Often referred to as one of the last places in the world with year-round sea ice, these waters have historically been difficult to access because of the thickness of the ice. But melting sea ice has opened a path for a Canadian research icebreaker to sail through some of these passageways for the first time ever. On Sept. 4, scientists with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and the University of Manitoba embarked on a four-week cruise aboard the CCGS Amundsen to study Arctic sea ice. The fact that an icebreaker is able to enter one of the world’s last refuges of sea ice is yet another startling sign of the effects of climate change. “We were finding really deteriorated and heavily melted sea ice….

Source: CBC News December 29, 2025 15:33 UTC