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Understanding the Trajectory and Implication of a Changing Southern Ocean: The Need for an Integrated Observing System

The Southern Ocean is a critical component of the global climate system. It controls, to a large extent, the uptake of human-generated heat and carbon into the ocean. We are currently observing critical changes in the Southern Ocean that are seen in the record low levels of sea-ice extent, high temperatures, and dramatic shifts in penguin populations, among other striking changes.

Understanding the processes that underlie those changes and potential trajectories moving forward is constrained by the sparsely available observations for this remote and extreme location. It is evident that expanding Southern Ocean observations will require a sustained commitment from the global scientific community, governments, and international organizations. These efforts are essential for addressing the challenges posed by climate change and advancing our knowledge of this critical region.

This special issue will showcase the latest findings on the current state of the interdisciplinary observing system, the importance of sustained observational capability, data access, and data delivery for detecting and monitoring system changes in the Southern Ocean.

These activities are core to the Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS) whose mission is to facilitate the delivery of a sustained and coordinated Southern Ocean observing system to provide diagnostics and understanding of current conditions, inform predictions of future states, and support policies and regulations for the benefit of society.