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The International Weddell Sea Oceanographic Expeditions or IWSOE are a series of scientific research expeditions to the 
The Weddell Sea, part of the Southern Ocean, is a unique scientific research environment. The outflow of Weddell Sea Bottom Water and Antarctic Bottom Water formed in the Weddell and Ross Seas is a major source of oceanic deep water and changes affecting the formation of these water masses are liable to have an effect on the circulation of deep water globally. The water of the Weddell Sea is about 1400 m deep at its deepest point; it is exceptionally clear (the Secchi disk visibility reading at 80 metres recorded in the Weddell Sea on 13 October 1986 was the deepest ever, at the theoretical maximum in absolutely pure water). Much of the southern part of the sea is permanent ice, the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf, which can be up to 600 m thick.
IWSOE research projects have involved a variety of institutions and covered a wide range of disciplines.
For example, in 1969 scientists from the Universities of
Weddell Sea
The Weddell Sea is part of the Southern Ocean and contains the Weddell Gyre. Its land boundaries are defined by the bay formed from the coasts of Coats Land and the Antarctic Peninsula. The easternmost point is Cape Norvegia at Princess Martha ...
began in 1967, involving cooperation among Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
, Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
and the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
.
The Weddell Sea, part of the Southern Ocean, is a unique scientific research environment. The outflow of Weddell Sea Bottom Water and Antarctic Bottom Water formed in the Weddell and Ross Seas is a major source of oceanic deep water and changes affecting the formation of these water masses are liable to have an effect on the circulation of deep water globally. The water of the Weddell Sea is about 1400 m deep at its deepest point; it is exceptionally clear (the Secchi disk visibility reading at 80 metres recorded in the Weddell Sea on 13 October 1986 was the deepest ever, at the theoretical maximum in absolutely pure water). Much of the southern part of the sea is permanent ice, the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf, which can be up to 600 m thick.
IWSOE research projects have involved a variety of institutions and covered a wide range of disciplines.
For example, in 1969 scientists from the Universities of Bergen
Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula of ...
(Norway) and Minnesota, Connecticut and California, Los Angeles (USA), and the US Coast Guard Oceanographic Unit studied the formation of Antarctic Bottom Water, the population density and diversity of the deep sea benthos
Benthos (), also known as benthon, is the community of organisms that live on, in, or near the bottom of a sea, river, lake, or stream, also known as the benthic zone.Introduction, page 1, "Oceanography of the Weddell Sea in 1969" by Gary L. Hufford and Lcdr. James M. Seabrooke, United States Coast Guard Oceanographic Report No. 31, publ. Washington DC, Feb. 1970
accessed 1 March 2011 Other subjects of IWSOE research include the Weddell Sea currents and the biology ofFred's Place website USCGC Glacier Archive, personal report by SO1 John Murphy of Glacier's 1968 IWSOE Weddell Sea voyage
accessed 1 March 2011 At the time, the ''Glacier'' was the world's largest icebreaker.
accessed 1 March 2011 Other subjects of IWSOE research include the Weddell Sea currents and the biology of
krill
Krill are small crustaceans of the order Euphausiacea, and are found in all the world's oceans. The name "krill" comes from the Norwegian
Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to:
*Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in n ...
, a species of zooplankton
Zooplankton are the animal component of the planktonic community ("zoo" comes from the Greek word for ''animal''). Plankton are aquatic organisms that are unable to swim effectively against currents, and consequently drift or are carried along by ...
abundance in the area.
The expeditions were initially led aboard the ''USCGC Glacier'', an icebreaker
An icebreaker is a special-purpose ship or boat designed to move and navigate through ice-covered waters, and provide safe waterways for other boats and ships. Although the term usually refers to ice-breaking ships, it may also refer to smaller ...
modified for oceanographic research which in 1968 was the first ship to cross the Weddell Sea from the edge of the ice pack to the continental landmass.accessed 1 March 2011 At the time, the ''Glacier'' was the world's largest icebreaker.
References
{{reflist British Antarctic Territory Chile and the Antarctic History of Antarctica Argentine Antarctica Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf 20th century in Antarctica 1967 in Antarctica