It's another sign of how quickly our planet's poles are changing.

Researchers have sounded the alarm after recording Antarctica's third-lowest level of winter sea ice since satellite tracking began nearly 50 years ago, per Phys.org -- another sign of how quickly our planet's poles are changing.

According to new data from the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center at the University of Colorado, Boulder, Antarctica's sea ice peaked at 17.81 million square kilometers (6.88 million square miles) on September 17 -- far below historic averages and continuing a record-breaking downward trend.

The figure follows back-to-back record lows in 2023 and 2024. Scientists say this decline shows how warming ocean waters are eroding Antarctic stability, a phenomenon once thought to be decades away.

"Warmth from the global ocean is now mixing into the water that's closest to Antarctica," said Ted Scambos, senior research scientist at CU Boulder, in an interview with AFP. "... We may see more snowfall in Antarctica."

Antarctic sea ice acts as a natural cooling system for the planet. Its bright, reflective surface bounces sunlight back into space, while its presence helps buffer the massive Antarctic Ice Sheet from melting into the ocean. As sea ice retreats, darker ocean waters absorb more heat -- intensifying warming and threatening global coastlines.

The loss of this icy shield doesn't directly raise sea levels (since it's already floating), but it paves the way for land ice to slip into the ocean. Scientists warn that the Antarctic Ice Sheet alone holds enough frozen water to raise global seas by several feet, endangering low-lying communities, coastal ecosystems, and food systems dependent on stable shorelines.

While the news is sobering, there's momentum toward solutions. Nations are expanding marine protected areas to safeguard polar ecosystems and investing in satellite monitoring networks that track ocean heat and ice loss in real time.

Individuals can help by cutting back on fossil fuel use, supporting clean energy policies, and electrifying homes and vehicles to limit greenhouse gas pollution that warms our oceans.

Programs promoting renewable energy adoption -- like installing solar panels with backup battery storage -- can also make homes more resilient to extreme weather. Services such as EnergySage make it easy to compare quotes from vetted local installers and save up to $10,000 on solar installations.