Mr. O'CONNOR: Now the trick is--one of the many tricks is to make sure that the ice barrier that is created is at sufficient distance from the heated area so as not to counteract each other.

NPR: Industry Seeks to Extract Oil from Rocky Mountain Shale

Less ice results in more dangerous seas because ice acts as a barrier from ocean swells.

NPR: Climate Changes Lives of Whalers in Alaska

So it's like the Corps of Engineers removed a coastal barrier that used to be made out of ice and the coast is no longer protected.

NPR: Oceanographer Sees Real Effects of Climate Change