Southern Ocean: Quick Facts

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Last updated

Oct. 24, 2026

News •

China’s Antarctic marine protected area has a Soviet name, with more Russian fingerprints emerging • Oct. 22, 2026, 11:31 PM ET (Daily Maverick)

Whales take different routes but still reach dinner on time • Oct. 16, 2026, 7:40 AM ET (Phys.org)

Photos and Videos

Map centered on Antarctica, showing the surrounding Southern Ocean and its boundaries with the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans. The map includes nearby landmasses such as the southern tip of South America and New Zealand, with features like the Weddell Sea, Ross Sea, Ronne Ice Shelf, and Ross Ice Shelf labeled. The Antarctic Circle and South Pole are also marked.

Side-by-side thematic maps showing the minimum and maximum sea ice extents in the Arctic (left) and Antarctic (right) regions. The Arctic map centers on the North Pole and Arctic Ocean, with colored lines marking median and recent maximum and minimum ice edges for March and September. The Antarctic map centers on the South Pole and Antarctica, similarly outlining the seasonal and median sea ice boundaries in the Southern Ocean. Surrounding continents and major bodies of water are labeled for geo

Close-up of Antarctic deep-sea creatures, including spiny sea urchins and translucent shrimp-like krill, set against a dark background.

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