Uploaded January 2023 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
The "Last Ice Area", the final refuge for Arctic life, is melting faster than ever.
Impact of climate change on Arctic ice.
With the rising global temperature, it is projected that most of summer ice in the Arctic region, will be gone in a few decades.
This will not only threaten the Arctic species that need the frozen climate, but also people that depend upon these species.
Scientists have been pinning their hopes on a region called the Last Ice Area, that stays frozen through the summer.
This area could act as a refuge for arctic species ranging from polar bears to microbes. The ice in this area is believed to survive the longest.
It is a 400,000 square-mile area located in north Greenland and arctic Canada. A vast floating landscape, with the oldest and thickest Arctic ice. Ice from other Arctic areas drifts and piles up here. An archipelago of Canadian islands, prevents the ice from drifting south.
It is home to various species of plankton and algae growing underneath the ice. These species have evolved to grow directly on ice and are a part of a delicate ecosystem. This ecosystem supports microbes, and animals like fish and crustaceans, in-turn supporting other animals like polar bears and beluga whales.
Recent studies suggest that this area is under serious threat due to rising global temperatures. The ice is melting at an unexpected rate. Sea ice helps cool the Earth's temperature by reflecting back the sunlight. As more ice melts, it leads to a further increase in the temperature.
If the current trends continue, the ice will be alarmingly thin by the year 2050. Summertime ice might be totally gone by the year 2100.
If this happens, the ice dependent ecosystems will collapse, bringing several species to extinction.
The area also needs to be protected from mining. For over a decade WWF has been working with the local communities to conserve this area.
Scientists are still hoping that if carbon emissions are drastically reduced, a thin sheet of ice might still survive. This ice can act as Noah's Ark for the arctic species, to wait out the warm temperatures.
The "Last Ice Area", the final refuge for Arctic life, is melting faster than ever.
Impact of climate change on Arctic ice.
With the rising global temperature, it is projected that most of summer ice in the Arctic region, will be gone in a few decades.
This will not only threaten the Arctic species that need the frozen climate, but also people that depend upon these species.
Scientists have been pinning their hopes on a region called the Last Ice Area, that stays frozen through the summer.
This area could act as a refuge for arctic species ranging from polar bears to microbes. The ice in this area is believed to survive the longest.
It is a 400,000 square-mile area located in north Greenland and arctic Canada. A vast floating landscape, with the oldest and thickest Arctic ice. Ice from other Arctic areas drifts and piles up here. An archipelago of Canadian islands, prevents the ice from drifting south.
It is home to various species of plankton and algae growing underneath the ice. These species have evolved to grow directly on ice and are a part of a delicate ecosystem. This ecosystem supports microbes, and animals like fish and crustaceans, in-turn supporting other animals like polar bears and beluga whales.
Recent studies suggest that this area is under serious threat due to rising global temperatures. The ice is melting at an unexpected rate. Sea ice helps cool the Earth's temperature by reflecting back the sunlight. As more ice melts, it leads to a further increase in the temperature.
If the current trends continue, the ice will be alarmingly thin by the year 2050. Summertime ice might be totally gone by the year 2100.
If this happens, the ice dependent ecosystems will collapse, bringing several species to extinction.
The area also needs to be protected from mining. For over a decade WWF has been working with the local communities to conserve this area.
Scientists are still hoping that if carbon emissions are drastically reduced, a thin sheet of ice might still survive. This ice can act as Noah's Ark for the arctic species, to wait out the warm temperatures.
