SOOS is an international initiative of the

Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) is an interdisciplinary body of the International Science Council (ISC). SCAR coordinates international scientific research efforts in Antarctica, including the Southern Ocean. SCAR's scien ...

(SCAR) and the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR). It was officially launched in 2011. Its International Project Office is hosted by the

Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies The Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) is a teaching and research institute of the University of Tasmania in Hobart, Tasmania. IMAS was established in 2010, building upon the university's partnership with CSIRO Oceans and Atmosp ...

(IMAS),

University of Tasmania The University of Tasmania (UTAS) is a public research university, primarily located in Tasmania, Australia. Founded in 1890, it is Australia's fourth oldest university. Christ College (University of Tasmania), Christ College, one of the unive ...

, Australia. The Southern 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 second-smallest of the five principal oceanic divisions: smaller than the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans but larger than the Arctic Ocean. Over the past 30 years, the Southern Ocean has been subject to rapid climate change, which has led to changes in the marine ecosystem.Fraser C, Hulbe C, Stevens C & Griffiths H. 2020. An Ocean Like No Other, The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/an-ocean-like-no-other-the-southern-oceans-ecological-richness-and-significance-for-global-climate-151084 SOOS is designed to aid the collection and delivery of essential observations on dynamics and change of Southern Ocean systems to all international stakeholders (researchers, governments, industries). It seeks to enable the design, advocacy and implementation of cost-effective observing and data delivery systems. RWG Blocks Feb2021

Regional Working Groups

For the purposes of the SOOS initiative, the Southern Ocean is divided into five Working Group regions. * Amundsen and Bellingshausen Sector (Amundsen) * Ross Sea (Ross) * Southern Ocean Indian Sector (SOIS) * West Antarctic Peninsula and Scotia Arc (WAPSA) * Weddell Sea and Dronning Maud Land (WS-DML)

References

{{reflist Oceanography Ecological experiments