This time of year, the Bering Sea is typically blanketed in a thick layer of ice that stretches from the outer rim of Alaska toward it's northern neighbor, the Chukchi sea, but according to scientists, the body of water is nearly 'ice-free.'

Satellite images released this month from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reveal a concerning picture of declining Bering Sea ice coverage which has now set record lows for two consecutive years.

Without the ice covering the ocean, which usually helps to reflect any sunlight overhead, the Bering Sea is at higher risk of warming and accelerating further ice melt, say experts.

‹ Slide me › On the left is what the Bering Sea looked like in April 2014, while the right image represents the body of water's current condition.

In 2018, one scientist at the National Snow and Ice Data Center noted that the Bering Sea was missing about 500,000 square kilometers, or 'two Texases,' worth of ice.

'This virtually guarantees that sea surface temperatures will be warmer than normal this coming summer and autumn, and so it will impact the ecosystem, including commercial fisheries for months to come,' said Rick Thoman, a climate specialist for the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Elsewhere throughout Alaska last month, other records were set on land, with Klawock, a town in southeastern Alaska, hitting its earliest 70-degree temperature ever on March 19.

According to NOAA, elsewhere throughout the state, 55 record daily high temperatures were also broken between March 1 and March 23.

Overall, Arctic sea ice was at its seventh lowest extent ever recorded this winter according to the NOAA who released its analysis last month.

While Arctic ice decline slowed marginally year-over-year, the NOAA says the trend throughout the last 40 years is clear -- sea ice is in rapid decline.

Global temperatures have been documented around the globe and have contributed to the melting of Arctic ice

Compared to the average between 1981 and 2010, Arctic sea ice is now missing a geographic area equivalent to the size of Texas said the NOAA last month.

The culprit is the continued march of average temperatures across the globe, scientists say.

So far, January through February this year was the globe's fourth warmest two-month period in 140 years according to a recent monthly report from the NOAA.

The month of February clocked in at 55.3 F, which is 1.42 degrees higher than the 20th century average of 53.9 degrees.