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Southern Ocean

A series of shapes, including circles, rectangles, and rounded diamonds, glow blue and yellow against a black background under a microscope.
Posted inResearch Spotlights

Mysteriously Bright Waters near Antarctica Explained

Sarah Stanley, Science Writer by Sarah Stanley 12 September 202518 September 2025

Shiny-shelled diatoms make a remote part of the Southern Ocean appear especially reflective in satellite imagery.

Cracked sea ice seen from above
Posted inNews

Southern Ocean Salinity May Be Triggering Sea Ice Loss

by Bill Morris 29 July 20259 October 2025

New satellite technology has revealed that the Southern Ocean is getting saltier, an unexpected turn of events that could spell big trouble for Antarctica.

Historic black-and-white photo of a humpback whale diving, flukes visible above the surface
Posted inNews

Whaling Records Can Help Improve Estimates of Sea Ice Extent

by Syris Valentine 15 July 202515 July 2025

The locations of humpback whale catches in the early 20th century indicate that most climate models overestimate the historic extent of sea ice in the Southern Ocean.

A satellite image shows eddies swirling in a blue ocean surrounded by white ice.
Posted inResearch Spotlights

On the Origins of Subantarctic Mode Waters

Sarah Stanley, Science Writer by Sarah Stanley 2 June 20252 June 2025

A modeling study shows how warm subtropical waters and cold Antarctic waters combine to form an Indo-Pacific water mass that plays a key role in Earth’s climate.

Two graphs from the article.
Posted inEditors' Highlights

Seasonal Iron Cycle and Production in the Subantarctic Southern Ocean

by Eileen Hofmann 29 May 202529 May 2025

Long-term monitoring at a site in the subantarctic region south of Australia combined with ship-based observations reveals three distinct phases between cycles of phytoplankton productivity and dissolved iron.

Two people lean over the side of a ship, lowering a long, yellow cylindrical instrument into the ocean.
Posted inResearch Spotlights

Robotic Floats Quantify Sinking Carbon in the Southern Ocean

Sarah Stanley, Science Writer by Sarah Stanley 27 May 202527 May 2025

An estimated 2.69 billion tons of carbon are exported to the deep sea every year from the Southern Ocean.

Six penguins walk along a rocky outcrop. Snowy mountains are in the background.
Posted inResearch Spotlights

Forecasting the Future of Southern Ocean Ecosystems

by Rebecca Owen 26 March 202526 March 2025

A new ensemble of marine ecosystem models aims to improve understanding of how climate change will affect the waters surrounding Antarctica.

Four graphs from the study.
Posted inEditors' Highlights

How Southern Ocean Currents Modulate Global Biogeochemical Cycles

by Susan Trumbore 14 January 202514 January 2025

Swirling currents called mesoscale eddies occupy about 22% of the ice-free Southern Ocean. Using data from drifting floats and satellites, scientists report the impact these eddies have on biogeochemical cycles.

Map of the Southern Ocean
Posted inEditors' Vox

An All-Community Push to “Close the Loops” on Southern Ocean Dynamics

by Luke G. Bennetts, Callum J. Shakespeare and Catherine A. Vreugdenhil 12 September 202412 September 2024

A new study highlights the connected nature of the Southern Ocean dynamic system, the research priorities needed to understand its influence on climate change, the importance of cross-disciplinary collaborations.

Satellite image of blue and green phytoplankton blooms in the Southern Ocea
Posted inResearch Spotlights

Climate Model Simulates Unusually High Heat over the Southern Ocean

Sarah Stanley, Science Writer by Sarah Stanley 21 August 202421 August 2024

U.K. researchers compare HadGEM3-GC3.1 simulations of near-surface air temperatures with those from other state-of-the-art models.

Posts pagination

Newer posts 1 2 3 4 … 7 Older posts
Over a dark blue-green square appear the words Special Report: The State of the Science 1 Year On.

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