Ross Sea

Ross Sea is located between Marie Byrd and Victoria Land in the Antarctica’s Southern Ocean. The sea was named after a British adventurer known as James Ross who did some exploration in 1841. The sea borders Victoria Land and Ross Island on its western corner. On its eastern side the Ross Sea borders Edward VII Peninsula in Marie Byrd and Roosevelt Island. On the Southern end of the Ross Sea there is Gould Coast which is around 200 miles of the Geographical South Pole which is always covered with ice shelf.

Ross Sea Facts for Kids

Interesting Ross Sea facts:

• The land masses in the Ross Sea are under the control of the government of New Zealand.
• The Ross Sea is a habitat for many different species of mammals, they include; the killer whale, the Weddell Seal, the leopard seal, the crab eater seal, Antarctic Minke whales, Antarctic silverfish, Antarctic tooth fish, Antarctic krill and crystal krill.
• There exists more than six species of bird that live in the area around Ross Sea and approximately 95 species of fish are said to exist in the waters of the Ross Sea.
• The ice cover in the Ross Sea is moderated by the gentle circulation of water which is usually warm and salty.
• The Ross Sea has not been negatively affected by human activities thus making it one of few seas on the earth which are free of human pollution. This provides suitable conditions for different organisms and plants to thrive well.
• About 1.1 square kilometers of the Ross Sea around Antarctica is usually protected under the land international agreement which was signed among 24 hours countries. No fishing is allowed in this area.
• The animals and the plants of the Ross Sea are similar to those found on the south part of Antarctic marine regions.
• During the summers the small organisms such as bacteria, archaea, algae, protozoa and drifting or floating animals provide food for the bigger animals such as the whales, seals, fish, shore-birds and the sea birds.
• The coastal parts of the Ross Sea has several breeding colonies of rooks of Adelie and Emperor Penguins which have been observed at several places of the Ross Sea both towards the shore and outwards in the open sea.
• On 22nd of February 2007, a type of a squid known as the colossal squid with a total mass of 495 kilograms and a total length of 10 meters (32.8 feet) was caught in the Ross Sea.
• The Ross Sea makes up 2 % of the Southern ocean, However it is the most productive extension of the Antarctic waters since it contains most of the Southern Ocean fish species, the invertebrates and huge populations of the sea mammals and seabirds.
• It is believed that at least a third of all Adelie penguins live in the Ross Sea, also approximately a third of the Antarctic petrels and Emperor penguins found on earth live in the Ross Sea.
• The Ross Sea is of great importance to the scientists since the scientists can access data dating back to 170 years ago and records dating back to 50 years back which makes it the longest history of scientific research in the Southern Ocean.

The question below will enhance your understanding about the Ross Sea

Question: Why should Ross Sea be protected?

Answer: Ross Sea is the largest region on earth with minimal levels of pollution from human beings and for this reason we should protect the sea so that the sea can continue to assist in studying of open-ocean marine life and scientific research for better understanding of how marine systems were before human exploitation.