Ross Sea

1 5.3

A part of the ocean next to Antarctica between Victoria Land and Marie Byrd Land

proper noun

: mar de Ross

Scientists are studying the impact of climate change on the Ross Sea ecosystem.

Examples

In 2016, the Ross Sea was designated as a marine protected area.
The Ross Sea is home to a diverse range of Antarctic wildlife.
The Ross Sea is known for its stunning ice formations.
Many researchers study the Ross Sea to understand climate change.
In 2016, the Ross Sea was designated as a marine protected area.
The Ross Sea is home to a diverse range of Antarctic wildlife.
Scientists are studying the impact of climate change on the Ross Sea ecosystem.

Surface Forms

Ross Sea main

Morphology

Ross + sea

This is a proper-name + noun combination: 'Ross' is a label and 'sea' means a large body of saltwater, so a B1 learner who knows 'sea' can infer that Ross Sea is a (named) sea even if they do not know its Antarctic location. Such naming patterns are compositional and cross-linguistically common, making the basic meaning transparent from the constituents.

Etymology

The place name Ross Sea comes from the British explorer Sir James Clark Ross, who sailed into this part of Antarctica and mapped it in 1841. So the name simply means the 'sea' named after Ross.