2
the relative positions and areas covered by land og sea (Fig. 1). The
south polar region is covered by a huge (14xl0 6 km 2 ) and high continent,
which is surrounded by the unimpeded flow of the East and West Wind Drift
systems.
In sharp contrast, the north polar region is occupied by the
Arctic Ocean basin, which is surrounded by large land masses which affect
both water transport and meteorological conditions over the entire Arctic
region .
Pol., Front
Fig. 1. Maps of the Antarctic Ocean (left), showing the Polar Front and the maximum
and minimum extent of sea ice (after El-Sayed, 1970a), and the Arctic Ocean (right),
showing maximum and minimum extent of sea ice (based on Polar Regions Atlas by CIA) .
It is convenient to define the Antarctic marine ecosystem as those
waters south of the Antarctic Polar Front, which is located between 4860 0 S and generally close to about 55 0 .
Most of the Antarctic Ocean is
therefore situated at latitudes corresponding to the zone from northern
France to northern Norway.
There is no such clear definition of Arctic
waters.
One operational definition, as in this paper, is to consider as
"Arctic" those waters which are covered by the maximal extent of sea ice.
When defined in this manner, the Arctic marine environment stretches
south to 58-63 0 N in the Bering and Greenland Seas. The North European
region is anomalous due to the influx of warm Atlantic water. Thus the
whole Norwegian coast and the Barents Sea south of 73 0 N and west of 35 0 E
remain premanently ice free.
In this part of the Arctic the Polar Front
is situated as far north at 77-78 0 which is north of the ice edge in
winter.
The areas covered by ice or water in both polar regions are shown
in Table 1.
The two polar oceans are similar with respect to the prevalence of
the relative positions and areas covered by land og sea (Fig. 1). The
south polar region is covered by a huge (14xl0 6 km 2 ) and high continent,
which is surrounded by the unimpeded flow of the East and West Wind Drift
systems.
In sharp contrast, the north polar region is occupied by the
Arctic Ocean basin, which is surrounded by large land masses which affect
both water transport and meteorological conditions over the entire Arctic
region .
Pol., Front
Fig. 1. Maps of the Antarctic Ocean (left), showing the Polar Front and the maximum
and minimum extent of sea ice (after El-Sayed, 1970a), and the Arctic Ocean (right),
showing maximum and minimum extent of sea ice (based on Polar Regions Atlas by CIA) .
It is convenient to define the Antarctic marine ecosystem as those
waters south of the Antarctic Polar Front, which is located between 4860 0 S and generally close to about 55 0 .
Most of the Antarctic Ocean is
therefore situated at latitudes corresponding to the zone from northern
France to northern Norway.
There is no such clear definition of Arctic
waters.
One operational definition, as in this paper, is to consider as
"Arctic" those waters which are covered by the maximal extent of sea ice.
When defined in this manner, the Arctic marine environment stretches
south to 58-63 0 N in the Bering and Greenland Seas. The North European
region is anomalous due to the influx of warm Atlantic water. Thus the
whole Norwegian coast and the Barents Sea south of 73 0 N and west of 35 0 E
remain premanently ice free.
In this part of the Arctic the Polar Front
is situated as far north at 77-78 0 which is north of the ice edge in
winter.
The areas covered by ice or water in both polar regions are shown
in Table 1.
The two polar oceans are similar with respect to the prevalence of