Antarctic sea ice in crisis

Antarctic sea ice is in crisis, with a sudden decline recently observed after more than 30 years of relative stability.

Any day now, scientists will learn whether this summer's Antarctic sea-ice extent has beaten last year’s record summer low of 1.77 million square kilometres – 36% less than the long-term summer average.

Will the declining trend seen since 2016 continue, or will there be a reprieve?

Sea ice is so central to the functioning of the planet that its decline has serious implications for Earth’s climate and ecosystems, and human wellbeing.

Learn more about the importance of sea ice and the research we’re doing to understand the impact of its loss, in our new in-depth feature Antarctic sea ice in crisis.