The Antarctic's sea ice began shrinking a decade ago, a decade after expanding due to climate change, but suddenly contracted in 2016 due to rising global temperatures. The loss of sea ice has significant implications for the continent's vast ice sheet, which would if it disappeared. Scientists have identified the cause of this sudden decline, largely due to salinity, winds, and churning of the ocean. The research involved deep-diving robots that used to collect data from the Earth's surface, which could provide crucial data about how sea ice conditions were changing. The robots, which can detect temperature and salinity changes, were used to gather data about the changing conditions. As sea ice declined, this has threatened to further damage the Antarctic ice sheet and has led to an accelerated decline in local ice shelves.