Experiments were performed to determine the effect of salinity level on the melting heat transfer characteristics of a horizontal ice cylinder immersed in quiescent saline water. Emphasis was placed on interpreting the heat transfer mechanism which dominates the solid-liquid interface situation. Measurements were carried out for saline water of 0.5-3.5 wt% in salinity, while the ambient temperature ranged from 1.8 to 24.0 degrees C. Flow visualization was employed to investigate the transient flow patterns and corresponding solid-liquid interface locations. It was found that the flow patterns around the ice cylinder were a strong function of the saline water concentration, which then considerably affected the local heat transfer coefficient along the melting ice cylinder.