ok so!!! here’s the thing. im not smarte. Technically, yes, many people have considered the Southern Ocean extant for a while. What the original ask was referring to is that National Geographic has finally confirmed the Southern Ocean to be its own distinct entity, which dated to about 2 days before I received the ask. I did the bare minimum amount of possible research on the topic, saw a few recent news headlines, and slapped that post button. Thank you to everyone who sought to correct me- and there were a few of you!
ifesbob 