In recent years, there have been regular reports of the dramatic decrease in ice covering the Arctic Ocean. Among other things, this has brought world attention to the possibilities for and consequences of vessel navigation in Arctic waters and energy resource exploration and exploitation in the Arctic Ocean. The depositing of a Russian flag on the seafloor at the North Pole in early August 2007 by two minisubmarines, largely funded by a Russian parliamentarian, not only was an exceptional publicity event, but it fueled a perception of conflict with respect to the untold energy riches in the Arctic Ocean.
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