🤔Is there a Southern Ocean? Well, depends on who you ask! In 1999, the U.S. Board on Geographic Names officially recognized the Southern Ocean, extending from Antarctica’s icy coastline all the way to 60° South latitude. It surrounds the frozen continent and links the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans through the powerful Antarctic Circumpolar Current. 🌍 In 2000, officials proposed the name “Southern Ocean” to the International Hydrographic Organization, but not every country agrees on boundaries—so it remains ambiguous under international law. NOAA began using the term in 1999 and formally recognized it in February 2021. The National Geographic Society followed in June of that year. Today, scientists and educators widely use “Southern Ocean” to describe this unique and vital region of our planet—even though international treaties have not formally adopted the name. 📸 from the Southern Ocean Randie Bundy, Brian Guest, and Carin Ashjian/WHOI (fb)

It's #WorldTurtleDay! All six sea turtles found in US waters are protected under the Endangered Species Act. Can you name them all? Hint: this one is a green sea turtle an MIT-WHOI join program student encountered while freediving in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. 📸 by Ciara Willis © #WHOI (fb)