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Ross Sea Facts

Ross Sea Facts
The Ross Sea is located in the Antarctica's Southern Ocean between Marie Byrd Land and Victoria Land. It was named after the James Ross, a British explorer who explored the area in 1841. At the sea's western side lies Victoria Land and Ross Island, and at its eastern side lies the Edward VII Peninsula in Marie Byrd Land and Roosevelt Island. The southernmost point of Ross Sea is 200 miles from the South Pole and is covered by the Ross Ice Shelf.
Interesting Ross Sea Facts:
The area of Ross Lake, as defined by the New Zealand National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, is 246,000 square miles.
There is a rich marine fauna in Ross Sea thanks to an abundance of plankton in the nutrient-rich water.
There are several mammal species found in Ross Sea including the killer whale, the Weddell seal, the leopard seal, the crabeater seal, Antarctic minke whales, Antarctic silverfish, Antarctic toothfish, Antarctic krill, and crystal krill.
There are at least six bird species known to exist in the Ross Sea region, as well as 95 species of fish.
The circulation of water in the Ross Sea is considered to be slow, with warm and salty water near the surface that moderates the ice cover.
The Ross Sea is one of the few remaining seas on earth that have not been heavily affected by human activity. This means that the sea is relatively free of pollution and invasive species - issues that commonly occur as a result of human interest in a region.


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