The Antarctic Ocean, more commonly known as the Southern Ocean, circles Antarctica and much of it is ice-covered land. It is also referred to by some as the Great Southern Ocean or the South Polar Ocean. A variety of natural resources and wildlife can be found there, including manganese nodules, sand and gravel, fresh water, squid, whales, seals, krill, various forms of fish and 17 species of penguin.
The temperature varies in this ocean from about 2 to 10 degrees C (28 to 50 degrees F). This is due to the cold, northward flowing waters from the Antarctic mix with warmer sub-Antarctic waters. Inevitably, this harsh climate and the heavy iced surface affects the precence of vegetation. Very few plants live there, but it is a common misconception to believe that there is no plant life there at all.
You can find plenty of fauna and mosses, which cling to the rocky area, mostly on the coast. In terms of flowering plants, in the northern part of the Antarctic Peninsula lies grass that forms dense mats on the slopes and herbs that grows in bunches. Organisms such as algae grow in the snow, such as phytoplankton and lichens cling to rocks, often bunching together to conserve water.
The temperature varies in this ocean from about 2 to 10 degrees C (28 to 50 degrees F). This is due to the cold, northward flowing waters from the Antarctic mix with warmer sub-Antarctic waters. Inevitably, this harsh climate and the heavy iced surface affects the precence of vegetation. Very few plants live there, but it is a common misconception to believe that there is no plant life there at all.
You can find plenty of fauna and mosses, which cling to the rocky area, mostly on the coast. In terms of flowering plants, in the northern part of the Antarctic Peninsula lies grass that forms dense mats on the slopes and herbs that grows in bunches. Organisms such as algae grow in the snow, such as phytoplankton and lichens cling to rocks, often bunching together to conserve water.
