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.

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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.

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