Blue Worlds - The Southern Ocean

Icy and mysterious, the Southern Ocean stretches across the bottom of the Earth, surrounding the continent of Antarctica. With its freezing waters, harsh winds and towering waves, until recently only the bravest explorers sailed its stormy seas. Today, tourists flock to see the ocean’s unique wildlife of penguins, seabirds and blue whales. But along with human visitors come human-made problems, including global warming, pollution and overfishing. The oceans make up Earth’s biggest habitat. More than 70 per cent of Earth’s surface is covered by oceans and seas and they hold more than 97 per cent of Earth’s water supply. Oceans drive the world’s weather, provide half of the oxygen we breathe and provide food and livelihoods for more than a billion people. Blue Worlds explores each of the world’s five oceans and major seas in detail, looking at the different features – from wildlife and weather to landscape – that make them all individual and unique. It also looks at the threats that they face, such as global warming, overfishing and pollution.