Sea ice that packs the ocean around Antarctica hit record low levels this winter, the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) said on Monday, adding to scientists’ fears that the impact of climate change at the southern pole is ramping up.

Researchers warn the shift can have dire consequences for animals like penguins who breed and rear their young on the sea ice, while also hastening global warming by reducing how much sunlight is reflected by white ice back into space.

Antarctic sea ice extent peaked this year on Sept. 10, when it covered 16.96 million square kilometers (6.55 million square miles), the lowest winter maximum since satellite records began in 1979, the NSIDC said.

That’s about 1 million square kilometers less ice than the previous winter record set in 1986.

“It’s not just a record-breaking year, it’s an extreme record-breaking year,” said NSIDC senior scientist Walt Meier.

NSIDC in a statement said that the figures were preliminary with a full analysis to be released next month.

Seasons are reversed in the Southern hemisphere with sea ice generally peaking around September near the end of winter and later melting to its lowest point in February or March as summer draws to a close.

The summer Antarctic sea ice extent also hit a record low in February, breaking the previous mark set in 2022.

Lake Tegano, sometimes referred to as Lake Tenggano or Big Water, is a large lake that can be found on the Rennell Island, locally known as Mugaba, within the Rennell and Bellona Province of the Solomon Islands.

Having length of about 29 km (18 mi) and width of 10 km (6 mi), the lake occupies almost 18% of the land area of the big island which in the past was a lagoon.

The depth of the water is measured to be 44 meters (144 feet), consisting of a mixture of brackish fresh and salt water, making it a great inhabitable place for eels and water snakes.

Considered to be the largest inland lake in the South Pacific, there is great importance to this body of water, since it was also listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site List in 1998.

With numerous limestone island, supporting high level of endemism, Lake Tegano is a great natural gem of the Solomon Islands, since it had an important role in throughout its history.

As a matter in fact, it was used as an airbase during World War II, where according to some locals, there are still nine aircraft that can be found at the bottom of the lake.

The locals even tried to bring one of the airplane’s engines on shore, however, due to the heavy weight they quit, even though it was so close to being taken out. Today, one of the propeller blades is exposed to the air, which in fact is an interesting sight for the visitors of Rennell Island.

The flora and fauna is very unique as there can be found more than 300 species of algae and diatoms, some of which exhibit a level of endemism, and with the birds that nest on the lake’s shores, the Birdwatchers are definitely find the area very enjoyable.

All in all, even though it is not very famous around the world, Lake Tegano should definitely be on the visit list of every single person who is planning to visit not just Rennell Island, but also the Solomon Islands.