Sea ice in the polar regions is melting faster and faster because of climate change. In Antarctica, a new minimum value could be reached in the second half of February 2023, reports the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) in its fully revamped sea ice portal. At the turn of the year, the Antarctic sea ice cover was already lower than the minimum value observed at that time, according to the AWI. The sea ice was only about the size of France.