Antarctica is a unique and harsh continent. It is exceptionally remote and inaccessible due to strong winds and multiple ocean currents. These currents rotate around the continent with terrifying wave heights and huge ice floes. From above they look like the cogs of a machine.
The waters surrounding Antarctica are also a key part of a 'global ocean conveyor belt', in which Antarctic Bottom Water flows away from the continent on the ocean floor. It is the densest water found in all the oceans - rich in oxygen, carbon and nutrients. It sinks because it is 'briny water' created from ice crystals freezing in the seawater around Antarctica. This water 'oozes' away from Antarctica along the ocean floor and begins a journey that will circulate around the whole globe.
You can learn more about the importance of this water by watching an explanation from Professor Tracey Rogers.