The Catlin Arctic Surveys deployed an Explorer Team (years 2009, 2010, 2011) and Ice Base (years 2010, 2011), to examine sea ice thickness (addressing the rate of loss), and the phenomena of ocean acidification and thermohaline destabilisation (two key consequences of sea ice loss). The climate change-driven themes of the Catlin Arctic Surveys introduced each year (sea-ice loss, 2009, ocean acidification, 2010, thermohaline destabilisation, 2011) are inter-related, with potential global effects. These samples are from the 2010 expedition.