Core samples taken from the Arctic Ocean seabed suggest that 55 million years ago, the Arctic Ocean was as warm as the beaches of Florida, with nearly tropical temperatures. This is around the time of the origin of primates on the planet. (However, the existence of Arctic monkeys has not been confirmed.) Currently, Arctic ice is at an all-time low, and may disappear entirely in around 20 years.

At the other end of the earth, Antarctica's Southern Ocean isn't pulling its weight. Previously one of the planet's most important absorbers of carbon dioxide, the ocean is failing to absorb as much CO2 as expected. This has been attributed to higher winds and temperatures caused by ozone depletion and climate change, which churns up the water and saturates the surface with CO2 rather than drawing it down to the deep ocean. Negotiations with the ocean are underway, but its demands are high: reduced carbon emissions from humanity.

If you haven't taken steps to help stop global warming, there's no time like the present.