New London — Mike Hicks, the chief scientist of the U.S. Coast Guard International Ice Patrol, recently attended the 13th annual meeting of the International Ice Charting Working Group in Tromso, Norway.

The group, which includes key leaders from the world’s ice services, was formed to promote cooperation on all matters concerning sea ice and icebergs. Hicks, with Director Dave Jackson of the Canadian Ice Service and Cmdr. Tim Smith of the U.S. National Ice Center, represented the North American Ice Service. Among a myriad of topics, the group discussed the fact that Arctic sea ice extent reached a record minimum in September, surpassing the previous record set in 2007 by 18 percent.