Publication units: (24 units = 6996 words (6113 in the main text + 883 in the figure caption) + 10 figures)

Running title (40 character limit): Ocean influences on Antarctic sea-ice

Main point #1: (140 character limit):

An ocean and sea-ice coupled model reproduced the contrasting sea-ice trends around West Antarctica observed during the past decades.

Main point #2: 140 character limit):

In the East Pacific, increased Ekman upwelling and northward cold water transport helped the summer-retreat and winter-expansion of sea-ice.

Main point #3: 140 character limit):

In the Atlantic, increased Weddell Gyre and related meridional thermal gradient helped the summer-expansion and winter-retreat of sea-ice.

Suggested reviewers:

Josefino Comiso (Goddard/NASA): josefino.c.comiso@nasa.gov

Gerald Meehl (NCAR): meehl@ucar.edu

Jaime Palter (Univ. Rhode Island): jpalter@uri.edu

Sharon Stammerjohn (Univ. Colorado): sharon.stammerjohn@colorado.edu

Achim Stössel (Texas A&M Univ.): astoessel@ocean.tamu.edu