News overview

Due to the extreme heat wave over Western and Central Europe, the North Atlantic warmed in June. The result: accelerated sea-ice melting in the northern Barents Sea.

In May 2026, there was less sea ice than hoped for in both polar regions. More importantly: the sea-ice retreat in the Arctic is producing dramatic nutrient losses in the ocean.

How polar researchers combined good instincts, team spirit, and modern analytic methods to reveal a new climatic domino effect in the Arctic

As the latest temperature and atmospheric pressure data from NOAA is no longer publicly available, we can currently only describe sea-ice developments, not explain them.

At the end of the Arctic winter, the sea-ice extent grew to 14.48 million square kilometres, the second-lowest winter maximum since the beginning of satellite observation.

February held no surprises in terms of sea-ice development in the Arctic – but plenty when it came to ocean research.

In January, frigid winter temperatures froze the coastal waters of the Baltic. The perfect occasion for us to present the work done by the Baltic Sea Ice Service (BSIS).

In December 2025, the mean monthly sea-ice extent in the Arctic was the lowest December value since the beginning of satellite observation.

Unusually high air and water temperatures in the Atlantic marginal zone of the Arctic Ocean delay the formation of new sea ice in four different regions

In October, mild air and sea-surface temperatures slowed the formation of new ice in the northern Barents and Kara Seas.