Sea ice around Antarctica reached a record low for the second straight year this month, scientists from the National Snow and Ice Data Center announced Monday. "Antarctic sea ice has likely reached its minimum extent for the year, at 691,000 square miles on February 21, 2023," the data center said in a news release. The 2023 ice minimum is the lowest since records began in 1979. This year’s minimum extent beat the previous record low set last year by 52,500 square miles, an area roughly the size of the state of Alabama. Click the link in our bio to learn more about sea ice and its impact.