But the retreating ice at Sverdrup Pass, where the Teardrop Glacier is located, is uncovering an array of life, including cyanobacteria and green terrestrial algae.

BBC: Centuries-old frozen plants revived

The Johan Sverdrup find, for instance, is estimated to contain 3 billion barrels of oil, and sits just 90 miles offshore, surrounded by existing pipelines.

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But Armand Peschard-Sverdrup, an expert who tracks U.S.-Mexican relations for the Center for Strategic and International Studies, doesn't expect NAFTA to be a dominant theme today.

NPR: Obama To Discuss Trade, Drug War With Calderon

Mr. PESCHARD-SVERDRUP: That's one of the risks, that at the end of the day it ends up creating high expectations at a time when, you know, President Obama's going to be preoccupied with other very pressing priorities, primarily the economy.

NPR: Obama To Discuss Trade, Drug War With Calderon

"The objective of this trip is basically to assert itself in the hemisphere at a time when there is a need for the U.S. to present another option to that of what President Chavez is presenting in the hemisphere, " says Armand Peschard-Sverdrup of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

NPR: Bush Set to Begin Latin American Tour

Mr. ARMAND PESCHARD-SVERDRUP (Center for Strategic and International Studies): At least the Mexicans won't touch NAFTA per se in the meeting, but try to make President-elect Obama aware of how integrated the two economies are and how to some extent there is a benefit in working together in trying to strengthen the competitiveness of the two economies vis-a-vis the rest of the world.

NPR: Obama To Discuss Trade, Drug War With Calderon