But is the science still settled?

No matter what actually happens to ocean salt levels, it's bad and it's caused by humans

This reverses previous fears that fresh water from the melting ice caps is diluting the north seas at such a rate it will reverse the warm Gulf Stream current, leading to a significantly colder climate for Europe - although over the long run the North Atlantic is expected to become less salty.

Peter Stott, head of climate monitoring and attribution at the Met Office and leader of the study, said there is relatively little information on the affect of global warming on the oceans.