Southern Ocean Ship (IMAGE) Princeton University Caption Princeton University and 10 partner institutions are launching the Southern Ocean Carbon and Climate Observations and Modeling program, or SOCCOM, a six-year, $21 million initiative to make the importance and health of the Southern Ocean encircling Antarctica better known scientifically and publicly. The Southern Ocean (above) soaks up half of the human-made carbon in the atmosphere and a majority of the planet's excess heat, and delivers nutrients that are critical to ocean ecosystems around the world. Nonetheless, the inner workings of the Southern Ocean, which accounts for 30 percent of the world's ocean area, remains relatively unknown to scientists, as dangerous seas hinder observations. Credit Image by Oscar Schofield, Rutgers University Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.