article_snippet: Arctic sea ice, frozen seawater floating on top of the Arctic Ocean and the Arctic Ocean neighboring seas, is in a state of constant flux.
article_snippet: Scientists have been using satellite data to track changes in Arctic sea ice, a vital habitat for birds and marine mammals such as polar bears, seals and walruses, for over three decades.
article_snippet: Over the span of the satellite record, Arctic sea ice has been declining significantly, while sea ice in the Antarctic has increased very slightly," the NOAA news release said.
article_snippet: Recent research demosntrates that the Antarctic gains do not balance out the Arctic losses: globally, sea ice extent has decreased over the past several decades."
article_snippet: According to the NSIDC, sea ice in Arctic appears to play a more important role in regulating global temperatures than that in the Antarctic.