The Antarctic Circumpolar Current - vital but waning
- caitlinduquemin
- Apr 14
- 2 min read
The Antarctic Circumpolar Current is the strongest ocean current on the planet. It actually has a significant impact on the climate, food systems, and Antarctic ecosystems. Connecting the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans, this system regulates the Earth's climate and pumps water, heat, and nutrients around the globe.
However, melting Antarctic ice is diluting the salty ocean water, impacting the vital ocean current. In fact, new research suggests that this current will be 20% slower by 2050, thanks to the earth's warming. This will have far reaching impacts for life on Earth. If this current weakens, biodiversity will be reduced, and decrease the fisheries that are a vital source for coastal communities. Plus, it could allow invasive species like southern bull kelp entry to Antarctica, which would disrupt local ecosystems and food webs. The current weakening would allow more warm water into the system and therefore exacerbate the Antarctic ice melting, contributing to sea level rise and further weakening the current, starting a damaging feedback loop. This also impacts the ocean's ability to regulate climate change as a vital carbon sink.
But while these findings paint a bleak picture, the future is not written in stone. With proactive and dedicated efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, we could still limit melting and protect this critical current. Learn about how we can all reduce our impact on UN1TY's Carbon Literacy Training - our next cohort is taking place next month, and there's still a few spaces left. Check out the link to book here: Carbon Literacy Project - Guernsey Tickets, Tue 20 May 2025 at 09:00 | Eventbrite, or get in touch for more information.
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