Arctic Ice Second-Lowest Ever; Polar Bears Affected `
Arctic sea ice shrank to its second-lowest level ever, US scientists said on Wednesday, with particular melting in the Chukchi Sea, where polar bears were recently seen swimming far off the Alaskan coast. This year's Arctic ice melt could surpass the extraordinary 2007 record low in the coming weeks. Last year's minimum ice level was reached on Sept. 16, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center.