Ocean surrounding Antarctica officially named world's fifth ocean by National Geographic

✅On 8th June NATGEO officially announced the fifth ocean and named as Southern Ocean.

✅ boundaries of this ocean is South of 60degree S latitude till the coast of Antarctica excluding the Scotia sea and drakes passage. 

✅Historically , the Earth ocean is divided into 4 oceans pacific, Atlantic, Indian and Arctic ocean. Even many recognised the Southern ocean around Antarctica where all three ocean meets up except Arctic ocean.

✅In 1999, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recognised the Southern Ocean as the fifth body of water. But in 2000, all members of the International Hydrographic Organisation (IHO) did not agree. The IHO ensures all seas, oceans and navigable waters are properly surveyed and charted.

✅The Southern Ocean has long been recognised by scientists, but because there was never an agreement internationally, we never officially recognised it.

✅Nat Geo has now decided that most of the waters surrounding Antarctica till 60 degrees south latitude (excluding the Drake Passage and the Scotia Sea) will make up the Southern Ocean.

✅the Southern ocean is unique due to it's colder water, less salinity and more denser water.

✅the Southern ocean is named on the basis of the oceanic current that flows eastward around Antarctica. This oceanic current called as circumpolar Antarctic current.

✅ the Southern ocean has an impact on climate, properties of Ocean, transfer of heat and nutrients, marine life distribution.