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• Sea ice plays a critical role in both global climate and Southern Ocean ecosystems

• Antarctic sea ice is seasonal, covering about 20 million square kilometres around Antarctica each winter. Approximately 80% of this ice melts in the summer.

• Arctic ice is rapidly disappearing, and the region may have its first completely ice-free summer by 2040 or earlier. Polar bears and indigenous cultures are already suffering from the sea-ice loss.

• Algae that grow in brine trapped in sea ice are an important food source for krill larvae in winter. Changes in sea ice extent or thickness may affect the abundance and distribution of krill and this may affect organisms higher up the Antarctic food chain because krill is a major food source for other animals such as whales, penguins, seals, fish and squid.

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