Despite harsh conditions, the Arctic Ocean supports marine mammals such as seals and whales, along with fish, seabirds, and endangered marine species. Polar bears rely on Arctic sea ice as a platform to hunt, linking their survival directly to sea ice cover.
Productive continental shelf areas in the western Arctic and eastern Arctic provide nutrients that support food webs. As sea ice loss accelerates, shipping routes like the Northern Sea Route and the Northwest Passage open more frequently, increasing human activity in the Arctic Mediterranean Sea.
Researchers from the National Snow and Ice Data Center track sea ice records to understand how melting sea ice reshapes the Arctic Basin.
The Arctic Ocean may be the smallest of the world’s oceans, but it’s a powerful engine in Earth’s climate and a critical part of our shared future.
We created this article in conjunction with AI technology, then made sure it was fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.
