Southern Ocean

E2696

The Southern Ocean is the remote, icy ocean encircling Antarctica, known for its powerful circumpolar currents, rich marine ecosystems, and crucial role in regulating Earth’s climate.

All labels observed (14)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (52)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Earth's ocean
ocean
alsoKnownAs Southern Ocean
surface form: Antarctic Ocean

Southern Ocean
surface form: Southern Ocean (fifth ocean)
Antarctic Circumpolar CurrentDirection west to east
Antarctic Circumpolar CurrentSpeed fastest major ocean current
AntarcticCircumpolarCurrentRole connects Atlantic Pacific and Indian Oceans
AntarcticConvergenceRole boundary between cold polar and warmer subantarctic waters
borders Indian Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
surface form: South Atlantic Ocean

Pacific Ocean
surface form: South Pacific Ocean
boundedByLatitude approximately south of 60 degrees south
contains Amundsen Sea
Amundsen Sea
surface form: Bellingshausen Sea

Ross Sea
Scotia Sea
South Sandwich Trench
Weddell Sea
deepWaterFormationContributesTo global thermohaline circulation
encircles Antarctica
governedBy Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources
hasArea approximately 20 million square kilometers
hasAverageDepth approximately 4000 meters
hasClimateRole major carbon sink
major heat sink
hasCurrent Antarctic Circumpolar Current
hasEcosystem rich marine ecosystem
hasEnvironmentalIssue climate change impacts
fishing pressure on krill and toothfish
ocean acidification
ocean warming
sea ice decline in some regions
hasFront Antarctic Convergence
hasIcebergs large tabular icebergs calved from Antarctic ice shelves
hasKeySpeciesRole Antarctic krill as keystone species
hasMaximumDepth approximately 7235 meters
hasNotableFeature remote and sparsely populated region
hasProcess deep water formation
hasSeaIceExtent strongly seasonal
hasTemperature generally near freezing
influences global climate system
locatedInHemisphere Southern Hemisphere
partOf World Ocean
recognizedAsOceanSince 2000
recognizedBy International Hydrographic Organization
seaIceMaximumExtent around September
seaIceMinimumExtent around February
supportsSpecies Antarctic krill
albatrosses
penguins
seals
whales

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (447)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Ushuaia Naval Base primaryTheater Southern Ocean
southern Australia borders Southern Ocean
subject surface form: Southern Australia
Macquarie Island locatedIn Southern Ocean
Tobias Furneaux workLocation Southern Ocean
Afro-Eurasia borderedByOcean Southern Ocean
Liparidae distribution Southern Ocean
Bathylutichthyidae distribution Southern Ocean
Zoarcoidei geographicDistribution Southern Ocean
Hermite Islands locatedIn Southern Ocean
Roaring Forties foundOver Southern Ocean
Notothenioidei distribution Southern Ocean
Eudyptes nativeTo Southern Ocean
this entity surface form: Southern Ocean region
Open Bay Islands ocean Southern Ocean
SCAR focusArea Southern Ocean
Standing Scientific Group on Geosciences geographicFocus Southern Ocean
this entity surface form: Southern Ocean region
Open Science Conference hasFocus Southern Ocean
Durack borderingBodyOfWater Southern Ocean
Cape Leeuwin oceanOnSouth Southern Ocean
Cape Leeuwin isMeetingPointOf Southern Ocean
South Orkney Microcontinent locatedIn Southern Ocean
Whale Wars depicts Southern Ocean
Whale Wars featuresLocation Southern Ocean
Marie Byrd Land oceanRegion Southern Ocean
Ross Embayment connectedTo Southern Ocean
Great Southern Oceans precinct theme Southern Ocean
Bunda Cliffs locatedIn Southern Ocean
Bunda Cliffs faces Southern Ocean
Nullarbor Plain sea cliffs faces Southern Ocean
Nullarbor Plain sea cliffs adjacentTo Southern Ocean
Spencer Gulf partOf Southern Ocean
Spencer Gulf locatedOnCoastOf Southern Ocean
Spencer Gulf mouthOpensTo Southern Ocean
Investigator Strait partOf Southern Ocean
Ross Island region Southern Ocean
Innes National Park locatedOnCoastOf Southern Ocean
Augusta near Southern Ocean
Lucky Bay ocean Southern Ocean
Hellfire Bay locatedOnCoastOf Southern Ocean
Shire of Esperance hasCoastlineOn Southern Ocean
Twilight Beach locatedOnCoastOf Southern Ocean
Twilight Beach hasWaterBody Southern Ocean
Great Ocean Drive scenic route ocean Southern Ocean
Great Ocean Drive scenic route hasView Southern Ocean
Esperance foreshore locatedOn Southern Ocean
Recherche Archipelago locatedIn Southern Ocean
Île Saint-Lanne Gramont marineEnvironment Southern Ocean
this entity surface form: Southern Ocean biogeographic region
Île de Croÿ surroundedBy Southern Ocean