On International World Oceans Day (8 June 2021), National Geographic announced that it officially recognises the Southern Ocean as Earth’s fifth ocean.
The new ocean, the Southern Ocean, is defined by the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) that surrounds Antarctica and extends from the continent’s coastline to 60 degrees south latitude, excluding the Drake Passage and Scotia Sea. The Southern Ocean is a vital home for marine ecosystems and a focal point for the Southern Hemisphere. The ocean’s boundaries touch three of the four other oceans that exist on Earth – the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.