Upwelling: an environmental history of the Southern Ocean

Researcher: Joy McCann

The oceanic realm encircling the globe in the high southern latitudes has long exerted a powerful force on Western imagination, and shaped Indigenous and settler histories in the Southern Hemisphere including Australia. More recently, scientists have shown that the Southern Ocean plays a crucial role in driving the world’s ocean circulation and climate systems. This project explores shifting scientific and cultural perceptions of the Southern Ocean since Cook’s voyages of exploration, and traces the emergence of an ecological awareness of the deep ocean that has profound implications for Australia and the world.