Sea ice worryingly falls to record lows in the Antarctic Ocean

In previous instances that ice levels deviated, wind strength and ocean warming have been highlighted as two probable factors – given they’re both becoming bigger problems the longer we fail to address climate change. That is indeed the case here, until more thorough investigations are concluded.

Changing climate has different consequences on different types of Antarctica’s penguins 🐧, scientists have discovered pic.twitter.com/6TNum5PvIw

— Reuters (@Reuters) January 21, 2022

This unprecedented drop in ice is having a knock on effect to wildlife too. Small crustations called Antarctic krill, which form a vital part of the food chain in the area, are being driven southward, and Greenpeace has reported finding penguins in places previously deemed too cold to settle.

‘It is terrifying to witness this frozen ocean melting down. The consequences of these changes extend to the whole planet, impacting marine food webs around the globe,’ said Greenpeace’s Laura Meller.

While there is a wide acceptance that climate change is having a big impact on rising sea levels, there is now a clamour from researchers to find what specifically is the key factor in shrinking ocean ice. That way, perhaps we can address the issue before our net zero targets (hopefully) begin to materialise.

‘Whether this is the start of [a permanent decline] it’s still too early to say, but it’s definitely worth watching,’ says Walt Meier, a senior scientist with the NSIDC.

Given the change could very well be irreversible, there’s now a race against time for scientists to get clued up asap.