of the need for conservation in a region

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<v Speaker 1>where industrial fishing has all but destroyed populations of endemic

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<v Speaker 1>fish species over the last few decades. This designation makes

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<v Speaker 1>it the second smallest ocean in the world, hugging the

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<v Speaker 1>coasts of Antarctica up to sixty degrees south latitude, which

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<v Speaker 1>means it doesn't even touch the southernmost point of South America.

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<v Speaker 1>Only the Arctic Ocean is smaller. Most of the other

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<v Speaker 1>oceans are separated by continents, but the Southern Ocean is

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<v Speaker 1>divided from the Indian, Atlantic, and Pacific Oceans by currents.

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<v Speaker 1>This specifically a fast moving current called the Antarctic Circumpolar Current,

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<v Speaker 1>which flows west to east around Antarctica. The waters of

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<v Speaker 1>this current are colder and less salty than those of

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<v Speaker 1>its neighboring oceans. The Southern Ocean is home to a

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<v Speaker 1>unique and fragile ecosystem. It's the only place in the

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<v Speaker 1>world where you can see the Emperor penguin, what else,

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<v Speaker 1>seal and thousands of other unique organisms that live nowhere

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<v Speaker 1>else in the world. Not only that it's a feeding

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<v Speaker 1>ground for animals like the humpback whale, which migrates to

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<v Speaker 1>the Southern Ocean to eat krill each summer to fatten

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<v Speaker 1>up before heading north again. Climate scientists have been pushing

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<v Speaker 1>for the Southern Ocean to find its way onto our

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<v Speaker 1>maps because it's a hot spot in the climate crisis.

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<v Speaker 1>In one alone, two of the largest icebergs ever recorded

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<v Speaker 1>broke off of the continent. Not only that, industrial fishing

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<v Speaker 1>pressure in the area on krill and Patagonian toothfish, which

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<v Speaker 1>you might order is to lay in sea bass and restaurants,

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<v Speaker 1>has made it even more necessary to highlight and preserve

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<v Speaker 1>this vulnerable area of the world. Today's episode is based

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<v Speaker 1>on the article five things you Should Know about the

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<v Speaker 1>New Southern Ocean on how stuff Works dot Com, written

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<v Speaker 1>by Jesselyn Shields and brain Stuff is production to by

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<v Speaker 1>Heart Radio in partnership with how stuff Works dot Com

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<v Speaker 1>and it's produced by Tyler Klein. For four more podcasts

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<v Speaker 1>my Heart Radio, visit the heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

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<v Speaker 1>or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.