A new synthesis of reports from thousands of scientists in 60 countries who took part in the International Polar Year (IPY) 2007-08, is the first in over 50 years to offer a benchmark for environmental conditions and new discoveries in the polar regions.

Scientists have found a large reduction in the amount of the coldest deep ocean water, called Antarctic Bottom Water, all around the Southern Ocean using data collected from 1980 to 2011.

Coral off Tahiti has linked the collapse of massive ice sheets 14,600 years ago to a dramatic and rapid rise in global sea-levels of around 14 meters.