The melting of Antarctica's sea ice has had severe consequences for the Southern Ocean already, from the loss of its habitats to the increase of its sea levels to the intensification of its storms and severe weather. But it turns out that things can always take a turn for the worse.

A sudden salinity spike in the Southern Ocean is accelerating Antarctic ice loss and triggering a dangerous climate feedback loop.

Antarctic sea ice extent has fallen dramatically in recent years – the effects include accelerated ocean warming, faster loss of inland ice sheets and severe impacts on wildlife