Antarctic sea ice levels dive in 'five-sigma event', as experts flag worsening consequences for planet

This winter has confirmed what scientists had feared — the sea ice around Antarctica is in sharp decline, with experts now concerned it may not recover. Earlier this year, scientists observed an all-time low in the amount of sea ice around the icy continent, following all-time lows in 2016, 2017 and 2022. Usually, the ice has been able to recover in winter, when Antarctica is reliably dark and cold. Read more on the ABC

sea ice, OCEANS, ICE, ocean healthGuest User27 July 2023

China and Russia Continue to Block Protections for Antarctica

For the sixth year in a row, members of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR)—part of the Antarctic Treaty System—failed to agree on any new marine protected areas in the fragile Southern Ocean. Read more at Scientific American

OCEANS, fisheriesGuest User25 July 2023

Slowing ocean current caused by melting Antarctic ice could have drastic climate impact, study says

The Southern Ocean overturning circulation has ebbed 30% since the 90s, CSIRO scientist claims, leading to higher sea levels and changing weather. Read more on the Guardian

OCEANS, ocean healthGuest User25 July 2023

Recycling of iron in Southern Ocean declining as population of chinstrap penguins shrinks

A team of ecologists and coastal managers at the Institute of Marine Sciences of Andalusia, working with a colleague from the University of Cádiz, both in Spain, has found that the amount of iron being recycled back into the Southern Ocean by chinstrap penguins has been halved over the past several decades due to their declining population. Read more at Phys.org

OCEANS, ocean biomassGuest User25 July 2023