Arctic Sea Ice

Sea ice is the foundation for Arctic marine life, at the base of a complex ecosystem that supports a wide range of species. However, Arctic sea ice has been shrinking by about 4.6% per decade since 1972, and the summer of 2012 marked a new record low.

Most sea ice moves with the wind and currents; ‘fast ice’, however, is attached to the shore or ocean floor and does not move. Multiyear ice is disappearing, a real concern because it is the only year-round ice habitat and will be impossible to replace if the Arctic continues to warm at current rates.

###Importance Sea ice has both global and local importance. Globally, sea ice helps keep polar regions – and the whole planet – cool; you might even think of it as “the planet’s air conditioner”. Locally, indigenous peoples rely on sea ice for transportation and hunting, while seals, walrus, polar bears, whales and other mammals and sea birds use it for everything from foraging and feeding to birthing.

###Potential impact of an oil spill A spill not contained or dealt with before winter freeze-up poses a highly significant risk on a large scale; the oil would bind with the newly-formed ice, be carried far and wide by ocean currents, and released into new and remote environments the following spring, typically some eight months later.

Sources

• WWF-Canada – Sea Ice
• WWF-Canada – Oil and Gas Exploration