Bottom water is formed when seas around Antarctica freeze over in winter causing salt to leach out of the sea ice. This process forms dense surface water that eventually sinks to form cold dense water that sits in the abyssal zone 4,000 metres to 6,000 metres below the surface.
In the long term, changes to bottom water would not only affect the circulation of water around the globe but have an impact on sea life that relies on the dense water to provide nutrients and gasses such as oxygen. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-08-24/seals-reveal-how-antarctica's-ice-shelves-affect-deep-ocean/7773362
Article courtesy of ABC Science By Genelle Weule
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