Sea ice is concentrated largely in the Arctic and Antarctic regions, and functions as a key part of polar ecosystems. Channels within sea ice can fill with salt water and provide habitats for primary producers such as algae and plankton to thrive. This allows larger animals to gain sustenance from the ice. Ships hoping to navigate arctic waters have to take sea ice into account to ensure they can reach their destinations.

Melting sea ice due to climate change is a dominant contributor to global sea level rise. Ice helps reflect radiation back into space, while liquid water absorbs heat, meaning that ice loss speeds up the effects of global warming. Sea ice extent has been shrinking for the last several years—almost every year since 2007, the Arctic sea ice minimum has dropped below five million square kilometers. Studying changes in sea ice over time is a crucial facet of investigating climate change.

NASA’s Earth-observing instruments collect data useful to the study of sea ice, including reflectance data, ocean wind and wave data, and currents data. These products help researchers learn more about global warming, polar ecosystems, and best practices for shipping transport.