Antarctic sea ice has hit a record low for the second time in two years, and some scientists worry that the sharp decline is a signal that climate change may now be more clearly affecting this vast, complex and isolated region, CNN reports.

According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), as of February 13, the area of ​​sea ice bordering Antarctica had fallen to just 1.91 million square kilometers, below the previous record of 1.92 million square kilometers set on 25 February last year.

Sea ice may shrink further; the lowest level was reached in just one week.

The past two years have marked the only time the ice sheet has fallen below 2 million square kilometers since satellites began monitoring it in 1978.

It’s not just a “record low,” Ted Scambos, a glaciologist at the University of Colorado at Boulder, told CNN. “We are in a very steep decline,” he added. (complete on CNN)