Freshwater ocean?

It doesn’t even sound right. How can an ocean have freshwater? Wouldn’t that be a lake? This basic fact that we have been taught since grade school might not be right after all. 

In the wake of Pluto being downgraded from planetary status, scientists are determined to change the way we think about oceans, opening up the possibility for them to contain freshwater. 

When a river reaches the ocean, the freshwater begins to mix with the salty seawater and after getting mixed around by the currents, all traces of freshwater are gone just a few miles from the river’s mouth. 

Scientists in the Arctic Ocean have made a discovery that is puzzling everyone. Off Canada’s northern coast lies a large pool of freshwater in the middle of the arctic ocean. 

The 7,500 cubic kilometer area of water is surrounded by a salty ocean. Experts believe that the water is not mixing with the surrounding water because of an unusual weather pattern which seems to be keeping the freshwater in one area, floating atop the more dense saltwater. 

A major concern is for sea life that needs saltwater in order to survive. Scientists worry that if plankton, the base of the marine food chain were to float into the pool of freshwater, they would die and not be available for other sea life to consume.  

Another concern is the water’s introduction into the North Atlantic, where a conveyor of sorts transports water in fast moving currents. 

They worry that if too much freshwater entered the stream, it could severely disrupt the entire cycle. 

This disturbance could lead to cooler weather for the Northern hemisphere and could cause havoc on the surrounding ecosystems.