General InformationSea ice is one of the largest ecosystems on Earth and supports a number of diverse organisms and exerts influence on marine ecosystems and adjacent terrestrial areas (Arrigo 2013; Post et al. 2013). Polar sea ice covers between 3.9 and 4.3% of the Earth's total surface area throughout the year (Arrigo 2013), and a substantial decline in Arctic sea ice has been recorded in recent years ( Fig. 1) (Johannessen and Miles 2011; Post et 2013; Zhang et al. 2010). Sea ice is home to a variety of microorganisms, provides habitat for a number of vertebrates, and also has a significant impact on terrestrial diversity and productivity in the Arctic, with 80% of low-lying tundra lying within less than 100 km from a seasonally ice-covered ocean. (Bhatt et al. 2010; Post et al. 2013). Over the past three decades, minimum summer ice extent has decreased by approximately 45%, from 7.0 to 7.5 x 106 km2 in the 1980s to 3.5 to 4.5 x 106 km2 between 2007 and 2012 (Arrigo 2013). To some extent, a reduction in sea ice thickness is also observed (Maslanik et al. 2011). This thinner sea ice resulted in less rigid ice, thinner snow cover, more surface melt pools, and less reflected solar radiation (Nicolaus et al. 2012). Sea ice loss is not just an indicator of global warming; it is also the result of a feedback mechanism in the Arctic arising from decreasing surface albedo (Serreze and Barry 2011). Over the past 50 years, average annual air temperatures at the Earth's surface, particularly in the Arctic, have increased (Fig. 2). Bhatt et al. (2008) found that summer sea ice loss is linked to land surface warming in the Arctic. The dramatic loss of sea ice in the Arctic has led to major impacts on sea ice diversity...... middle of article ......ResearchLetters. 39: L24501. doi: 10.1029/2012GL053738Post E, Bhatt US, Bitz CM, Brodie JF, Fulton TL, Hebblewhite M, Kerby J, Kutz SJ, Stirling I and Walker DA. (2013). Ecological consequences of sea ice decline.Science. 341(6145):519-524. doi:10.1126/science.1235225Schweiger A, Lindsay R, Zhang J, Steele M, Stern H and Kwok R. (2011) Uncertainty in modeled Arctic sea ice. Journal of Geophysical Research. 116: C00D06. doi:10.1029/2011JC007084Serreze MC and Barry RG. (2011). Processes and impacts of amplification in the Arctic: a research synthesis. Global and planetary change. 77:85-96. doi:10.1016/j.gloplacha.2011.03.004 Zhang J, Spitz YH, Steele M, Ashjian C, Campbell R, Berline L, and Matrai P. (2010). Modeling the impact of sea ice decline on the Arctic marine plankton ecosystem. Journal of Geophysical Research. 115: C10015. doi: 10.1029/2009JC005387