Background
In the words of the authors, "it has been suggested that the Antarctic sea ice may show high sensitivity to any anthropogenic increase in temperature due to the 'albedo-polar ice cover-temperature' feedback loop."  This climate-model-derived prediction posits that "any rise in surface temperature would result in a decrease in sea ice coverage," which would, in turn, "lower the mean albedo of the high latitudes, resulting in an increase in the solar radiation absorbed at the surface thus causing a further temperature rise," which would imply that "high latitudes would experience [the] greatest change from any enhanced greenhouse warming."  Hence, if you're looking for early-warning signs of a CO2-induced increase in global temperature and its effects on sea ice, Antarctica is the place to do it.

What was done
The authors analyzed trends in a number of Southern Ocean sea ice parameters, paying particular attention to data obtained from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program Special Sensor Microwave/Imager over the period December 1987-December 1996.

What was learned
The authors observed statistically significant (at the 95% confidence level) increases in sea ice area and total sea ice extent between 1987 and 1996; and combining their results with earlier results for the period 1978-1987, both parameters showed increases over the entire 1978-1996 period.  In addition, the authors indicate that the 1990s exhibited increases in the sea ice season length.

What it means
To find just the opposite of what the climate alarmists predict should be occurring as a consequence of the ongoing rise in the air's CO2 concentration must be a real blow to them.  And this is not the first such blow.  We reported the similar results of another Antarctic sea ice study just a few months ago (Recent Trends in Antarctic Sea Ice Extent), as well the finding that Antarctica has cooled slightly over this period (Recent Trends in Antarctic Surface Temperatures).

And this is supposed to be the place where global warming is first detected?  We'll buy that, which means, of course, that it just ain't happening!