Southern Ocean Southern Ocean The Southern Ocean, also known as the Antarctic Ocean or the Austral Ocean, comprises the southernmost waters of the World Ocean, generally taken to be south of 60° S latitude and encircling Antarctica. As such, it is regarded as the fourth-largest of the five principal oceanic divisions: smaller than the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans but larger than the Arctic Ocean. This ocean zone is where cold, northward flowing waters from the Antarctic mix with warmer subantarctic waters. By way of his voyages in the 1770s, Captain James Cook proved that waters encompassed the southern latitudes of the
World Ocean Conference World Ocean Conference The World Ocean Conference 2009 (WOC) is an international conference to develop a common understanding and firm commitment to address the adverse impact of climate change on the state of the world's oceans, and increase understanding on the role of the oceans as ‘climate moderator’. This conference includes diplomats and heads of state from a number of countries. It took place in May 2009 in Manado, Indonesia. Its topic is the threat to various nations from rising oceans due to global warming. The conference was scheduled to be held from 11–14 May, included hundreds of officials and