LEO Network

About the LEO Network
The LEO Network is a worldwide network of observers and experts that share their observations of environmental change.
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Observations

Heat and humidity grip East Coast as Midwest gets reprieve
The East Coast on Sunday sweated through another day of extreme heat and humidity.
New York City, New York, United States
CNBC

Toxic Blue-Green Algae Is Taking Over Canada This Summer
Cities around Canada are urging swimmers to take caution as toxic blue-green algae warnings are in effect throughout the nation. This algae, if in contact with humans and pets, can be extremely harmful.
Canada
narcity.com

The dragonfly, Alaska’s state insect, is a nimble flying machine
The article discusses the unique dragonfly species in Alaska, including the lake darner and the treeline emerald, which thrive in cold climates and have a high prey capture success rate.
Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Hunting season opens for new species in Alaska
Alaska hunters will discover a new page in the 2019-2020 hunting regulations which describes mule deer and white-tailed deer, two historically non-native species that are now moving into Alaska.
Eagle, Alaska, United States
Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Wildlife News

Low Levels of Algal Toxins in Northern Bering Sea of Interest to Scientists and Residents
During a workshop in Nome this week, scientists and residents discussed algal toxins’ role in the changing Bering Sea ecosystem.
Nome, Alaska, United States
KNOM Radio Mission

Bat flew into hand of B.C. man who died of rabies infection
Nick Major, a martial arts instructor, died Saturday after he had a random brush with a bat on Vancouver Island in May.
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Vancouver Sun

Blackberries, shade gardening, snakes? Imagining a warmer climate for Alaska gardens
Change is coming to Alaska’s plants, animals, insects and microbes, and gardening practices will need to change too.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Он гарсаар 89 удаагийн ой, хээрийн түймэр гараад байна
Улсын хэмжээнд 2019 оны 07 дугаар сарын 16-ны байдлаар нийслэл Улаанбаатар хот, Булган, Баян-Өлгий, Дорнод, Дорноговь, Дархан-Уул, Сэлэнгэ, Сүхбаатар, Төв, Увс, Хөвсгөл, Хэнтий аймгийн 43 суманд нийт 89 удаагийн ой, хээрийн гал түймэр гарч урьдчилсан байдлаар 49593.8 га ой, 250839.2 га хээрийн талбай, нийт 300433 га талбай түймэрт өртөж, 13 байшин, гурван гэр шатсан. Дээрх … 43 soums of Ulaanbaatar, Bulgan, Bayan-Ulgii, Dornod, Dornogovi, Darkhan-Uul, Selenge, Sukhbaatar, Tuv, Uvs, Khuvsgul and Khentii aimags.
Mongolia
News.MN - Мэдээллийн эх сурвалж

Unusual amount of grizzly bear sightings on Vancouver Island
Grizzly bears sightings are on the rise on Vancouver Island, and experts have a few theories as to why this is happening.
Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada
The Weather Network

Water shortage on Salt Spring Island
The North Salt Spring Island Waterworks District and the Capital Regional District have partnered to request $50,000 from the B.C. government for a "Water Service Optimization" study.
Saltspring Island, British Columbia, Canada
CBC News

As polar bears encroach on this Alaska village, feds charge whaling captain with illegally shooting one
As Arctic sea ice melts, polar bears are spending more time near the Alaska North Slope village of Kaktovik. Now, federal prosecutors have charging a whaling captain there with killing one in violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Kaktovik, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

NTSB: Smoke limited visibility in area of Kenai Peninsula plane crash that killed 3
An Anchorage couple and a Virginia woman died in the crash above Tern Lake. Another woman survived.
Seward, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Arctic waters are actually warmer than Great Lakes right now
Heading north this summer for a refreshing swim? If you're looking for the warm water, you might want to give the Great Lakes a pass and head straight to the Arctic.
Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, United States
The Weather Network

Sharks on Cape Cod: Just how scared should we be?
The odds of an attack are low, experts say, yet their advice today is not to go into the ocean above your waist. Are our carefree swimming days over?
Truro, Massachusetts, United States
BostonGlobe.com

Anchorage usually loves warm weather, but this heat wave is something else
With ice shortages and hardly a fan to be found, the high temperatures this week have pushed some Alaskans to their limit.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

It’s hot in Southcentral Alaska. Here’s what experts say is happening.
Forecasters expect temperatures in Anchorage to fall back down into the high 70s and low 80s by next Friday — though that’s still about 10 degrees warmer than the average for this time of year.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

California forest die-off caused by depletion of deep-soil water: Study warns of threats from future concurrent drought and heat events
The inability of long-rooted trees to reach their subsurface water supply in the Sierra Nevada mountain range led to widespread forest die-offs following the drought of 2012-2015. A new study provides a better understanding of the climatic and biological mechanisms in play.
Sierra Nevada Mountains, California, United States
ScienceDaily

Fox Stuns Scientists With Trek From Norway To Canada
A researcher says her team couldn't believe the distance travelled.
Arctic
HuffPost Canada

Mexico struggles to understand, solve, seaweed invasion
Mexico has spent US$17 million to remove over a half-million tons of sargassum seaweed from its Caribbean beaches, and the problem doesn't seem likely to end any time soon.
Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico
CTVNews

With 12 gray whale deaths in Alaska waters, biologists race to find the cause
Biologists in Southeast Alaska are racing to examine a wave of whale carcasses to try and find what’s killing gray whales up and down the Pacific Coast. Nearly 170 have been reported triggering NOAA Fisheries to launch an investigation.
Wrangell, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Swan Lake Fire spreads smoky haze to much of Southcentral
The state Division of Air Quality is warning of the smoke's potential health effects, with advisories in effect until Friday evening, pending any extensions.
Sterling, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Canada probes spate of endangered whale deaths
Five of the highly endangered whales have been found dead in Canadian waters over the last month. Measures have been put in place to prevent more deaths by reducing the potential for ship strikes and fishing gear entanglement.
Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada
BBC News

An Arctic fox surprises researchers with an epic run across polar ice from Svalbard to Canada
A satellite-tracked Arctic fox stunned researchers by making a 3,500-kilometer trek across Arctic sea ice and glacier to travel from the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard to Canada’s Ellesmere Island in about two and a half months.
“We first did not believe it was true,” rone of the researchers, Eva Fuglei, said about the amazing run
Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Svalbard and Jan Mayen
ArcticToday

‘Crazy’ and ‘scary’: Dramatic ocean warming off Alaska raises concerns for hunters and wildlife
Sea surface temperatures are 9 degrees higher than normal in some areas off Western Alaska.
Kivalina, Alaska, United States

Homes near Akiak's eroded riverbank need to move, but some people choose to stay
Akiak lost a mile-long stretch of riverbank to erosion last month. Six houses are now within 100 feet of the riverbank and need to be moved as soon as possible, but some people don’t want to move.
Akiak, Alaska, United States

Vardø may lose its Arctic climate
Spring has become warmer in Norway's easternmost city. Now Vardø may lose its Arctic climate.
Vardø, Finnmark, Norway
NRK Norsk Rikskringkasting

Dramatic and hot days
In recent decades, Norway has seen a clear increase in the number of days that are warmer than normal. Here you can check the development 42 locations in the country.
Tromsø, Troms, Norway
NRK Norsk Rikskringkasting

Warm, windy weather stokes Kenai Peninsula wildfire, leading to traffic delays and campground closures
The latest update put the Swan Lake fire’s size at 23,530 acres.
Ridgeway, Alaska, United States

Oslo summer has been 12 days longer
So far, this year's summer may not give associations to climate change, but for the past 30 years, summer has actually been a full 12 days longer in Oslo.
Oslo, Norway
Meteorologisk institutt

2019 Gray Whale Unusual Mortality Event Along the West Coast
Since January 1, 2019, elevated gray whale strandings have occurred along the west coast of North America from Mexico through Alaska. This event has been declared an Unusual Mortality Event (UME).
Pacific Coast of North America
NOAA Fisheries

Meet the Narluga
A rare whale skull discovered by an Inuit hunter in Greenland has been confirmed by a Canadian scientist to be the hybrid calf of a beluga father and a narwhal mother — otherwise known as a narluga.
Disko Bay, West Greenland
The Narwhal

"Flesh Eating" Bacteria May Be Spreading to Beaches Once Thought Off-Limits
Scientific American is the essential guide to the most awe-inspiring advances in science and technology, explaining how they change our understanding of the world and shape our lives.
Delaware Bay
Scientific American

For Quinhagak, climate change means they may have to move
In Western Alaska, accelerating erosion is forcing several villages to consider moving. In Quinhagak, a village on the Bering Sea, erosion is threatening the sewer lagoon and the building that houses its washeteria and health clinic.
Quinhagak, Alaska, United States

Western red cedars are dying of drought and scientists say it’s one more portent of climate change
The ‘persistent and widespread decline’ of the province’s official tree is due to drier, California-like summer droughts of two to three months.
Southwestern British Columbia, Canada
The Star

Haines spared from Southeast drought
Haines is experiencing one of its warmest, driest springs on record. Conditions in northern Southeast have not yet reached drought level, but low
Haines, Alaska, United States
Chilkat Valley News

Point Woronzof bluff is eroding an average of 2 feet a year, UAA researchers find
As government officials look for money for a study, university professors working with students say there’s plenty of data available — and little time to lose.

Scores of dead ice seals found along Alaska’s northwest coasts
NOAA is investigating what it’s calling “unusually large numbers” of seal deaths.
Kotlik, Alaska, United States

Glowing 'Blue Tears' in China's Seas are Incredibly Toxic and Growing
The glowing algae is suffocating sea life.
Matsu Islands, Taiwan, East China Sea
Live Science

City of Homer works with state and Army Corps to battle erosion on the spit
The Homer Spit’s future as an iconic tourist attraction is in danger of washing away. Erosion along the spit’s sea walls is not a new problem. City officials are working with state and federal agencies to find a lasting solution.
Homer, Alaska, United States

Sea Lice Plagues Return and Threat to Wild Salmon Increases
DFO documents reveal treatment failures and inability to protect migrating salmon.
Clayoquot Sound, British Columbia, Canada
The Tyee

Tularemia side-effect: Hare population cycle makes pets more susceptible to predators
Fish and Game says tularemia is showing up early this year in snowshoe hares around the Interior and areas south of the Alaska Range. Tularemia is a bacteria that can pass to pets and people, causing serious illness.
Fairbanks, Alaska, United States

Alberta wildfires linked to climate change, scientist says
The Fort McMurray fire and record-breaking wildfire season in B.C. in 2017 have been connected to climate change in two separate research papers published by scientists with Environment and Climate Change Canada.
Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada
CBC

Tromsø Scientists Make Scary Findings in Norway’s Arctic Population: "Saturated" with Environmental Toxins
Much goes to indicate that such toxins may cause damages to children’s central nervous system. Scientists in Tromsø, Norway have long worked to map the extent of environmental toxins in the Arctic populations, and the result is frightening.
Tromsø, Troms, Norway
High North News

Southeast's rare drought could threaten plants, animals, your power bill
The entirety of Southeast Alaska is in some state of drought.
Juneau, Alaska, United States
Juneau Empire

Guatemala migrants: Climate change driving exodus
Average daytime temperatures in Guatemala have risen over the past decade, while crop-damaging frosts are more common.
Guatemala
Al Jazeera

Spring temps smash records
The Kotzebue area saw average temperatures as high as 11.4 degrees F above normal in May, with similar conditions in nearby villages. Utqiaġvik saw a 6.6-degree jump, while Prudhoe Bay experienced temperatures more than 8 degrees higher than normal.
Kotzebue, Alaska, United States
Arctic Sounder

Iceland’s Second Warmest Spring
In Reykjavík, Akureyri, and Stykkishólmur, this was the second warmest since record-keeping began. After last year’s unusually cold and rainy spring and summer, locals are enjoying pleasant weather.
Reykjavík, Capital Region, Iceland
Iceland Review

Summer is tularemia season for snowshoe hares in Interior Alaska
"Tularemia outbreaks in hares are reported every May and June in the Fairbanks North Star Borough," said Kimberlee Beckmen, an Alaska Department of Fish and Game veterinarian.
Fairbanks, Alaska, United States
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Bullhead City, Arizona Was a Retiree Paradise. Then Came a Biblical Plague of Flies.
Environmentalists often decry the loss of species diversity in rivers that have been dammed. But while some species lose when we meddle with rivers, others win, sometimes in dramatic and ways.
Bullhead City, Arizona, United States
OneZero

California sees biggest June snowpack in nearly a decade thanks to spring storms
A series of spring storms has kept the snowpack — a key source of the state’s water supply — at its highest level for early June since 2011.
Sierra Nevada Mountains, California, United States
latimes.com

Vanishing ice: Alaska’s shrinking glaciers drive a new brand of tourism
One operator flies clients to a “glamping” site on Spencer Glacier. Another visits a giant new Lake George iceberg. Their clients say they want to see the glaciers before they shrink further.
Talkeetna, Alaska, United States

Spike in gray whale deaths, including several in Alaska, triggers federal investigation into ‘unusual mortality event’
About 70 gray whales have been spotted dead so far this year along the West Coast from California to Alaska, the most in almost 20 years. Many of them appeared malnourished, according to NOAA officials.
Crown Point, Alaska, United States

Nigerian fishers hit by criminals, imports and climate change
From African waters to China and back again, over half the fish on Nigerian tables is imported
Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria
chinadialogue ocean

The Wettest Part of Alaska Is Experiencing Extreme Drought. Is Climate Change to Blame?
The drought has had damaging economic and ecological impacts.
Ketchikan, Alaska, United States
Pacific Standard

As sea ice melts, fish are showing up farther north off Alaska. A federal fishing trip will investigate if they're sticking around
Two summers ago, federal scientists discovered something shocking: The Northern Bering Sea was teeming with cod and pollock. Those two commercially valuable species had never been found in such large huge numbers that far north.
Nome, Alaska, United States

300-Mile Swim Through The Great Pacific Garbage Patch Will Collect Data On Plastic Pollution
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch covers an area twice the size of Texas or three times the size of France.
Forbes

Thousands of seabirds starved to death in the Bering Sea — and scientists see evidence of climate change
In a paper published Wednesday, researchers theorize the die-off is at least partially attributable to the changing climate.
Saint Paul, Alaska, United States
Washington Post

Extreme weather has made half of America look like Tornado Alley
A melting Arctic may be confounding the jet stream and making trouble for everyone.
Dayton, Ohio, United States
Washington Post

Climate change looks different in Southeast Alaska. Here’s how tribes are planning for that
The Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska has a climate change adaptation plan. It wants the region to be included in the climate change discussion.
Juneau, Alaska, United States

In the High Arctic, researchers find permafrost thaws are changing the landscape
In the Eureka Sound Lowlands on Ellesmere and Axel Heiberg islands, the permafrost is more than half a kilometre deep, and the average air temperature is –19.7 C. But higher summer temperatures have caused the earth to collapse.
Eureka Sound Lowlands, Ellesmere and Axel Heiberg Islands
CBC

As gray whales die along the West Coast, Alaska scientists look for answers beneath blubber
Researchers are trying to determine the cause of a gray whale die-off along the West Coast, including Alaska. And they're looking at whether recent warming trends in the Arctic, and reduced sea ice, has affected their prey.

Why seaweed is strangling Mexican tourism, and how science could help
Sargassum is infesting Mexico’s coastline. Researchers are scrambling to stop an ecological crisis, and maybe even make something good of it.
Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Mexico
MIT Technology Review

The end of Wrangell’s king salmon derby leaves locals longing
King salmon fishing in Alaska is political — but for those who can’t do it this summer, it’s also personal.
Wrangell, Alaska, United States

Prime growing areas for B.C. oysters contain alarmingly high concentrations of plastic microbeads
Baynes Sound, British Columbia
SFU News

Old Crow declares climate change state of emergency
Officials in the Yukon's most northern community have declared a state of emergency, saying the traditional way of life in Old Crow is under threat.
Old Crow, Yukon, Canada
CBC

Western Finland revels in unexpected spring highs
A high of nearly 27 degrees Celsius in Ylivieska on the west coast was said to be unusual at this time of year.
Ylivieska, Northern Ostrobothnia, Finland
Yle Uutiset

The Anchorage Assembly is set to vote on the city’s Climate Action Plan. Here’s what it would do.
The plan is a broad vision for what the municipality wants Anchorage to look like in 2050, with a focus on dramatically reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Photos show adult killer whale and her calf found in poor health
A female adult Southern resident killer whale and her three-and-a-half-year-old calf are rapidly declining in health in what appears to be a troubling situation for the creatures.
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
CTVNews

Surge in dead gray whales concerns scientists
Ocean scientists are concerned about dead gray whales that have washed up on the US West Coast this year at the highest rate in almost two decades.
West Coast of the USA
CNN

Cedar die off impacts many on Vancouver Island
The die off of Western Red Cedar trees on East Vancouver Island due to drought and severe weather has First Nations extremely worried. Cedar is a critical part of first nations culture and as Skye Ryan reports, there is growing concern the dying trees will have a ripple down effect.
Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada
CHEK

Wild pigs are a big problem. Here’s how they kill ’em in Texas
'There's nothing good about them.' They carry disease and cause billions in damage
Canada
National Post

414 million pieces of plastic found on remote island group
Debris on Cocos (Keeling) Islands was mostly bottles, cutlery, bags and straws, but also included 977,000 shoes, study says
Cocos Islands
the Guardian

Western red cedars die off as extended dry spells continue
Some Western red cedars are struggling after repeated bouts of drought conditions and experts say expect the tree to vanish for good in spots with shallow, dry, rocky soil.
Coastal British Columbia, Canada

Their Islands Are Being Eroded. So Are Their Human Rights, They Say.
Indigenous Australians from low-lying islands in the Torres Strait argue that the government, by failing to act on climate change, has violated their fundamental right to maintain their culture.
Masig Island, Torres Strait, Australia
New York Times

Warming oceans linked to rise in tropical species
Scientists have identified a spike in ‘vagrant’ species of fish including damselfish, wrasse and triggerfish
New Zealand
the Guardian

Lethal Virus Confirmed in Canadian Turtle for 1st Time
The Ranavirus virus has been found in a turtle in Hamilton's Cootes Paradise wetland. It generally leads to organ failure and death within four weeks.
Cootes Paradise, Ontario, Canada

New Anchorage climate plan calls for 80 percent cut to emissions by 2050
On Tuesday, the city’s Assembly is receiving the 106-page document, which outlines everything from transportation recommendations to emission reduction targets.

Uruguay´s soybean crop forecasted to drop 43% because of devastating drought
Due to the recent devastating drought, soybean production in Uruguay is forecast to drop to 1.7 million tons in 2017-18, according to an April 30 Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Uruguay
MercoPress

Record-breaking April in Iceland
There was plenty of sunshine around Iceland on the last day of April, and the temperature hit 19°C at Þingvellir, Skagafjörður, and Bíldudalur.
Bíldudalur, Westfjords, Iceland
RÚV

Permafrost is thawing in the Arctic so fast that scientists are losing their equipment
Permafrost in some areas of the Canadian Arctic is thawing so fast that it's gulping up the equipment left there to study it.
Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada

Melting snow may have caused earthquakes in California, research shows
Earthquake activity near a California volcano has been linked to snowmelt. Researchers at U.S. Geological Survey studied data from 1984 to 2017.
Mesa, California, United States
latimes.com

Snæfellsjökull glacier “gone in 30 years”
If climate change continues at its current pace, the famous Snæfellsjökull glacier in West Iceland will be all-but completely gone by 2050.
Arnarstapi, West, Iceland
RÚV

Climate change forces reindeer to resort to eating seaweed
Researchers have determined that, when ground ice is thicker, reindeer make for the coast. They don't eat kelp when they don't have to.
Svalbard
News Atlas

Climate change threatens water supply
Warming trend means Arkansas River won't meet demand.
Pueblo, Colorado, United States
The Pueblo Chieftain

Greenland Is Falling Apart
Since 1972, the giant island’s ice sheet has lost 11 quadrillion pounds of water.
Greenland Ice Sheet
The Atlantic

Snow geese are everywhere, and we need to do something about it
As their population grows worldwide, the birds are destroying the habitat of other waterfowl.
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States

Canadian researchers warn of 'cascading impacts' as bumblebee species decline
A team of researchers at York University has warned that the American bumblebee is facing imminent extinction from Canada, and this could lead to “cascading impacts” throughout the country.
Canada

Lost sea creatures wash up on California shores as climate shifts
The Pacific Ocean off the California coast is mixed up, and so are many of the animals that live there.
Bodega Bay, California, United States
Washington Post

One of Alaska’s warmest springs on record is causing a dangerous thaw
“Climate change is happening faster than it’s ever happened before in our record,” Utquiagvik-based NOAA scientist Bryan Thomas said. “We’re right in the middle of it.”
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States

Wild bee species critical to pollination on the decline
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — More than a dozen wild bee species critical to pollinating everything from blueberries to apples in New England are on the decline, according to a new study. Researchers...
Concord, New Hampshire, United States
AP NEWS

Melting ice is disrupting daily life in the Y-K Delta in the worst possible way
This spring has seen record-breaking warm temperatures across Alaska. In the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, the Kuskokwim River is melting early — with devastating consequences.
Bethel, Alaska, United States

Old Crow to declare climate change state of emergency
The people in Yukon's northernmost community are watching the effects of climate change unfold firsthand. Now the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation is going to do something about it.
Old Crow, Yukon, Canada

Tiny Monsters in the Sea
Warming ocean waters are an invitation to all sorts of pathogens with the potential to remake ocean life.
Santa Cruz Island, California, USA
Hakai Magazine

Polar bears in some northern regions are ingesting a lot of plastic
"We've all known with climate change, the bears are coming ashore earlier, they're spending more time onshore, and they're becoming habituated," said Rockwell, a research associate with the American Museum of Natural History.
Arviat, Nunavut, Canada

Polar Bears’ Plastic Diets Are a Growing Problem
Dumps are often chock-full of plastic and, as a new survey shows, polar bears are ingesting a lot of it. In an analysis of the stomach contents of 51 polar bears in the southern Beaufort Sea, researchers led by Raphaela Stimmelmayr, a wildlife veterinarian with Alaska’s North Slope Borough Department of Wildlife Management, found that 25 percent of the bears had plastic in their stomachs.
Churchill, Manitoba, Canada
Hakai Magazine

Melting glaciers on Alaska’s Denali will unleash tons of human poop
Watch where you step.
Mt.Denali, Akaska, USA
Fox News

Thawing permafrost is triggering thousands of landslides across the Arctic
Climate change has caused a 60-fold increase in active landslides on one Canadian Arctic island.
The Conversation

A slippery slope: How climate change is reshaping the Arctic landscape
Increasing ground temperatures in the Arctic are indicators of global climate change, but until recently, areas of cold permafrost were thought to be relatively immune to severe impacts. A new study by Antoni Lewkowicz, a professor in the Department of Geography, Environment and Geomatics at the University of Ottawa and published in the journal Nature Communications, however, shows that areas of cold permafrost can be vulnerable to rising summer temperatures.
Aulavik National Park, Banks Island, Northwest Territories
Phys.org

Prague Experienced One Of Its Warmest Winters Ever
The Czech Hydro-meteorological Office says this winter has been one the warmest ever in this country.
Prague, Praha, Czech Republic
Prague Morning

One year of temperature above normal in Norway
The average temperature for the entire country was 1.2 degrees above normal in March. It is thus the twelfth month in a row that the temperature in Norway has been above normal.
Norway
Meteorologisk institutt

Will Alaska endorse climate science education?
Alaska could be joining dozens of other states by adopting the framework of Next Generation Science Standards. On Friday, the State Board of Education unanimously approved a draft slated for public comment.
Juneau, Alaska, United States

DEC says rabies found in eastern Adirondacks
Rabies reported in three towns in eastern Essex County
Champlain Valley, New York, United States
The Daily Gazette

Low levels of Fukushima-related radiation found in Bering Sea samples
I knew that those Japanese currents would come to our waters, and so that’s why I volunteered to do the testing,” Eddie Ungott, a resident of Gambell.
Gambell, Alaska, United States
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Virus might be killing freshwater turtles in St. Johns River watershed
The mysterious die-off of freshwater turtles throughout the massive St. Johns River watershed continues despite an ongoing year-long investigation by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and its partners to determine the cause and prevent damage to the ecosystem with the loss of the species.  The commission and its conservation partners currently are asking the public for help by providing information about any sick, dead or dying turtles they find in Northeast Florida.
Deland, Florida, United States
The Florida Times-Union

State to close site of popular water pipe on Seward Highway
Officials cited rockfall danger and traffic hazards created by people stopping to fill containers.
Knik, Alaska, United States

100 months of temperature above normal in Svalbard
March becomes the hundredth month in a row with temperatures above normal. "It is unique and shows how fast climate change is happening in the Arctic," says climate scientist Ketil Isaksen at the Meteorological Institute (MET).
Svalbard and Jan Mayen
Meteorologisk institutt

The Arctic influences weather around the globe
The record early departure of the sea ice offshore Nome (March 12), and ice gone missing from Norton Sound astounded weather experts.
Nome, Alaska, United States
The Nome Nugget

Shrinking Seasonal Ice in the Bering Sea Threatens Local Livelihoods
Recent storms have destroyed the progress made in ice formation endangering coastal habitats and fishing practices.
Newtok, Alaska, United States
Pacific Standard

River ice and white hares: Signs of climate change in Finnish nature
The latest statistics on the mountain hare (or blue hare) population of Finland, for instance, show that the species' numbers are plummeting while the European (or brown) hare is thriving, especially in southern parts of the country.
Kuopio, Northern Savo, Finland
Yle Uutiset

Colorado avalanche expert: 'Perfect storm' creating historic avalanche season
Colorado has seen more 2,500 avalanches this season, some larger than any on record.
Ouray, Colorado, United States
Coloradoan

Slight uptick in cesium-137 heralds arrival of Fukushima plume in Northern Bering Sea
Since 2014 St. Lawrence Islanders have been collecting sea water samples, knowing that the radiation would eventually show up. Now the signature of Fukushima has finally been identified, the northern most sample evidence of the plume. Fortunately the levels are low.
Gambell, Alaska, United States
The Nome Nugget

Climate Change Bethel Pays the Price
The Kuskokwim River in Southwest Alaska is taking longer to freeze. Mark Leary, a volunteer for Bethel Search and Rescue, talks about what that means for winter transportation in the region.
Bethel, Alaska, United States

South Korea plans artificial rain to reduce Seoul air pollution
President Moon hopes collaboration with China will improve air quality in the country.
Yellow Sea and Korean Peninsula
AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES

Climate change forces Arctic animals to shift feeding habits: study
Seals and whales in the Arctic are shifting their feeding patterns as climate change alters their habitats, and the way they do so may determine whether they survive, a new study has found.
Svalbard, Svalbard, Svalbard and Jan Mayen
Phys.org

Huerfano County prepares for potentially major flooding
Huerfano County says it's preparing for the worst when it comes to this year's flood season and it wants residents to be prepared.
Walsenburg, Colorado, United States
KOAA.com

Birds arriving earlier with climate change
The golden plover and other species are moving their arrival time up by an average of half a day per year, and have been doing so for the last 20 years.
Reykjavík, Capital Region, Iceland
RÚV

This map worries Norwegian rescue workers
Warmer seas have led the fishery to move 300 kilometers further northeast - towards the North Pole. At the same time, cruising traffic in the outlying sea areas is increasing.
Bjørnøya, Svalbard, Svalbard and Jan Mayen
NRK - Norsk Rikskringkasting

Grass crops in Eastern Norway halved in 2018
Last year's drought summer resulted in halved grass crops in Eastern Norway compared to the previous year, according to recent figures from Statistics Norway. - The consequences of the drought continue to affect the daily lives of many farmers, says Lars Petter Bartnes, leader of the Norwegian Farmers' Union.
Akershus, Norway
Norges Bondelag

Arctic terns at Mendenhall seem to be decreasing in numbers
The number of Arctic terns spending summers by the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center seems to be dwindling.
Juneau Empire

The changing world of Mongolia's boreal forests
Insects that eat leaves and needles are causing increasing damage in Mongolian forests. The Siberian silk moth and the gypsy moth are the most destructive.
Mongolia
MONTSAME News Agency

El Niño Triggered Disease Outbreaks Across Globe
The 2015 to 2016 El Niño event brought weather conditions that triggered regional disease outbreaks throughout the world.
Tropical Pacific Ocean
Laboratory Equipment

Warmest February since 2006 in Mackenzie Delta communities
While most of Canada has been experiencing a colder winter, Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk have had their warmest February since 2006.
Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada

Changing southern Gulf of St. Lawrence ecosystem
The survey started in 1971 as a review of commercially important fish like cod and halibut, but has grown into an annual scientific assessment of all sea life hauled up from the deep.
Southern Gulf of Saint Lawrence
Global News

Did you know Mauna Kea has permafrost? ... Well, it might not have it for much longer
“Nobody knows how old it is. We do know that it’s disappearing.”
Mauna Kea, Hawaii, United States

‘A Harbinger of Things to Come’: Farmers in Australia Struggle With Its Hottest Drought Ever
As Australia faces historic drought conditions, the impacts of climate change are increasingly difficult to ignore.
Pilliga, New South Wales, Australia
Time

State of Crabbing in Norton Sound: Less Sea Ice, Fewer Crabs — and Fewer Crabbers
The winter commercial crabbing season in the Norton Sound will begin February 25 with a quota less than half of its 2018 figure and a third of the 2017 quota.
KNOM Radio Mission

Ecosystem changes following loss of great white sharks
A new study has documented unexpected consequences following the decline of great white sharks from an area off South Africa. The study found that the disappearance of great whites has led to the emergence of sevengill sharks, a top predator from a different habitat. A living fossil, sevengill sharks closely resemble relatives from the Jurassic period, unique for having seven gills instead of the typical five in most other sharks.
Seal Island, False Bay, South Africa
Phys.org

Record number of overwintering bird species
Over 90 species of birds have been counted in this year’s winter bird census—which is the most diverse range ever recorded. Kristinn Haukur Skarphéðinsson, animal ecologist with the Natural History Institute of Iceland, says, however, that numbers of some common winter species are shrinking fast, due to climate change.
Reykjavík, Capital Region, Iceland

Warmer seas in the north are bad news for the common Eider
Troms, Norway
The Fram Centre

Earthquake damage to Alaska health lab is hindering testing for potentially fatal diseases
Biological samples to be tested for tuberculosis and botulism have been sent to California and Washington since the Nov. 30 quake damaged the Anchorage facility.

No more shinny? Thousands of lakes are losing their winter ice
If the trend of reduced ice on the world's lakes continues at its current pace, the Canadian tradition of shinny could become a thing of the past, according to new research.

Gustavus wolves set sights on new quarry
While most wolves prefer ungulates like moose, deer and mountain goats, the Gustavus pack has displayed a preference for sea otter.
Gustavus, Alaska, United States
Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Wildlife News

Greenhouse gas emissions provide extreme warming in Svalbard
Greenhouse gas emissions provide extreme warming on Svalbard.
Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Svalbard and Jan Mayen
Miljodirektoratet

Thawing of Earth 3rd pole; could affect 1.9 billion people, study says
At least a third of the ice in the Himalayas and the Hindu Kush will thaw this century as temperatures rise, disrupting river flows vital for growing crops from China to India, scientists say.
Hindu Kush Himalaya

Yukon gov't gives up on attempt to build ice bridge in Dawson City
An official says time and money was running out. No decisions have been made yet on what to do next winter.
Dawson City, Yukon, Canada

Confronting the Challenge: Tackling Climate Change in Anchorage
Find out more about the Anchorage Climate Action Plan: http://www.muni.org/climateactionplan
Vimeo

Yukon Arctic Ultra competitors wary of cold-weather risks heading into Sunday's race
The temperature in Whitehorse has dipped just as competitors are doing final preparations for the Yukon Arctic Ultra. The 82 participants in this year's race should be well aware of the dangers posed by the frigid weather, after last year's serious injuries.
Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada

Inuvik infrastructure may not be ready for climate change
The Arctic is expected to get warmer and wetter by the end of this century and new research says that could mean trouble for infrastructure in Inuvik.
Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada

Glacial melts in the Canadian Arctic reveal land that hasn't been seen in more than 40,000 years
Scientists found dozens of plants and quartz samples underneath the melting ice, which could've been hidden for many years.
Business Insider

Drought turns part of Iran into a new dust bowl
In this corner of the Middle East, a changing climate and debilitating dust storms have brought life to a standstill.
Southeastern Iran
National Geographic

Decade of heavy storms has helped Northwest glaciers, but don’t expect that to last, studies show
Glaciers in western North America over the past 18 years have lost some 117 gigatons of ice — enough that if it was melted and spread across the state of Washington it would come up our knees, said David Shean, co-author of a recent study cataloging glacial loss.
My Rainier

Expect more extreme hurricanes on the East Coast due to faster ice melts in Greenland, study says
A new study suggests Greenland ice has hit a new tipping point with unprecedented melting since the early 2000s — and this will have consequences for East Coast cities.
East Coast of Canada

Saugeen Ojibway Nation confronts effects of climate change on whitefish fishery
The fishing communities of Saugeen First Nation and Chippewas of Nawash are finding higher winds and warmer temperatures are affecting populations of lake whitefish in Lake Huron and Georgian Bay, which many rely on for their livelihoods.
Lake Huron / Georgian Bay

Fortified Arctic infrastructure needed in face of climate change, says study
Research suggests climate change is going to cause more damage to roads and other infrastructure in Canada's North than previously feared. The study has major implications for construction in the North.

Under the surface of Russia’s Arctic super-region is a looming disaster
Underneath the ground is a thick layer of permafrost and trillions of cubic meters of natural gas. Development is the main source of concern for the reindeer herders who increasingly are hindered by new pipelines, roads and railway lines.
Labytnangi, Yamalo-Nenetskiy Avtonomnyy Okrug, Russia
The Independent Barents Observer

2018 Was Fourth-Warmest Year In Nome History
2018 was “the fourth-warmest year in Nome’s weather history,” says climate specialist Rick Thoman. In fact, for most places in Western Alaska, 2018 ranked among the top five warmest years on record…
KNOM Radio Mission

Teenage Diver Finds Tons of Golf Balls Rotting Off California
Alex Weber discovered more than 50,000 balls in the ocean near coastal California golf courses. When golf balls degrade, as these were doing, they release plastic particles and toxic chemicals.
Pebble Beach, California, United States
NPR.org

World's permafrost warming, with Siberia rising the most
Scientists say the world's permafrost is getting warmer, with temperatures increasing by an average of 0.3 C over a decade.
Siberia

PG&E, utility tied to wildfires, will file for bankruptcy
The company, California's largest utility, is facing at least $7 billion in claims from the deadly Camp Fire.
Sacramento, California, United States
CNN

Antarctic ice melting 6 times faster than it did in 80s
As the Antarctic ice sheet continues to melt away, we expect multi-meter sea level rise from Antarctica in the coming centuries. In this century alone, a ten-foot rise is possible.
McMurdo Station, , Antarctica
USA Today

Insect collapse: ‘We are destroying our life support systems’
Scientist Brad Lister returned to Puerto Rican rainforest after 35 years to find 98% of ground insects had vanished
Luquillo Rainforest, Puerto Rico
the Guardian

The pursuit of climate change
Slik har Norge forandret seg. Sakte, nesten umerkelig.
Sør-Odal, Hedmark, Norway
NRK, Norsk Rikskringkasting

Detah ice road opening later and later
If the ice road between Detah and Yellowknife doesn’t open on Friday, it will break a decades-old record.
Detah, Northwest Territories, Canada

Fairbanks’ famously severe cold snaps are getting less cold and more rare
Over the last 80-some years, there’s been a noticeable change in Fairbanks: The more recent cold snaps haven’t been as cold, and they’re occurring less frequently than they used to.
Fairbanks, Alaska, United States

ANTHC partners to integrate a holistic community health approach in Oscarville
On the north bank of the Kuskokwim River, 401 miles from Anchorage, lies the community of Oscarville, Alaska. In December 2014, the Oscarville Traditional Council volunteered the village to serve as the pilot community for the implementation of a holistic approach project, with the goal of creating healthy, thriving and sustainable communities by bringing together important communal pieces, including culture, housing, energy, infrastructure, water/sewer, community health and economic development. Oscarville’s candidacy for the pilot project stemmed from the sanitation, environmental ...
Oscarville, Alaska, United States

Thousands of penguins stranded on South American coast
Thousands of female penguins are being stranded along the coast of South America because of water pollution and fishing, research shows. A new study of Megellanic penguins, which breed in Patagonia in southern Argentina, explains for the first time why so many become stuck on beaches hundreds of miles further north.  Researchers found the man-made threats encountered as the
Coastal Uruguay
The Independent

Yukon's fire season was one of most complex and challenging in years
The director of Yukon Wildland Fire Management says firefighters had quite a summer, as conditions seem to be changing in the territory.
Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada

Methane beneath Greenland’s ice sheet is being released
Glacial melt is a source of atmospheric methane.
Greenland

In 2018, Alaska's Bering Sea was all out of whack
In some regions, this was the first time in 37 years of water surveys that there was no cold pool.
Popular Science

Spread of invasive species in Canada costs billions, changes environment
A 2008 report by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said there were at least 486 invasive alien plant species alone in Canada.
Creston, British Columbia, Canada
The Star

Building blocks of ocean food web in rapid decline as plankton productivity plunges
Basic ocean food critical for the whole ecosystem is in dramatic decline and scientists don't know exactly why.
Western North Atlantic

Climate Change Drives Fish Into New Waters, Remaking an Industry
The catch is shifting northward as water temperatures rise, forcing crews to retool their boats and rework their businesses. Pollock is retreating from Alaska while black sea bass throng around Rhode Island.
WSJ

Dene national chief calls for emergency meeting, fears fatal disease affect caribou
Norman Yakeleya is calling for an emergency meeting with the federal and territorial governments to discuss the threat of chronic wasting disease (CWD) with the potential to decimate northern caribou herds.
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada

Relocating bears won't fix growing conflicts with humans, say environment officials
2018 was the busiest season on record for human/bear conflicts in Yukon. Officials say relocating bears isn't a solution, and people have to do more to avoid attracting bears.
Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada

As Seas Warm, Galápagos Islands Face a Giant Evolutionary Test
Climate change is ravaging the natural laboratory that inspired Darwin. The creatures here are on the brink of crisis.
Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
New York Times

New fish species are moving into the Canadian Arctic as its waters warm
In 2016 and 2017 commercial fishers near Cambridge Bay in Nunavut were surprised when they pulled in sockeye salmon — because they were expecting to see only Arctic char.
While these are just two fish, found far from their usual home waters, the two salmon are likely an indication that Pacific salmon will continue to
Arctic Today

Lilacs (Syringa spp.) Blooming Earlier
Agriculture, a huge industry in upstate New York, will clearly benefit from a longer growing season. However, the increase in intensity and frequency of rainfall will impede farmers. Higher nighttime temperatures could affect flowering
Highland Park, Rochester, New York, United States
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

As climate change bites in America’s midwest, farmers are desperate to ring the alarm
‘The changes have become more radical’: farmers are spending more time and money trying to grow crops in new climates
Langdon, Missouri, United States

Satellite imagery illuminates ice conditions around 3 Nunavut communities
Inuit in Cambridge Bay, Kugluktuk and Gjoa Haven are getting a clearer picture of sea-ice conditions near their communities thanks to a partnership with University of Victoria research group Ocean Networks Canada.
Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, Canada

700 more deaths than usual after summer heatwave
The record temperatures this summer led to an estimated 700 more deaths then average, suggests new figures from the Public Health Agency.
Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden
Radio Sweden

British Columbia chinook salmon populations in decline
Only one, located in British Columbia's Thompson River, is considered stable.
Southern British Columbia, Canada
Global News

Pulses of Sinking Carbon Have Increased at Station M
December 3, 2018 – A new study by MBARI scientists shows that pulses of sinking debris carry large amounts of carbon to the deep seafloor, but are poorly represented in global climate models.
Station M, near Santa Barbara, California, United States
MBARI

Critically Low Monarch Population in California
The California overwintering population has been reduced to less than 0.5% of its historical size, and has declined by 86% compared to 2017.
California, United States
The Xerces Society

Walker releases funds to advance Ambler Road project
While public comment has been mixed, the issue of potential risk to subsistence lifestyles in many of Alaska Native villages along the proposed road have played a large part in testimony from Fairbanks community members, specifically at a public comment hearing in November of last year.
Ambler, Alaska, United States
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Climate Change Is Fueling Wildfires Nationwide
Global warming has already resulted in more forest fires out West, according to the latest National Climate Assessment. The future could see more of the country burn.
Western United States
New York Times

Drying Canadian Wetland Drives Muskrat Decline
A new study shows loss of habitat in Canada’s Peace-Athabasca Delta is likely responsible for the decline of semi-aquatic muskrat, and could have larger implications.
Peace-Athabaska Delta
Stanford Earth

The Arctic is turning brown because of weird weather
Extreme climatic events are harming plant communities in the Arctic. The resulting colour change is bad news for the region's carbon storage.
Lofoten Islands, Norway
The Conversation

In a Transylvania Town, Bears and Humans Collide at the Dumpster
With their habitat shrinking, brown bears in Baile Tusnad, Romania, have turned to scavenging. Residents sit and gawk, environmentalists want to protect the animals, but hunters just want to hunt.
Băile Tușnad, Harghita, Romania
NY Times

Mother had 'no other choice' but to sell her 6-year-old daughter
An unprecedented drought in Afghanistan has led to families selling their children just to be able to feed their households.
هرات, Hirat, Afghanistan
CNN
Nick Paton Walsh and Masoud Popalzai, CNN

Lake Erie algal blooms 'seeded' internally by overwintering cells in lake-bottom sediments
Western Lake Erie's annual summer algal blooms are triggered, at least in part, by cyanobacteria cells that survive the winter in lake-bottom sediments, then emerge in the spring to "seed" the next year's bloom, according to a research team led by University of Michigan scientists.
Western Lake Erie, United States

Something Living At The Bottom Of The Sea Is Absorbing Large Amounts Of The CO2 In Oceans
Bacteria living more than 4,000 meters (2 miles) below the surface of the Pacific Ocean are absorbing an estimated 10 percent of the carbon dioxide that oc
Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone (CCFZ)
IFLScience

Grizzlies, black and polar bears found together for 1st time
Polar bears, black bears, and grizzlies have been found together for the first time during a University of Saskatchewan research project in northern Manitoba.
Wapusk National Park, Canada
Global News

A Record-Breaking Dive by a Hungry Killer Whale
Killer whales go to extraordinary depths to pilfer a meal.
South Sandwich Islands
Hakai Magazine

Storms increasing & violent
A new report points to harsher more severe weather incidents happening in our province.
British Columbia
Castanet

Alaska’s commercial salmon harvest came in below forecast in 2018, largely due to pink salmon
"Sockeye salmon harvest has been pretty constant for the last four years or so, but pink salmon has been oscillating," he said. "We were forecasting almost 70 million pink salmon harvest, and we had 40 million.
Chignik, Alaska, United States

Only 411 North Atlantic right whales left
On Friday, the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium released its 2018 report card for the endangered species. There are just 411 left.
North Atlantic Ocean
CBC News

Warming hurting shellfish, aiding predators, ruining habitat
PORTLAND, Maine -- Valuable species of shellfish have become harder to find on the East Coast because of degraded habitat caused by a warming environment, according to a pair of scientists that sought to find out whether environmental factors or overfishing was the source of the decline. The scientists reached ...
Portland, Maine, United States
TribLIVE.com

Orcas thrive in a land to the north. Why are Puget Sound's dying?
Southern resident orcas are on the brink of extinction, while killer whales to the north are growing in numbers. The contrast exposes what’s killing Puget Sound’s orcas.
Seattle, Washington, United States
The Seattle Times

Drug-resistant sea lice out of control on B.C. Coast
Fisheries and Oceans Canada confirms the findings of independent research that says sea lice on salmon farms are becoming resistant to SLICE, a pesticide used to kill sea lice.
Fortune Channel, Clayoquot Sound, British Columbia, Canada
Digital Journal

One third of ticks in Finland carry at least one disease pathogen
Thanks to a growing tick database at the University of Turku, researchers have new insights into the disease pathogens that the tiny, blood-sucking arachnids carry.
Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland
Yle Uutiset

With rain in the forecast, Ketchikan switches back to hydroelectric power
Following an extremely dry summer, October started off equally dry. But, the second half of the month has brought enough rain that Ketchikan’s electric utility is finally switching off its diesel generators.
Ketchikan, Alaska, United States

Sea stars still wasting away in B.C. waters
Reports that the sea star population was rebounding appear to have been overly optimistic, says the Coastal Ocean Research Institute.
Canada's Pacific Marine Ecosystems
Vancouver Sun

UK climate getting warmer and wetter, says Met Office
Our hottest and coldest days are both getting warmer and tropical nights are becoming more common, a report says.
United Kingdom
Sky News

Few animals slaughtered early due to dry summer
Fewer than expected animals have been slaughtered early due to the unusually dry weather, reports a business association for Swedish slaughterhouses.
Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden
Radio Sweden

Icelandic lobsters in trouble
The Icelandic lobster stock is at an historic low and last fishing season was the worst catch ever known in Iceland.
Hofn, East, Iceland

Suspects in salmon mystery: Pinks and 'the blob'
Sockeye salmon runs across Alaska were dismal this year. But no one is certain why.
Gulf of Alaska
E&E News

Alaska’s weird, warm fall: a boon for farmers, but ‘really scary’ for people who depend on Arctic ice
Record-breaking October weather in much of Alaska has meant ice-free Arctic communities and fresh fruit and foliage in Southcentral.

Melting glacier in China draws tourists, climate worries
On the edge of the Third Pole, a retreating glacier draws tourists and worries over climate change.
Lijiang, Yunnan, China

Ticks Are Killing an Alarming Number of Moose Thanks to Climate Change
Researchers examined 179 radio-marked young moose over the course of a four-month period. Of those calves they screened, 125—or nearly 70 percent—of the moose calves died. The researchers suspect this is primarily because of the winter tick.
New Hampshire, United States
Earther

Spotted Seals Critically Endangered in Iceland
If spotted seal numbers continue to decrease at the same rate, they will decrease by 84% over the next 45 years, a time period of three generations for the animals.
Reykjavík, Reykjavík, Iceland
Iceland Review

UNH study: More than two-thirds of baby moose are killed by winter ticks
The news isn’t getting any better for New Hampshire’s moose, as the population explosion of winter ticks driven by warmer winters continues to take a toll.
New Hampshire, United States
Concord Monitor

Video Describes Sanitation Adaptation with Arctic Box Repair
Arctic boxes connect water and sewer service to rural homes in Alaska. These boxes experience a lot of stress from differential ground movement caused by permafrost thaw. This video demonstrates how to repair a damaged Arctic box. Functional arctic boxes are an important part of water and wastewater services in Alaska.
Holy Cross, Alaska, United States
Vimeo

LEO Network at Sámi Youth Ecological Forum
On October 9, participants of the Youth Ecological Forum (IEF) attended a lecture by Mike Brook of the LEO Network. Participants who presented reports on northern biodiversity were particularly interested in the lecture. The delegation from Abyisky ulus prepared a report on “Cranes in the North-East of Yakutia and shared with the participants their observations of rare birds.
Rovaniemi, Lappi, Finland
The Northern Forum

Alaska's 2018 early fall extremes
Drought, warmth, and a towering ridge of high pressure make an unusual start to fall in Alaska.
Chukchi Sea
NOAA Climate.gov

Saimaa seal population climbs to nearly 400
Fifty percent of Saimaa ringed seal pups born between the years of 2014-2017 entered the world in a snowdrift constructed by volunteers.
Ristiina, Southern Savonia, Finland

Climate change threatens the kittiwake – extreme weather and altered prey availability reduce recruitment
Bad weather is bad news, also for the red-listed kittiwake. New research reveals that wind conditions combined with the availability of different prey species are determinants of chick production in this seabird.
Myre, Nordland, Norway
SEAPOP, Norwegian institute for nature research

Yukon considers ice boom to help form Dawson ice bridge this winter
Researchers from the National Research Council Canada investigated why the Yukon River didnt freeze at the George Black ferry crossing, where the ice bridge is usually built, for the last two winters.
Dawson, Yukon, Canada

72 million to three counties worst afffected by summer wildfires - Radio Sweden
Three hundred large forest fires scorching 21,000 hectares of land but this summer's intense heatwave triggered fewer fires than expected, said a report ...
Gävleborgs län, Sweden
Radio Sweden

High Arctic fishing ban a win for future generations, says member of Alaska tribe | CBC News
Some Indigenous people are applauding the “precautionary” approach several nations are taking to protect the environment through a new moratorium on commercial fishing in the High Arctic.
Ilulissat, Qaasuitsup Kommunia, Greenland

First supplies arrive in Kivalina for access route
The Arctic Sounder - Serving the Northwest Arctic and the North Slope
Kivalina, Alaska, United States
The Arctic Sounder
Alaska Media, LLC., Steve Keller designer and application developer

Insanity-Inducing Jellyfish are Heading South, Courtesy of Climate Change
This cute little guy makes you trip so hard you'll want to die, and could soon start popping up on the Gold Coast.
off Fraser Island
Vice

State hopes to kill off final Kenai Peninsula pike population
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is planning to apply the fish-killing chemical rotenone to eight lakes in the Tote Road area south of Soldotna next week.
Kenai, Alaska, United States

This Stretch of Water Is Losing Oxygen Faster Than Almost Anywhere Else in The Ocean
A new study links rapid deoxygenation in the Gulf of St. Lawrence to two powerful currents: the Gulf Stream and the Labrador Current.
Gulf of St. Lawrence
ScienceAlert

Warmth made for tough hunting
While calm winds and sunny skies over the past few weeks were excellent for many outdoor activities, they were not ideal for hunting. The fall moose hunt in game management units 17B and 17C ended Sept. 15. Harvest reports are still trickling in, and, so far, the numbers are low.
Dillingham, Alaska, United States
Bristol Bay Times

Disasters declared for salmon fisheries along West Coast
Commercial salmon fisheries in Washington, Oregon, and California are eligible for a portion of $20 million in disaster assistance after federal officials determined fishery failures occurred.
Pacific Northwest, United States
KING

Blue Gold - Climate Change in Mongolia
Ulan Bator, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Moose are back in New York -- in a big way
Five aerial photos of moose in the Adirondacks
Adirondack Park, New York, USA
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

Gulf of St. Lawrence shows a dramatic oxygen decline
The Gulf of St. Lawrence has warmed and lost oxygen faster than almost anywhere else in the global oceans due to large-scale climate change, raising the possibility the Gulf could soon be unable to support marine life, according to a new study.
Gulf of St. Lawrence
Digital Journal

Gulf of St. Lawrence may soon be unable to support marine life
The Gulf of St. Lawrence has warmed and lost oxygen more rapidly than almost anywhere else in the Earth's oceanic waters due in part to climate change, raising the possibility that it could soon be unable to fully support marine life, according to a new study.
Gulf of St. Lawrence
CTVNews

Mysterious Microbes Turning Polar Ice Pink, Speeding Up Melt
Thriving communities of red algae are doing something nefarious to the world's ice sheets: melting them more quickly.
Port Charcot
National Geographic

Mysterious Microbes Turning Polar Ice Pink, Speeding Up Melt
Thriving communities of red algae are doing something nefarious to the world's ice sheets: melting them more quickly.
Greenland
National Geographic

Loads of seaweed are threatening the Caribbean’s sea life and tourism. Experts say we may be to blame
Scientists say the threat from sargassum is as serious as rising sea levels and hurricanes.
Quintana Roo, Mexico

Leptospirosis strains identified in Uruguay cattle
Leptospirosis infections, caused by Leptospira bacteria, occur in people and animals around the world, but different strains of the bacteria may vary in their ability to cause disease and to jump between species. Now, researchers have for the first time described the characteristics of the Leptospira variants that infect cattle in Uruguay.
Zarantonelli et al. 2018. Isolation of pathogenic Leptospira strains from naturally infected cattle in Uruguay reveals high serovar diversity, and uncovers a relevant risk for human leptospirosis. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases 12 (9): e0006694 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006694
Uruguay
ScienceDaily

Switzerland is rapidly losing its snow (and climate change is probably to blame)
A new study based on analysis of satellite images shows how much snow cover Switzerland has lost in the last 20 years. Losing all the glaciers in Switzerland is not that far away.
Switzerland
The Local Switzerland

As Greenland Warms, Nature’s Seasonal Clock Is Thrown Off-Kilter
For millennia, ecosystems in Greenland and throughout the Arctic have been regulated by seasonal changes that govern the greening of vegetation and the migration and reproduction of animals. But a rapidly warming climate and disappearing sea ice are upending that finely tuned balance.
Kangerlussuaq, Qeqqata, Greenland
Yale E360

In Alaska, Starving Seabirds and Empty Colonies Signal a Broken Ecosystem
Mass die-offs and breeding failures, now ongoing for years, have marine biologists worried that this is a new normal caused by climate change.
Audubon

Survived the landslide accident in Svalbard. Now comes the twins' story of living with climate change.
From Longyearbyen to Kiribati, Bangladesh and California. Author Teresa Grøtan has collected young people's everyday life with climate change in the book "Before the Island Sink."
Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Svalbard and Jan Mayen
Aftenposten

Clues to combating Red Tide are found in mounting manatee carcasses
The toxic algae bloom has already been named as the killer or suspected killer of more than 100 manatees since the spring.
Saint Petersburg, Florida, United States
Tampa Bay Times

As Climate Warms, Algae Blooms In Drinking Water Supplies
Algae isn't just causing swimmers' itch anymore; it's threatening water supplies. State regulations are starting to address it.
Salem, Oregon, United States
NPR.org

'Shocking' decline of Arctic skua revealed in study
'Shocking' decline of Arctic skua revealed in study. Conservation scientists say a lack of food is behind the drop in the UK population.
STV News

Death Knell For Ash Trees
The Western New York landscape is now strewn with dead and dying Ash trees. The evidence of the Ash Borer's destruction is crystal clear, and our environment may never be the same.
Angola, New York, United States
WGRZ

Are invasive Kodiak crawdads eating their salmon neighbors’ babies?
Crayfish were first observed on Kodiak around 2015. Now, a local tribal organization is studying their movement, distribution and diet.
Kodiak, Alaska, United States

Hot, dry weather shrivels cereal harvest by a third
An unusually dry, hot summer means Sweden will see smaller yields of crops like wheat, barley and oats, according to the Swedish Board of Agriculture.
Sweden
Sveriges Radio

How smoky skies from wildfires is affecting mental health
Extreme smoke seems to be a new feature of summers in British Columbia with back-to-back years of heavy wildfires in the province and, for some, the overcast skies are taking a toll on mental health.
British Columbia, Canada

Lingering B.C. wildfire smoke puts children, elderly at risk
The B.C. Centre for Disease Control recommends children and elderly stay indoors during lingering smoke from forest fires.
British Columbia, Canada
The Star

Changements climatiques: la forêt boréale va fructifier, puis décliner
Climate change: the boreal forest will grow, then decline: The acceleration of growth will be fueled by warming in the north of the boreal forest, while the south (Abitibi, Lac-Saint-Jean, Gaspésie) will suffer from a lack of water.
Quebec, Canada
Le Devoir

Wildfire smoke blanketing much of B.C. causing health concerns, traffic warnings
The smoke has pushed pollution in Calgary and other cities to dangerous levels, and cast an unsettling, spooky haze over almost every part of B.C.
British Columbia, Canada
The Globe and Mail

Scientist warns of "seagrass crisis" in Caribbean
Scientist warns of "seagrass crisis" in Caribbeans MEXICO CITY (Rahnuma): Massive quantities of Sargassum seaweed are invading Caribbean beaches mostly thanks to global warming and countries should work closely with scientists for a sustainable solution, said a researcher at a leading Mexican university on
Ecuador
The Rahnuma Daily

Alaska village gets funding for erosion and other effects of climate change
A storm had destroyed Napakiak's boat and hovercraft landing, which residents relied on for food and supply deliveries, KYUK-AM reported.
Napakiak, Alaska, United States

N.W.T. had lower than average wildfire season this year, says government | CBC News
The Northwest Territories experienced a lower than average fire season this year. Fire crews and resources from the territory helped respond to wildfires in B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, the Yukon and Ontario.
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada

Point Woronzof Erosion Protection Project Completed
Anchorage Water & Wastewater Utility (AWWU) addressed beach erosion and bluff recession that was affecting its Beach Tower, which is part of AWWU’s Asplund Wastewater Treatment Facility (AWWTF) at Point Woronzof in West Anchorage.
Anchorage Water and Wastewater News

The Kerala Floods
Since 2018, Kerala has faced increasingly severe and frequent floods, a stark contrast to its historical rarity, driven by factors like Indian Ocean warming and local environmental changes, underscoring a global trend of climate-driven extremes and the urgent need for improved flood management and climate adaptation.
Arukutti, Kerala, India

Wisconsin Reservation Offers A Climate Success Story And A Warning
Climate change is causing more severe flooding around the country, and a disproportionate number of Native American communities are on the front lines.
Odanah, Wisconsin, United States
NPR.org

Biologists survey invasive crawfish in Kodiak Island lake
A team of biologists is surveying a lake on Kodiak Island for crawfish, an invasive species in Alaska that has been observed in higher frequency over past several years.
Kodiak, Alaska, United States

Toxic algae bloom a threat to drinking water
High levels of toxic blue-green algae, which has thrived in this summer's extreme hot weather, is making it more difficult to secure clean drinking water. ...
Uppsala, Uppsala län, Sweden

Relocated beavers help restore Mongolia river habitat
In Gachuurt Village in Bayanzurkh district, beavers are being introduced to restore the headwaters of the Tuul River, the main drinking water source of the capital city, Ulaanbaatar.
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
MONTSAME News Agency

Increasing opportunity for kingfish in Tasmanian waters
Redmap, a new and interactive website, invites the Australian community to spot, log and map marine species that are uncommon in Australia, or along particular parts of our coast.
Tasman Sea
Redmap

Toxic algae blooms spike in Upstate NY this week
Sixteen water bodies were added to this week's list.
Upstate New York, United States
syracuse.com

'Virtually unprecedented': Banff bison roaming free for first time in 140 years
Wild and free. That’s the new life for a herd of 31 plains bison which have finally been fully reintroduced to the backcountry of Banff National Park for the first time in 140 years.“These are not a captive display herd.
Banff, Alberta, Canada
Calgary Herald

90 percent of Lake Okeechobee smothered in blue-green algae bloom
EUMETSAT satellite shows blue-green algae bloom covering Lake Okeechobee.
Lake Okeechobee, Florida, United States
TCPalm

102 fires burning in B.C.’s southeast region
More than 100 fires are burning in B.C.'s Southeast Fire Region, with half of them caused from a lightning storm earlier in the week.
Southeast British Columbia, Canada

Persistent algae bloom in the Gulf of Mexico is killing Sea Turtles
A persistent algae bloom in the Gulf of Mexico has become a huge threat to sea turtles, a species which is already endangered.
Gulf of Mexico near Southwest Florida, United States
earth.com

Many parts of Southern California broke heat records for July
Many places across Southern California saw one of the warmest Julys ever recorded in 2018, including downtown Los Angeles and Death Valley
Long Beach, California, United States
latimes.com

Death Valley Records Planet’s Hottest Month, Scientists Warn it May Become Uninhabitable
The "business-as-usual warming of the planet" could make areas too warm for human habitation if heat trends continue, climate researchers say.
Death Valley, California, United States
HuffPost Canada

Heat causing Hydro bills to soar, some too much so
If you've gotten an unexpectedly large electric bill in the mail, don't worry Manitoba Hydro knows they have a billing issue and are working to correct it.Hydro says the soaring summer heat is causing the issue.
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Winnipeg Sun

Harmful algae blooms found across Central Montana
Harmful algae blooms are something Montana has to worry about every summer, and now there have been a couple places in central and western Montana confirmed to have the harmful blue green algae. T...
Central and Western Montana, United States
Fox Montana

Trade-offs between foraging efficiency and pup feeding rate of lactating northern fur seals in a declining population
Foraging strategies and their resulting efficiency (energy gain to cost
ratio) affect animals' survival and reproductive success and can be
linked to population dynamics. However, they have rarely been studied
quantitatively in free-ranging animals. We investigated foraging
strategies and efficiencies of wild northern fur seals Callorhinus
ursinus during their breeding season to understand potential links to
the observed population decline in the Bering Sea. We equipped 20
lactating females with biologgers to determine at-sea foraging
behaviours. We measured energy expenditure while foraging using the
doubly-labelled water method, and energy gained using (1) the types and
energy densities of prey consumed, and (2) the number of prey capture
attempts (from acceleration data). Our results show that seals employed
2 foraging strategies: one group (40\%) fed mostly in oceanic waters on
small, high energy-density prey, while the other (60\%) stayed over the
shallow continental shelf feeding mostly on larger, lower quality fish.
Females foraging in oceanic waters captured 3 times more prey, and had
double the foraging efficiencies of females that foraged on-shelf in
neritic waters. However, neritic seals made comparatively shorter trips,
and likely fed their pups similar to 20 to 25\% more frequently. The
presence of these strategies which either favor foraging efficiency
(energy) or frequency of nursing (time) might be maintained in the
population because they have similar net fitness outcomes. However,
neither strategy appears to simultaneously maximize time and energy
allocated to nursing, with potential impacts on the survival of pups
during their first year at sea.
Reef Rookery, Saint Paul, Alaska, United States
MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES
Tiphaine Jeanniard du Dot, Andrew W. Trites, John P. Y. Arnould, John R. Speakman, Christophe Guinet

Filmmaker documents a disappearing caribou herd
Ten caribou herds in Canada's West are on the verge of dying out. For one amateur filmmaker who spent a decade documenting what he thought would be a conservation success story, the recent decline is like a 'huge kick in the gut.'
Kootenay Pass, British Columbia, Canada

Mysterious algae vortex the size of Manhattan can be seen from space
Scientists aren't sure what is causing this whirlpool of algae but believe it's likely to cause a marine dead zone.
Baltic Sea
MNN - Mother Nature Network

Worms frozen in permafrost for up to 42,000 years come back to life
Nematodes moving and eating again for the first time since the Pleistocene age in major scientific breakthrough, say experts.
Магадан, Магаданская область, Russia
Siberian Times

Photos: How climate change is transforming Canada
From floods to fires, drought to coastal erosion, climate change is already having an impact on Canada's communities, landscapes and wildlife
Canadian Geographic

How to Stop Toxic Algae From Overwhelming Florida's Largest Lake
Blue-green algae has bloomed again in Lake Okeechobee, filling waterways with putrid sludge that can contaminate local water and marine animals.
Lake Okeechobee, Florida, United States
Pacific Standard

State drops invasive insect defense zone for ash trees
ALBANY - After years of trying to slow a voracious Chinese beetle that is decimating ash trees, state environmental officials are waving the white flag: The Department of Environmental Conservation dropped a logging quarantine, and said it might be time to cut healthy trees still uninfested.
In a brief notice posted online Wednesday, the DEC repealed logging restrictions that had failed to contain the spread of the emerald ash borer (EAB) by limiting shipments of ash.
The state created the quarantine in 2015 to slow the insect, which is a shiny green beetle about the size of a penny. The borer likely will ultimately bring about the end of the state's 700 million ash trees - down from earlier estimates of 900 million ash trees before the beetles' arrival - and forever change an industry that uses ash to produce bats for major league baseball.
Dolgeville, New York, United States
Times Union

The Decline of Yellow Cedar in Alaska’s Temperate Rainforest
Culturally vital, ecologically unique, and economically valuable, the yellow cedar’s fate is closely tied to snow
Poison Cove, Alaska, United States
Earth Island Journal

Ukraine wheat harvest, exports to fall on drought: analyst
UkrAgroConsult on Tuesday cut its forecast for Ukraine's 2018/19 crop year wheat harvest and exports due to a severe drought across the country during spring and the first half of summer.
Київ, Київська, Ukraine
U.S.

Glaciers in the Canadian High Arctic are melting at an unprecedented rate
A study of more than 1,700 glaciers on northern Ellesmere Island found six per cent of ice coverage disappeared between 1999 and 2015
Northern Ellesmere Island, Canada
Canadian Geographic

This aquatic grass could help shellfish threatened by ocean acidification
An increase in carbon emissions are showing up not only in the air, but also in water. Now researchers and shellfish farmers are teaming up to see how marine plants can help stave off the effects of ocean acidification. Special correspondent Jes Burns of Oregon Public Broadcasting reports.
Thornedyke Bay, Washington, United States
PBS NewsHour

Ticks are an increasing problem
Several serious diseases are in and around the Czech Republic, If you're planning on staying in Prague for any length of time, it makes sense to familiarize yourself with the healthcare options available in the city. Nothing is more important than your health!
Prague, Praha, Czech Republic
Prague TV

With climate change, numbers of black sea bass increase
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – It may be time for local eateries to explore black sea bass recipes. Warmer waters off Rhode Island have caused a spike for this species, and loosened regulations are reeli…
New England Coastal Waters, United States
Republican-American

Salmon are showing up in the Arctic in record numbers
Salmon used to be infrequent visitors to the Mackenzie River and communities of the Arctic, but more species have begun to show up in the North more often and in greater numbers than ever before.
MacKenzie River Delta
The Narwhal

Feel like a swim? Here’s the lowdown on Anchorage lakes
Water quality in Anchorage's lakes is generally good, but swimmer's itch is a risk.

Aequorea (hydrozoan) bloom in the Northern California Current
Dataset from Dr. Brian Burke (NOAA; brian.burke@noaa.gov); derived from surface trawls taken during NOAA Northwest Fisheries Science Center Juvenile Salmon & Ocean Ecosystem Survey (JSOES).
Northern California Current
NOAA NWFSC CCIEA Custom Plotting

A huge stretch of the Arctic Ocean is turning into the Atlantic
The divide between Atlantic and Arctic isn’t just geographical, it’s physical. And the physics are changing.
North Barents Sea

Warmer waters cut Alaska's prized salmon harvest
Warming waters have reduced the harvest of Alaska's prized Copper River salmon to just a fraction of last year's harvest, Alaska biologists say.
Copper River, Alaska, United States
Reuters

Miami-Dade Home Values Influenced by Rising Seas
Single-family homes near sea level in Miami-Dade County are increasing in value at a slower rate than ones at elevation, according to a new research study
Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States
CleanTechnica

Rare Harry Potter owl spotted for only the fourth time in history
Bird Notes columnist Julian Hughes of RSPB Conwy reveals how the Snowy Owl got twitchers in a flap, and outlines 11 birding events in the coming days
Amlwch, Sir Ynys Mon, Wales, United Kingdom
Daily Post

Global warming cooks up 'a different world' over 3 decades
Over 30 years the world’s annual temperature has warmed nearly 1 degree according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Salida, Colorado, United States
Lake Cowichan Gazette

As the Arctic warms, a changing landscape on the Chukchi Sea
It’s well established that Arctic ice is changing in dramatic ways. As the climate warms, ice coverage is decreasing, the amount of multiyear ice has gone down significantly and in
Barrow, Alaska, United States

‘Blob’ is blamed: Alaska’s Copper River sees low commercial-salmon harvest
ANCHORAGE — The commercial salmon harvest in Alaska's Copper River is so far the second lowest in 50 years, state officials said. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game's fish...
Copper River, Alaska, United States
The Seattle Times

Ocean warming, ‘junk-food’ prey cause of massive seabird die-off, study finds
In the fall of 2014, West Coast residents witnessed a strange, unprecedented ecological event. Tens of thousands of small seabird carcasses washed ashore on beaches from California to British Columbia, in what would become one of the largest bird die-offs ever recorded.
A network of more than
Pacific Coast, US and Canada
Technology Org

U.S. Coastal Flooding Breaks Records as Sea Level Rises, NOAA Report Shows
The frequency of high-tide flooding has doubled in 30 years. Some cities faced more than 20 days of it in the past year, and not just during hurricanes.
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
InsideClimate News

Fairbanks airfields convert to alternative firefighting foam over contamination concerns
Fairbanks International Airport and Eielson Air Force Base no longer use a type of firefighting foam containing a chemical compound that’s contaminated groundwater around the city, and that poses a potential threat to human health.

The catastrophic thermokarst lake drainage events of 2018 in northwestern Alaska: fast-forward into the future
The combination of abundant rain and snowfall and extremely warm mean annual air temperatures may have led to the destabilization of permafrost around lake margins. Rapid snow melt and high amounts of excess meltwater further promoted rapid lateral breaching at lake shores and consequently sudden drainage of some of the largest lakes of the study region.
Kotzebue, Alaska
The Cryosphere

Changing environment - Stories above the Arctic Circle
Malmberget, Norrbotten, Sweden
YouTube

Norway’s New Invaders: The Spanish Slug – Visions from nature
Considered the most destructive pest slug in Europe, the Spanish slug, or Arion lusitanicus, or Arion vulgaris, or sometimes Geoff (there’s some controversy over the name, thanks to the fact that the Arion genus contains up to 50 species and they all look a lot like one another) is between 7-15cm long and can weigh up to 15kilos if it’s sitting on a dog.
Norway
NTNU

Winds of Change on the Mongolian Steppe
For centuries, nomads have herded livestock on the Mongolian steppe. Today, Mongolians are proud of their nomadic heritage, but globalisation and climate change are transforming the steppes and nomadic traditions. How Mongolia adapts to these new forces sweeping the steppes will determine the country’s future.
Harhorin, Övörhangay, Mongolia
Maptia

Endangered plant thrives after Sidney Spit restoration
Coastal sand ecosystem returning to health after 1.5 years of work
Sidney Spit National Marine Park, Canada
Saanich News

Climate Change draws invasive species to the Arctic
Warmer temperatures and declining sea ice pulls foreign animals and plants to the Arctic, with drastic consequences for these sensitive ecosystems.
Nuuk, Kommuneqarfik Sermersooq, Greenland
ScienceNordic

Climate change in the Rockies could make this Colorado wildflower vanish forever
Creamy jasmine wildflowers once common in the Colorado high country may be vanishing as climate change brings warmer and drier conditions.
Crested Butte, Colorado, United States
The Denver Post

Beluga whales dive deeper, longer to find food in Arctic
Reductions in sea ice in the Arctic have a clear impact on animals such as polar bears that rely on frozen surfaces for feeding, mating and migrating. But sea ice loss is changing Arctic habitat and affecting other species in more indirect ways, new research finds.
Chukchi Sea, Arctic Ocean
Science News

To get good credit, Alaska’s fishing towns may have to factor in climate change
Late last year one of the world’s largest credit rating agencies announced that climate change would have an economic impact on the U.S.
Unalaska, Alaska, United States
By Rashah McChesney, Alaska's Energy Desk - Juneau

Researchers see 'very reassuring' early results in N.W.T. contaminants study
The initial results represent 330 participants from six communities. Around 98 per cent of participants had mercury levels below the health guidance value - a baseline to assess health risks.
Kakisa, Northwest Territories, Canada
CBC News

Climate change threatens hairy survivor of multiple ice ages
A scientific paper published recently hints at how increasing winter rainfall will affect the Arctic muskox. An N.W.T. biologist says winter rain isn't good for the mammal, but it's actually warmer summers that could prove detrimental.
Northwest Territories, Canada

Insurers say Canadian weather getting hotter, wetter and weirder
Average number of days with heavy rain or snow across Canada has been outside norm since spring 2013
Lake Cowichan Gazette

Cold winters: what they mean for the bug population in Middle Georgia
The winter season of 2016-2017 proved to be the fifth warmest on record for Georgia, sparking an unusually large number of insects during the following warm months.
Macon, Georgia, United States
WGXA

Erosion may force this Southwest Alaska village to move — again
This is not the first time the village of Chefornak has faced the threat of erosion and flooding, but relocating won’t be as easy as it was last time.
Chefornak, Alaska, United States

Beavers Emerge as Agents of Arctic Destruction
Climate change may be enabling beavers to move deeper into the Arctic. And as they move, they magnify climate change’s effects.
Noatak, Alaska, United States

Scientists ‘shocked’ by massive snowfall increases among Alaska’s highest peaks
A team of scientists presented data on Tuesday suggesting that even as the state of Alaska has warmed up extremely rapidly in recent years, snowfall in the iconic Denali National Park has increased dramatically during the era of human-driven global warming.
Denali National Park, Alaska, United States

The High Latitude Marine Heat Wave of 2016 and its Impacts on Alaska
The warmth of the Bering Sea in 2016
was unprecedented in the historical record, and
the warmth of the GOA nearly so. The FAR values
Fig. 8.2. Normalized anomalies of (a) heat content and (b) SSTs for the present (black) and preindustrial (blue)
climate of the GOA (circle and plus) and Bering Sea (triangle and x) regions from the five model ensembles.
Anomalies exceeding 2016 value are in red (shapes as indicated), and the ensemble/region means are shown by
the solid lines. Mean probability distributions (%) of (c) heat content and (d) SSTs from the model ensembles;
solid (open) circles indicate present (preindustrial) climate for the GOA (blue) and Bering Sea (red). Spread
of individual models is shown by the smaller, corresponding open/closed circles. Dashed vertical lines show the
2016 anomalies: GOA (blue), Bering Sea (red).
AMERICAN METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY JANUARY 2018 | S43
based on an ensemble of five global climate models
indicate that the 2016 warm ocean anomalies cannot
be explained without anthropogenic climate warming,
although the region’s large internal variability
was also a contributing factor (Fig. 8.1 and online
supplement material). A strong El Niño with a positive
PDO (warm) phase, together with preconditioning
of the waters during 2014/15 and the anomalous
atmospheric circulation of early 2016, made for a
“perfect storm” of marine heating around Alaska.
Both anthropogenic forcing and internal variability
were necessary for the extreme warmth of the subarctic
seas. Our conclusions are consistent with and
extend previous findings concerning the 2014 warm
SST anomalies in the northeast Pacific (Weller et al.
2015). Additionally, the trajectory of the present climate
with RCP8.5 indicates that SST and HC extreme
anomalies like 2016 will become common in the
coming decades. Given the many impacts of the 2016
anomaly, the future climate projected here will result
in a profound shift for people, systems, and species
when such warm ocean temperatures become common
and not extreme in the GOA and Bering regions.
Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society
John E. Walsh, Richard L. Thoman, Uma S. Bhatt, Peter A. Bieniek, Brian Brettschneider, Michael Brubaker, Seth Danielson, Rick Lader, Florence Fetterer, Kris Holderied, Katrin Iken, Andy Mahoney, Moll

Can These Seabirds Adapt Fast Enough to Survive a Melting Arctic?
On a remote Alaskan sandbar, under the watchful eye of a devoted scientist for more than four decades, climate change is forcing a colony of seabirds into a real-time race: evolve or go extinct.
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States
Audubon

How debris from rockets launched far away is a risk to Inuit food security - ArcticToday
When the European Space Agency (ESA) launched a satellite into orbit on Oct. 13, it did so despite opposition from Inuit leaders in Canada and Greenland over its potential to contaminate an important Arctic area.
Greenland
ArcticToday

Environmental and behavioral changes may influence the exposure of an Arctic apex predator to pathogens and contaminants
Recent decline of sea ice habitat has coincided with increased use of land by polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from the southern Beaufort Sea (SB), which may alter the risks of exposure to pathogens and contaminants. We assayed blood samples from SB polar bears to assess prior exposure to the pathogens Brucella spp., Toxoplasma gondii, Coxiella burnetii, Francisella tularensis, and Neospora caninum, estimate concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), and evaluate risk factors associated with exposure to pathogens and POPs. We found that seroprevalence of Brucella spp. and T. gondii antibodies likely increased through time, and provide the first evidence of exposure of polar bears to C. burnetii, N. caninum, and F. tularensis. Additionally, the odds of exposure to T. gondii were greater for bears that used land than for bears that remained on the sea ice during summer and fall, while mean concentrations of the POP chlordane (ΣCHL) were lower for land-based bears. Changes in polar bear behavior brought about by climate-induced modifications to the Arctic marine ecosystem may increase exposure risk to certain pathogens and alter contaminant exposure pathways.
Todd C. Atwood, Colleen Duncan, Kelly A. Patyk, Pauline Nol, Jack Rhyan, Matthew McCollum, Melissa A. McKinney, Andrew M. Ramey, Camila K. Cerqueira-Cézar, Oliver C. H. Kwok, Jitender P. Dubey & Steve

As ice thaws, rock avalanches on Southeast Alaska mountains are getting bigger
A study of rock avalanches in the western part of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve found that the likelihood of large slides covering about 2 square miles has at least doubled in the last five years.
Lamplugh Glacier, Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska, United States
Alaska Dispatch News

Study: ‘Unprecedented’ rain, warmth for Alaska by end of century
Climate warming is likely to bring more episodes of heavy rain, above-freezing winter thaws and scorching hot summer days in the coming decades, says a study by scientists at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Alaska, United States
Alaska Dispatch News

Only 1,123 adult winter Chinook salmon returned to Sacramento River in 2017
Only 1,123 adult winter Chinook salmon, once one of the biggest salmon runs on the Sacramento River and its tributaries, returned to the Sacramento Valley in 2017, according to a report sent to the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) by the...
Livingston Stone Fish Hatchery
Daily Kos

New Study Finds 8 Islands Swallowed By Rising Sea Level
Need a reason to be concerned about rising sea level? I've got eight.
Nahlap Island, Micronesia
Forbes

Kenow Wildfire 2017
Alberta consistently sees an average of 1400 wildfires each year however, the increased economic costs due to firefighting, equipment, damaged properties, evacuations, insurance, remote housing and food can be a challenge.
Waterton Lakes, Alberta, Canada
Jason Giacchetta, David Oswald, Mike Brook

Brown bears are choosing a vegetarian diet because of climate change
Brown bears on Alaska’s Kodiak Island are switching to a vegetarian diet of elderberries in preference to salmon because the warmer temperatures are ripening the fruit earlier in the year. Normally the bears would eat up to 75 per cent of the salmon that swim up the rivers to spawn up until about late August. And, when this plentiful supply of protein started to dry up, the bears would switch to the elderberries that usually come into fruit in late August or early September.
Kodiak, Alaska, United States
The Independent

Once-lush McHugh Creek trails were transformed by July's wildfire
Chugach State Park hikers survey the damage from hot days in July when the rainforest burned.

Vancouver Island marmot facing a new threat: creeping treeline
Habitat of the endangered Vancouver Island marmot is disappearing as the warming climate allows trees to grow higher up mountainsides, turning alpine meadows into forest. Adam Taylor, executive . . .
Nanaimo Lakes area, British Columbia, Canada
Times Colonist

Changing climate pushes polar bears toward more dangerous interactions with humans
Jim Wilder, the polar bear project leader for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Anchorage, recently published a paper on how climate change is impacting polar bear behavior. The study is the first of its kind, combining research from the United States, Norway, Canada, Greenland and Russia to look at what motivates polar bears to attack humans.
Arviat, Nunavut Territory, Canada

Sun'aq Tribe of Kodiak Starts Crayfish Monitoring Program
In August 2017, Sun’aq Tribe of Kodiak was awarded funding by USFWS Tribal Wildlife Grant (TWG) Program. The two-year project, titled “Distribution, Movement and Diet of Invasive Crayfish Populations in Buskin River Watershed on Kodiak Island, Alaska” focuses on characterizing the distribution (snorkel/scuba diving surveys), movement (radio tagging) and diet (stable isotope analyses) of the Signal Crayfish population within Buskin Watershed.
Bushkin Lake, Kodiak, Alaska, United States
Sunaq.org

ANTHC partners to integrate a holistic community health approach in Oscarville | Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium
On the north bank of the Kuskokwim River, 401 miles from Anchorage, lies the community of Oscarville, Alaska. In December 2014, the Oscarville Traditional Council volunteered the village to serve as the pilot community for the implementation of a holistic approach project, with the goal of creating healthy, thriving and sustainable communities by bringing together important communal pieces, including culture, housing, energy, infrastructure, water/sewer, community health and economic development. Oscarville’s candidacy for the pilot project stemmed from the sanitation, environmental ...
Oscarville, Alaska, United States
Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium

Record-breaking marine heatwave powered by climate change cooks Tasmania's fisheries
Climate change has warmed the waters east of Tasmania at four times the speed of the global average. But the heatwave of the southern summer of 2015/2016 was something exceptional, damaging fisheries and bringing new species to the island. It's a sign of things to come, say the researchers examining these events.
east coast of Tasmania, Australia
ScienceDaily

Ten Alaskans were sickened by raw or undercooked walrus. A parasite was in the meat, CDC says.
Serious and unusual outbreaks of illness from eating raw or undercooked walrus to call attention to the risks.
St. Lawrence Island, Alaska, United States
Alaska Dispatch News

'Seemingly unbelievable' temperatures becoming more common in Arctic winters
Warm periods are bringing the temperature up by as much as 30 C in the middle of winter

How Climate Change is Spurring Wildfires in Alaska and NWT
Longer hot, dry spells in the boreal forests that stretch across Alaska and the Northwest Territories create the conditions for wildfires triggered by lightning strikes.
Elliott Highway, 48km (30 miles) NW of Fairbanks, Alaska, United States
Arctic Deeply

Crowdsourcing capelin: New website to alert biologists to locations of 'key' fish
Keeping tabs on capelin — from the shores of the Atlantic ocean to the world wide web.
Newfoundland and Labrador

A heavy blow for a small community – Greenland rebuilds its communities
Greenlanders struggle to get their lives back together and rebuild the small communities hit by the tsunami earlier this month.
Nuugaatsiaq, Qaasuitsup Kommunia, Greenland
IceNetws

Last Season’s Difficulties for Diomede Auklets May Be a Sign of Changing Climate
An assistant professor at the University of Alaska–Fairbanks suspects that changes seen in the auklet population on Little Diomede may be related to changes in climate.
Diomede, Alaska, United States

In a Bering Sea battle of killer whales vs. fishermen, the whales are winning
In the Bering Sea, near the edge the continental shelf, fishermen are trying to escape a predator that seems to outwit them at every turn, stripping their fishing lines and lurking behind their vessels.
Aleutian Islands, Alaska, United States

Karrat Fjord, Greenland Landslide & Tsunami
huge tsunami occurred in the Karrat Fjord on the west coast of Greenland, resulting in severe property damage and casualties in the tiny fishing village of Nuugaatsiaq. The seismic energy detected prior to the tsunami was so large it was first thought to have been the result of a magnitude 4.1 earthquake. However, the cause was a massive landslide on a steep slope of the fjord where millions of cubic meters of rock plunged into the water below, 32 kilometers northeast of the village. Forty-five structures, including eleven houses, were washed away or destroyed, and four people were killed.
Nuugaatsiaq, Qaasuitsup, Greenland
International Tsunami Information Center

Declining survival of black brant from subarctic and arctic breeding areas
Since the mid 1990s, the number of black brant (Branta bernicla nigricans; brant) nests on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta (YKD), Alaska, USA, the historically predominant breeding area of brant, has declined steadily.
Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska, United States
The Journal of Wildlife Management
Leach, Alan G. and Ward, David H. and Sedinger, James S. and Lindberg, Mark S. and Boyd, W. Sean and Hupp, Jerry W. and Ritchie, Robert J.

Climate Destabilization Causing Thousands of New Species Migrations: Plant, Animal, Insect, Bird
In the Arctic, brown bears (Ursus arctos) are expanding their range northward, in some cases competing with and even mating with polar bears (*Ursus maritimus*). Beavers (*Castor canadensis*) have been found as far north as the coast of the Beaufort Sea. The list includes mammals, amphibians, fish and insects.
Beaufort Sea, Arctic Ocean
EnviroNews DC News Bureau

2017-2019 North Atlantic Right Whale Unusual Mortality Event
Since June 7, 2017, elevated North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) mortalities have been documented, primarily in Canada and were declared an Unusual Mortality Event.  In 2017, there was a total of 17 confirmed dead stranded whales (12 in Canada; 5 in the United States) and in 2018, three whales stranded in the United States. In 2019, two whales have stranded in Canada.
NOAA Fisheries

NOAA Is Investigating 70 Gray Whale Deaths Along the West Coast
The whales seem to have died from starvation and washed up on shore from California to Alaska
Smithsonian

'Very, very serious situation': In northern Labrador, it's getting harder to find food
According to numbers in the Food Security in Nunatsiavut survey, nearly 60 per cent of all households along Labrador's north coast struggle with access to food, and most worry about it running out before they have money to buy more.
Nain, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

Housing Needs in Oscarville, Alaska: a Holistic Approach to Sustainable Northern Communities
Oscarville, Alaska, United States
YouTube

Walruses at Risk of Extinction in Canada’s North
These big, blubbery beasts are sensitive souls that dislike being disturbed by people. Unfortunately for them, warming Arctic temperatures are bringing more shipping and tourism to their home waters.
Landcaster Sound, NU Canada
Arctic Deeply

After the last Sigluaq
Sixty years ago, around the time when Matthew Rexford's father's father was turning the ground to build his own ice cellar as a proud whaling captain, there were 12 of these such cellars in Kaktovik. Today there is only one left.
Kaktovik, Alaska, United States
The Arctic Sounder
Alaska Media, LLC., Steve Keller designer and application developer

Atlantic currents moving plastic junk into the Arctic, research says
Parts of the Arctic Ocean have become an “important sink of plastic debris,” mainly coming north from the southern latitudes—with 300 billion or more plastic items carried in ice-free Arctic waters.
North Atlantic Ocean
Nunatsiqaq Online
Andrés Cózar, Elisa Martí, Carlos M. Duarte, Juan García-de-Lomas, Erik van Sebille, Thomas J. Ballatore, Victor M. Eguíluz, J. Ignacio González-Gordillo, Maria L. Pedrotti, Fidel Echevarría, Romain T

Migration induced by sea-level rise could reshape the US population landscape
Miami, Florida, United States
Nature Climate Change

Moving Meshik (Video)
This LEO Network video documents coastal erosion impact on the old village of Meshik in Southwest Alaska and the pending lake draining event that will take out the road still used by the residents of Port Heiden. The rate of coastal erosion here is one of the highest in the world. Scientists and community members are working together to document the impacts and develop effective adaptation strategies.
Port Heiden, Alaska, United States
ANTHC Center for Climate and Health

Arctic Indigenous Peoples Are Leading the Way in Ecological Restoration and Climate Resilience
A major new international study has recognized the crucial role Arctic Indigenous Peoples have to play in ecological restoration efforts that help build resilience to major climate-change driven shifts in the distribution of land, marine and freshwater species.
Näätämö River, Lapland, Finland
TruthOut
By Hannibal Rhoades and Tero Mustonen, IC Magazine

Missing Lynx Return to New England
The Canada lynx, once eliminated from most of New England by forest clearing and unsustainable hunting and trapping, is making a comeback.
Pittsburg, New Hampshire, United States
The Adirondack Almanack

Effects of weather variability on maple syrup production studied
Some farmers in the United States and Canada have noticed that the quantity and quality of their maple syrup is changing with climate variability. Now researchers who are investigating these observations.
United States and Canada, Universal State Boundary, North America

Government and nonprofits shakeup village of Oscarville with clean water and cheaper power
After discussing the difference between what they wanted and what they needed, it became obvious that what they needed was much more basic: water.
KTOO

Climate change drives Solomon Islands' people of the sea ashore
The inhabitants of Lau Lagoon in Solomon Islands have lived in harmony with nature for generations. Now their entire way of life is vanishing beneath the waves.
Honiara, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands
DW.COM

New Rudolphs for Christmas - all 2,349 reindeer killed in anthrax outbreak are replaced
Three separate outbreaks of anthrax this summer in the Yamalo-Nenets region killed one boy, almost 2,400 reindeer, and several dogs. All the new 'Christmas deer' are from Yamal, and unaffected by the infection.
Noyabrsk, Yamalo-Nenetskiy Avtonomnyy Okrug, Russia
Siberia Times

How the American bullfrog is eating its way into BC
Like a horde of slimy green zombies, the incredibly invasive American bullfrog is hopping the border into the West Kootenay.
Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area, British Columbia, Canada
Nelson Star

Sargassum seaweed partly responsible for Guyana's reduced fish production
Guyana’s fish production has suffered a significant decline partly due to the adverse impact of sargassum seaweed, local and regional fishery experts said.
Demerara Waves

NASA releases time-lapse of the disappearing Arctic polar ice cap
This visualization begins by showing the dynamic beauty of the Arctic sea ice as it responds to winds and ocean currents. Research into the behavior of the Arctic sea ice for the last 30 years has led to a deeper understanding of how this ice survives from year to year. In the animation that follows, age of the sea ice is visible, showing the younger ice in darker shades of blue and the oldest ice in brighter white. This visual representation of the ice age clearly shows how the quantity of older and thicker ice has changed between 1984 and 2016.
YouTube

So Long and Thanks for All the Fish: Overexploitation of the Regionally Endemic Galapagos Grouper Mycteroperca olfax (Jenyns, 1840)
The regionally endemic Galapagos Grouper, locally known as bacalao, is one of the most highly prized finfish species within the Galapagos Marine Reserve (GMR). Concerns of overfishing, coupled with a lack of fishing regulations aimed at this species raises concerns about the current population health. We assessed changes in population health over a 30-year period using three simple indicators: (1) percentage of fish below reproductive size (Lm); (2) percentage of fish within the optimum length interval (Lopt); and (3) percentage of mega-spawners in the catch. Over the assessed period, none of the indicators reached values associated with healthy populations, with all indicators declining over time. Furthermore, the most recent landings data show that the vast majority of the bacalao caught (95.7%,) were below Lm, the number of fish within the Lopt interval was extremely low (4.7%), and there were virtually no mega-spawners (0.2%). Bacalao fully recruit to the fishery 15 cm below the size at which 50% of the population matures. The Spawning Potential Ratio is currently 5% of potential unfished fecundity, strongly suggesting severe overfishing. Our results suggest the need for bacalao-specific management regulations that should include minimum (65 cm TL) and maximum (78 cm TL) landing sizes, slot limits (64–78 cm TL), as well as a closed season during spawning from October to January. It is recognized that these regulations are harsh and will certainly have negative impacts on the livelihoods of fishers in the short term, however, continued inaction will likely result in a collapse of this economically and culturally valuable species. Alternative sources of income should be developed in parallel with the establishment of fishing regulations to limit the socio-economic disruption to the fishing community during the transition to a more sustainable management regime.
Galapagos Island, Ecuador
Plos One
Paolo Usseglio , Alan M. Friedlander, Haruko Koike, Johanna Zimmerhackel, Anna Schuhbauer, Tyler Eddy, Pelayo Salinas-de-León

Beware of action that would put age-old tundra nomadism at risk in Yamal, says expert
As a debate is underway on culling as many as 250,000 reindeer due to overgrazing, Research Professor Bruce C Forbes warns against some proposed solutions.
Noyabrsk, Yamalo-Nenetskiy Avtonomnyy Okrug, Russia
Siberia Times

Work begins on $1M trench to stave off Matanuska River erosion
The 500-foot, rock-filled trench won't be as long as experts advise and wasn't engineered to protect private property.
Butte, Alaska, United States

Alaska to date remains anthrax free
Warming Arctic temperatures can create an environment friendly to bacterial infections like anthrax, an infection spread by contact with bacterial spores, which plant-eating animals may eat or breathe in while grazing.
Alaska, United States
The Cordova Times

Sea Lice Exploded among Wild Young Salmon near BC Fish Farms
B.C salmon farms last year were besieged by sea lice, according to a new University of Toronto study, which also found a dangerously steep rise of infestation among young wild salmon who swam nearby.
Broughton Archipelago, British Columbia, Canada
The Tyee

Pushki making its presence felt on peninsula
A family trip in the Alaska wilderness can turn sour in a hurry if the proper precautions are not taken against the unassuming but dangerous plant known as “pushki.”
Seward, Alaska, United States
Peninsula Clarion

Characterization of three novel species of Labyrinthulomycota isolated from ochre sea stars (Pisaster ochraceus)
FioRito, Rebecca, Celeste Leander, and Brian Leander. "Characterization of three novel species of Labyrinthulomycota isolated from ochre sea stars (Pisaster ochraceus." Marine Biology 163.8 (2016): 1-10.
Bamfield, British Columbia, Canada
FioRito, R., Leander, C. and Leander, B., 2016. Marine Biology, 163(8), pp.1-10.
Rebecca FioRito, Celeste Leander, and Brian Leander

Contagious cancers found in bivalves
Contagious cancers occur in clams and other bivalves, and some can even spread between different species of bivalves.
Esquimault, British Columbia, Canada

The secret killer in your garden
Somebody is poisoning the moose of Anchorage. It's probably you. And many of your relatives, friends, and neighbors. Because the entire city is a garden laced with poisonous plants.

Many bird species are on the move
Did you know there are two different species of hummingbirds in the Vancouver area? The rufous hummingbird is a tiny orange-red hummer that visits B.C. each summer and winters in Mexico, while the slightly larger maroon-and-green Anna’s hummingbird is here all year.
Georgia Straight Vancouver's News & Entertainment Weekly

Unusually big pink salmon may be related to smaller coho and kings
The latest research suggests pink salmon could be depriving offshore coho and chinook of squid.
Auke Bay, Alaska, United States
KTOO Public Media

Miami Beach's Tidal Flooding Has Jumped by 400 Percent in the Past Decade
A UM study has found that tidal flooding has leaped by 400 percent in the last ten years thanks to climate change.
South Beach, Miami, Florida, United States
Miami New Times

Sneezes, wheezes, tears: What's in store for this spring's allergy season?
Dust. Trees. Grasses. Mold. How to read the signs about whether 2016 will be gentle or monstrous for allergy sufferers.

Fukushima derived radiocesium in subsistence-consumed northern fur seal and wild celery
Trace 134Cs in northern fur seal tissue suggests that the
population under study had been minimally exposed Fukushima-derived radionuclides. Despite this
inference, the radionuclide quantities detected are small and no impact is expected as a result of the
measured radiation exposure, either in northern fur seal or human populations consuming this species.
Saint Paul, Alaska, United States
Journal of Environmental Radioactivity

Wild Berry Harvests Less Reliable According to Alaskan Local Observers
A new study from USGS, ANTHC, and the Local Environmental Observer (LEO) Network, provides a view statewide trends in wild berry harvests. The authors conclude that monitoring and experimental studies are needed to understand how climate change may affect the species of wild berries that are important to Alaskans. They also recommended that methods by which rural communities can increase their resilience to declining or more variable berry harvests be explored.

Crawdad pie, anyone? In Kodiak, an invasive species proliferates
There's somewhat of a slow motion invasion of a fresh water crustacean happening in Buskin River and Buskin Lake. It has a hard shell, two claws and tastes great in pies.

Blob of warm Pacific water may have killed dozens of whales
The "unprecedented" warm water in the Pacific caused a massive toxic algae bloom from California to Alaska.
Coastal British Columbia

Lobster population moves north due to warming ocean
The lobster population has crashed to the lowest levels on record in southern New England while climbing to heights never before seen in the cold waters off Maine and other northern reaches — a geographic shift that scientists attribute in large part to the warming of the ocean.
Portland, Maine, United States
New York Post

Toxic mercury levels are actually declining in Alaskan polar bears—but that's not as great as it sounds
A recent study shows that polar bears' mercury levels are declining as melting ice drives them onshore. But is it all good news? Read on.
Popular Science

Scientists may have solved 2011's mysterious marine die-off along the Pacific coast
Scientists first caught on to the strange event when they found thousands of purple sea urchins and other organisms dead in their laboratory tanks. Their theory: The mass deaths were caused by a huge bloom of algae.
Northern Pacific Coast

Mysterious ocean 'blob' could be behind warmer B.C. temperatures
If you're wondering why British Columbia experienced such a mild winter and early spring, you could maybe blame it on a mysterious "blob" of warm water in the Pacific Ocean.
British Columbia

Oscarville, Alaska: a Holistic Approach to Sustainable Northern Communities

Migrating Birds May Carry Viral Baggage
Right now, a lethal strain of bird flu is wreaking havoc in the Lower 48. It’s clear that migrating flocks have something to do with spreading the illness between farms and across continents -- but exactly what is still fuzzy. A remote spot in Southwest Alaska may hold some clues. Download Audio

Human encounters with cougars are on the rise
Human encounters with cougars are on the rise in Alberta, according to wildlife conservation group WildSmart.
Canmore, Alberta, Canada

Warm weather makes Kotzebue sea wall a community hotspot
The half mile-long sea wall was constructed in 2012 at a cost of $34 million to help offset coastal erosion and protect the community from encroaching sea ice.
Kotzebue, Alaska, United States

Red foxes move into arctic fox territory on North Slope - with help from people
Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, United States

Inundation, sedimentation, and subsidence creates goose habitat along the Arctic coast of Alaska
Since 1976, the distribution of molting Black Brant ( Branta bernicla nigricans ) on the Arctic Coastal Plain has shifted from inland freshwater lakes to coastal marshes, such as those occupying the Smith River and Garry Creek estuaries.
North Slope, Alaska, United States
Environmental Research Letters
Ken D Tape and Paul L Flint and Brandt W Meixell and Benjamin V Gaglioti

Tar ball deposition on Goa's beaches affecting marine life, says NIO study
Tar ball deposition on Goa's beaches affecting marine life, says NIO study on Business Standard. To carry out study the NIO also collected samples from Baga, Candolim, Calungute and Mandrem beaches from North Goa and Velsao, Betalbatim, Colva and Benaulim from South Goa.
Goa, India
Press Trust of India

Lucrative crab industry in danger
For decades, the crab piled up in fishing boats like gold coins hauled from a rich and fertile sea. But the very ocean that nursed these creatures may prove to be this industry’s undoing.Scientists fear ocean acidification will drive the collapse of Alaska's iconic crab fishery.
Dutch Harbor, Alaska, United States
The Seattle Times

Archaeologists uncover pre-contact Inupiat village near Kiana, Alaska
The village is one of the biggest archaeological sites discovered in the Arctic. Local residents hope the research will tell them more about their ances
Kiana, Alaska, United States
Eye on the Arctic

Miami: How Rising Sea Levels Endanger South Florida
By century's end, rising sea levels will turn the nation's urban fantasyland into an American Atlantis. But long before the city is completely underwater, chaos will begin
Miami Beach, Florida, United States
Rolling Stone

Suspected Link Between Eastern Equine Encephalitis and Climate Change
Add the deadly eastern equine encephalitis virus to the list things we
might find more of in our climate-changed future.
Provincetown, Massachusetts, United States
ecoRI News

Pink salmon evolve to migrate earlier in warmer waters
Study finds genetic evidence of climate-change adaptation.
Nature News

Climate change in Arctic Alaska threatens fish stocks, drinking water
Threatening the Inupiat village of Selawik, Alaska, are sinkholes that have formed beside the river that provides the community its drinking water, as well as an important food source.
Selawik, Alaska, United States

Growth Rate of the California Sea Cucumber Parastichopus californicus: Measurement Accuracy and Relationships between Size and Weight Metrics
Management of the fishery for California sea cucumbers *Parastichopus californicus* in the Pacific Northwest is limited by a lack of natural growth rate estimates.These findings are an important addition to the knowledge of California sea cucumber biology and are valuable for the stock assessment, fisheries management, and aquaculture of this species.
Pacific Northwest, United States
North American Journal of Fisheries Management

A century later, the wild wolf returns
Kays, along with fellow curator Robert Feranec, developed a new kind of carbon isotope test on hair and bone that proved the Sacandaga Lake wolf lived on a diet in the wild, and had never been a pet or zoo specimen fed by humans. Seeing the animal was not a coyote, the hunter gave the wolf carcass to the state Department of Environmental Conservation, which called in federal wildlife officials, who confiscated it. The DEC issued a statement saying the study shows federal U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials need to reverse efforts to remove endangered species protections for wolves in the Northeast. Said Christopher Amato, assistant commissioner for natural resources, "We continue to believe that natural recovery of wolves in the Northeast is possible and urge the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to reconsider its recent proposals and to update its wolf recovery plan to reflect this new scientific information and support the natural recolonization by wolves." In July 2004, federal officials proposed removing the wolf from the endangered species in the east, due to growing wolf populations from recovery efforts in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.
Great Sacandaga Lake, New York, United States
Times Union

Big Arctic ozone 'hole' last winter may be linked to warming
Residents of northern Russia, Norway and Greenland were exposed to greater than usual ultraviolet radiation last winter when the Arctic stratosphere experienced its largest ozone hole on record, scientists reported in the journal Nature this week. According to Washington Post science writer Andrew Freedman, the news is surprising -- in part because it may for the first time indicate a link between ozone holes and global warming.

Massive ozone hole yawned over Arctic, but Alaska avoided damaging rays
A big chill in the Arctic stratosphere ripped open the biggest ozone hole in Arctic history last winter. But nice blanket of UV-blocking ozone kept Alaska covered up — this time.

From common to rare: The case of the Mediterranean common dolphin
Our results showed that local fisheries have negatively impacted the marine biodiversity of the ecosystem causing sharp declines of common dolphins and major fish stocks and weakening the robustness of the marine food web.
Nydri, Ionian Islands, Greece
Biological Conservation
Piroddi, Chiara, Giovanni Bearzi, Joan Gonzalvo and Villy Christensen

Shark aggregation in coastal waters of British Columbia
A concentration of pelagic sharks was observed in an area of western Queen Charlotte Sound, British Columbia, during systematic shipboard line-transect surveys conducted (2004 to 2006) for marine mammals throughout coastal waters of British Columbia. Surveys allowed only brief observations of sharks at the surface, providing limited opportunity to confirm species identity. Observers agreed, however, that salmon sharks *Lamna ditropis* (Lamnidae) were most common, followed by blue sharks *Prionace glauca* (Carcharhinidae). Both conventional and model-based distance sampling statistical methods produced large abundance estimates (similar to 20000 sharks of all species combined) concentrated within a hotspot encompassing similar to 10\% of the survey region. Neither statistical method accounted for submerged animals, thereby underestimating abundance. Sightings were made in summer, corresponding with southern movement of pregnant salmon sharks from Alaska. The previously undocumented high density of these pelagic sharks in this location has implications for understanding at-sea mortality of returning Pacific salmon *Oncorhynchus* spp. (Salmonidae) and for assessing conservation status of sharks in Canada and beyond. We recommend that a dedicated Canada-US sightings and biological sampling programme be considered, perhaps under the UN Transboundary Species Fishery programme.
Queen Charlotte, British Columbia, Canada
Mar Ecol Prog Ser 414:249-256
Williams R, Okey TA, Wallace SS, Gallucci VF (2010)

Shark aggregation in coastal waters of British Columbia
Moresby Trough, Queen Charlotte Sound, British Columbia
Marine Ecology Progress Series
Rob Williams, Thomas A. Okey, S. Scott Wallace, Vincent F. Gallucci

Ice Skating on Goodacre Lake - A Distant Memory
Ice skating on Goodacre Lake in Beacon Hill Park was a common winter pleasure in the past. Generations of Victorians glided under the Stone Bridge on natural ice and circled the islands in the moonlight.
Goodacre Lake, Beacon Hill Park, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Beacon Hill Park History

Invasive Parasite Spreading Among West Coast Estuaries
A parasitic isopod that scientists identified five years ago has all but decimated mud shrimp populations in coastal estuaries ranging from British Columbia to northern California - with the exception of a handful of locations in Oregon from Waldport to Tillamook.
Newport, Oregon, United States
Phys.Org

Voles in Alaska - small but mighty important
Alaska Wildlife News is an online magazine published by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game
ADF&G

Overfishing and the disappearance of short-beaked common dolphins from western Greece
Once one of the most common cetaceans in the Mediterranean Sea, the short-beaked common dolphin has declined throughout the region since the 1960s and in 2003 this population was classified as Endangered in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. Here, we document the species’ precipitous decline in eastern Ionian Sea coastal waters across 13 yr. While 150 animals were present in the study area (1050 km2) in 1996, only 15 were observed in 2007. A 12 mo assessment of fishing effort and catch, together with circumstantial evidence, suggests that the decline was caused largely by prey depletion resulting from overfishing. We analyzed the impacts of various fishing gear and estimated the degree of resource overlap between common dolphins and local fisheries. The total biomass removed annually by 308 fishing boats in the study area averaged 3571 t, while that consumed by common dolphins was 17 t. Resource overlap between common dolphins and fisheries—expressed as an average Pianka index of 0.5—differed according to fishing gear, being higher for purse seiners (0.7) and beach seiners (0.4) and lower for bottom trawlers (0.1), trammel boats (0.2) and longliners (0.0). Only about 10 active purse seiners (4% of the total active fishing fleet) were responsible for 33% of the biomass removal, and likely had the greatest impact on prey of common dolphins. This study indicates a high risk of local disappearance of common dolphins in the very near future, unless fishery management measures are implemented immediately. Purse seining should be the main management target.
Eastern Ionian Sea coastal waters, Greece
Endangered Species Research
Bearzi, G, S Agazzi, J Gonzalvo, M Costa, S Bonizzoni, E Politi, C Piroddi and RR Reeves

Climate change endangers Alaska's coastal villages
At risk from surging storm waves and floods, Alaska's coastal villagers are dealing with the immediate consequences of climate change -- threats to their health, safety and even their ancestors' graves.
U.S.

Humboldt squid on the move
July 23, 2007 – Over the last five years, large, predatory Humboldt squid have moved north from equatorial waters and invaded the sea off Central California, where they may be decimating populations of Pacific hake, an important commercial fish.
Monterey Submarine Canyon, California, United States
MBARI

Stressed Crops in Ukraine and Russia
Under the one-two punch of a dry fall and a frigid winter, winter crops in Ukraine were in poor condition in April and May 2006. This vegetation anomaly (difference from normal) image was created from data collected by MODIS. Widespread brown indicates that plants throughout the region had grown less compared to the average growth for 2000-2005. The Foreign Agricultural Service, a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, estimated that only 10 metric tons of winter wheat, the primary crop growing here, would be harvested in July and August. That figure was down about 46 percent from the 18.7 metric tons harvested in 2005.
Київ, Київська, Ukraine
NASA Earth Observatory

Veterinary Division - Reportable Diseases Report
All persons practicing veterinary medicine in North Carolina shall report these listed diseases and conditions to the State Veterinarian's office by telephone within two hours after the disease is reasonably suspected to exist.
North Carolina, United States
North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services news release

Simulating community effects of sea floor shading by plankton blooms over the West Florida Shelf
Phytoplankton blooms are increasingly conspicuous along the world's
coastlines, and the toxic effects of these blooms have become a major
concern. Nutrient enrichment often causes phytoplankton blooms, which
decrease water transparency, but little is known about the effects of
such light regime changes on whole communities of the continental shelf.
A series of simulations designed to evaluate the potential effects of
shading by phytoplankton blooms on community organization were conducted
using a balanced trophic model of the West Florida Shelf ecosystem and
the Ecopath with Ecosim modeling approach. Many functional groups in the
system were predicted to decline as benthic primary production was
inhibited through shading by phytoplankton, especially when associated
biogenic habitat was lost. Groups that obtain most of their energy from
planktonic pathways increased when shading impact and associated
structural habitat degradation were complemented by enhanced
phytoplankton production. Groups predicted to decline as the result of
shading by plankton blooms include seabirds, manatees, and a variety of
demersal and benthic fishes and invertebrates. Some counterintuitive
predictions of declines (mackerel, seabirds, and surface pelagics)
resulted because these groups are somewhat dependent on benthic primary
production. The overall effect of the simulated bloom-associated shading
of benthic primary producers resembled a trophic cascade where the
number of full cycles of biomass gains and losses was approximately
equal to the number of trophic levels in the system (4.7). (C) 2003
Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
The West Florida Shelf, USA
ECOLOGICAL MODELLING
Okey, TA., Vargo, GA., Mackinson, S., Vasconcellos, M., Mahmoudi, B and Meyer, CA

Will a Native-led initiative spur an agricultural revolution in rural Alaska?
A grassroots project to build biomass-heated greenhouses aims to alleviate food insecurity in the communities most affected by it.
Nenana, Alaska, United States
High Country News

Brittle Tops are Indicative of Pine Tree Health
Demonstration of how easy ponderosa pine tree tops can be broken due to the effects of climate change.
Spokane, Washington, United States

In October 1821, Franklin survived the NWT (just). In October 2021, should his name survive here?
Two hundred years ago, an English leader struggling to survive in the NWT was rescued by a Dene chief. Guess which one Yellowknife's main street is named after.
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada
Cabin Radio

Albatross divorce rates up with ocean warming
A team of researchers has found that black-browed albatrosses living on the Falkland Islands see rising divorce rates during times when the sea surface temperatures rise. They point out that hunger could lead to one or the other partner abandoning an egg or hatchling—events that could lead to one of the birds ditching the other.
Falkland Islands

Fire hastens permafrost collapse in Arctic Alaska, study finds
While climate change is the primary driver of permafrost degradation in Arctic Alaska, a new analysis of 70 years of data reveals that tundra fires are accelerating that decline, contributing disproportionately to a phenomenon known as "thermokarst," the abrupt collapse of ice-rich permafrost as a result of thawing.

Why Are Songbirds Across The U.S. Mysteriously Dying?
A mysterious illness that has been killing songbirds in mid-Atlantic states may have moved into North Carolina, according the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. The disease — which cause the eyes of birds to crust over — has been expanding its reach since being reported four months ago in Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Washington D.C.
Washington, D.C., Washington, D.C., United States

Tundra fire slows, but still aiming at Southwest Alaska villages
By Saturday, the East Fork fire had grown to just over 108,000 acres but triggered no mandatory evacuations.
St. Mary's, Alaska, United States

Bowhead whales that washed up in Nunavut in 2020 were likely killed by orcas
"We never know for sure how they died, but it does seem like a lot of the evidence points to killer whale predation," Steve Ferguson, a research scientist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, said Thursday.
Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada

Federal survey delivers more bad news to Bering Sea crab fleet
The king crab harvest survey could indicate a second bleak year for crabbers in Washington, Oregon and Alaska as warm water affects the number of adult crabs.
Bering Sea

400 plus Alaskans received financial assistance from FEMA, application deadline is Nov. 22
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has disbursed $3.3 million to help Western Alaskans rebuild after ex-typhoon Merbok struck the coast a month ago.

Canceled crab season could devastate Unalaska
This year, that industry came to a drastic halt. In October, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game closed both the the Bristol Bay Red King Crab and Bering Sea Snow Crab seasons. Kelty said he is expecting between the lost revenue from the past two years, intertwined with the suspended season, he is expecting both the crabbing industry along with sector businesses to lose close to a billion dollars.
Unalaska, Alaska, United States

Climate change – it’s about the people
Living conditions and economic development in the face of climate change are the challenges the Arctic Council needs to deal with. Resource development is important to the people.
Nuuk, Sermersooq, Greenland
Sermitsiaq.AG

Communities consider 'managed retreat' from climate change
Ricky Wright points to the bank of a creek to show one way his hometown has been affected by climate change. Many banks have eroded or collapsed, and now some favorite fishing spots that were once on solid ground are reachable only by boat.
Saint Helena Island, South Carolina, United States
AP NEWS

‘It’ll be a disaster’: Southeast Alaska fishermen fear looming closure of king salmon fishery
More than 100 salmon trollers packed a Sitka meeting Wednesday night with sharp questions about the future of an iconic Southeast Alaska fishery, facing what could be an unprecedented full shutdown of this year’s chinook trolling season. State officials are scrambling to open the fishery after it was effectively closed by a federal judge — but damage has already been done.

World Wildlife Fund listed as foreign agent
1,5 million Russians have supported the environmental organization that this weekend was included in the Ministry of Justice’s register of foreign agents.
Russia
The Independent Barents Observer

Air-dried stockfish of Northeast Arctic cod do not carry viable anisakid nematodes
A total of 80 stockfish fillets of Northeast Arctic cod (Gadus morhua), traditionally open-air-dried in northern Norway, was examined for the presence and viability of larval parasitic nematodes of the family Anisakidae. Anisakids (particularly those belonging to genera Anisakis and Pseudoterranova) are of public health and economic concern globally, since they are responsible for an underestimated fish-borne zoonotic disease called anisakidosis.
Svolvær, Nordland, Norway

In ‘brutal’ heat wave at U.S. Open, Daniil Medvedev warns that a player is ‘gonna die’
Medvedev used an inhaler during a second-set changeover Wednesday while being looked at by a doctor, who checked his breathing with a stethoscope.
New York City, New York, United States

Retreating sea ice in Arctic affecting zooplankton behaviour
As the climate warms and Arctic sea ice retreats and gets thinner, more light is getting through. “Since marine zooplankton respond to the available light, this is also changing their behaviour – especially how the tiny organisms rise and fall within the water column,” the AWI said in a news release on their website.
MOSAiC Expedition Route
The Independent Barents Observer

Anchorage sees its snowiest November in at least 70 years
A squall that dropped barely an inch of snow Friday morning added just enough accumulation to make this the snowiest November in Anchorage since recordkeeping began in 1953.
The National Weather Service measured 1.1 inches at the agency’s Sand Lake offices between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., according to meteorologist Kristine Chen. That puts the total snow accumulation at 39.1 inches, narrowly surpassing the 1994 total of 38.8 inches, she said.

Climate Change Brings Collapsing Stilts and Hungry Bears to Little Diomede Island
Climate change is causing infrastructure collapse and increased polar bear encounters on Little Diomede Island, Alaska, as melting permafrost undermines buildings and ice loss affects wildlife behavior.
Diomede, Alaska, United States
Voice of America

After almost 100 years, coyotes have returned to populate San Francisco
Coyotes’ recent occupation of one of the most densely human-populated cities in America may have started around 2003. That’s when a team led by Benjamin Sacks of the University of California, Davis extracted DNA from the blood of a male coyote captured in the Presidio and later returned there.
San Francisco, California, United States

Avalanches are a leading cause of death for Southeast Alaska's mountain goats
New research from the University of Alaska Southeast shows the scale of mountain goat mortality from avalanches for the first time.

The focus of bird flu was eliminated in Chukotka during exercises
The article reports on a successful emergency response drill in Chukotka, Russia, where a simulated bird flu outbreak was contained.
Anadyr, Chukotskiy Avtonomnyy Okrug, Russia

Study shows warm water sliding into Beaufort Sea
The Arctic Sounder - Serving the Northwest Arctic and the North Slope

Constant construction projects damage the urban forest infrastructure
City construction leaves trees weaker long after the construction project is over and the trees have less of a positive impact on the urban environment.
Montréal, Quebec, Canada

Invasive earthworms are remaking our forests, and climate scientists are worried
As earthworms silently devour leaf litter across the country, they are changing soils, restructuring ecosystems and depleting our forests' carbon stocks.

Red Foxes Replace Arctic Foxes on a Bering Sea Island: Consequences for Nesting Birds (U.S. National Park Service)
Alaska Park Science

Winter red king crab fishery in Alaska’s Bering Sea canceled
Low stocks have prompted the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG) to cancel the red king crab fishery in Alaska’s Bering Sea.
Unalaska, Alaska, United States
seafoodsource.com

'We need people to keep their head': Grocers, suppliers struggle to refill empty shelves in flooded B.C.
Authorities try to talk down a wave of panic buying in B.C. stores as washed-out roads and rail lines snarl supply chains
Rosedale, British Columbia, Canada
Financial Post

Signs of hope 10 years after Ontario's great bat die-off began
"White-nose syndrome" was found in Ontario and Quebec caves, mines and attics in the winter of 2009-2010. A decade after a devastating fungus first appeared in Ontario, wiping out up to 95 per cent of the province’s bats, scientists are beginning to see encouraging signs that bats may be on the rebound.
Renfrew, Ontario, Canada
ottawacitizen

Point Lay declares climate emergency
With homes dilapidating, shores eroding and staircases falling off the houses, Point Lay residents are living through some of the most severe consequences of the warming climate in Alaska.
Point Lay, Alaska, United States
The Arctic Sounder

Thawing permafrost is full of ice-forming particles that could get into atmosphere
As atmospheric scientists, we found in a recent study that thawing permafrost contains lots of microscopic ice-nucleating particles. These particles make it easier for water droplets to freeze; and if the ones in permafrost get airborne, they could affect Arctic clouds.
MSN

North Pacific right whales may be returning to northern parts of the Bering Sea
North Pacific right whales, once numbering in the tens of thousands, swam throughout the Bering Sea until they were nearly wiped out by commercial hunters. Now the Eastern North Pacific right whale population is estimated to total about 30 individuals, and its habitat is believed to be concentrated in the southeastern corner of the Bering Sea.
Bering Sea
ArcticToday

Alaska never saw large tundra fires like the East Fork Fire until climate change provided more fuel
The East Fork Fire in Western Alaska is the state's largest at the moment, estimated at more than 150,000 acres Thursday, and it's burning in a region where, just a couple decades ago, large fires would not have been expected.
St. Mary's, Alaska, United States

What is monkeypox, and what are Alaska health officials doing to prepare for its possible arrival?
In the absence of vaccines or treatments, the mortality rate for monkeypox is close to 10%. No cases have yet been identified in Alaska.

Fuel contamination the next concern in flood-ravaged Hay River, N.W.T. | CBC News
Janice Moore, who lives along the West Channel, is worried about fuel contamination after intense flooding in Hay River, N.W.T., left multiple fuel containers strewn about her property. "You can smell the diesel smell and fuel smell," she said.
Hay River, Northwest Territories, Canada

Sunflower sea stars need help after catastrophic population declines, scientists say
Experts say a wasting disease epidemic has decimated about 95% of the sunflower sea star population from Alaska’s Aleutian Islands to Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. Without sea stars to keep them in check, sea urchins are causing a troubling decline in kelp forests that provide food and shelter.
West Coast of North America
oregonlive

Norway BEV Sales: Over 80% Of New Cars Were All-Electric In May 2023
In May, 11,865 new passenger plug-in cars were registered in Norway (up 21% year-over-year), which is about 88.9% of the total volume.
Norway
InsideEVs

Standing room only at Akranes whaling meeting
A heated and packed meeting of the Akranes Trade Union took place in the town last night. The municipality has strongly protested the decision of the Minister of Food to suspend this year's whaling licence.

Fatal grizzly attack renews debate over how many bears are too many
The fatal grizzly attack in West Yellowstone has sparked a debate over the number of bears, with some arguing for delisting and state management to prevent future tragedies.
West Yellowstone, Montana, United States
NPR

First Nation warns of 'ecocide' as spring melt poses risk to tailings pond at Yukon mine site
The Little Salmon Carmacks First Nation is warning spring melt could cause the tailings dam at the abandoned Mount Nansen mine in central Yukon to overflow or breach, which would send a toxic slurry into the environment.
Mt. Nansen, Mine

CWD expert: Wolves and hunters can help minimize spread of deadly protein
Idaho’s most controversial predator could play a role in managing the spread of a deadly deer and elk disease, according to a leading research scientist.
Lewiston, Idaho, United States
Spokesman.com

Scientists point to climate change as likely cause for Alaska snow crab decline
“This is unprecedented in the United States for a mature, rationalized fishery to suffer a stock collapse, in part due to climate change,” the executive director of the Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers said.
Bering Sea

'Packed full of worms': Parasites wriggling in fish no cause for panic, experts say
Data cited by the B.C. Centre for Disease Control suggests 75 per cent of wild Pacific salmon are infected with the parasite. If fish is to be consumed uncooked, killing the parasites requires it to be frozen at -20 C for at least a week, Young said. Most commercial sushi-grade seafood suppliers freeze at -40 C.
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Orphaned By the Flu
Winton remembers when this flu came to Wales.Lots of people died from this flu. Both his parents died at that time. He was about eleven years old when this happened in Wales. His father was Deland Kikitaaq and his mother was Kate Autasiyak. Winton's sister, Lucy Nagozruk, a retired school teacher is now living in Nome. His brother, Dwight Tevuk died five years ago at Nome.
Wales, Alaska, United States
UConn

Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation's solar farm now generating electricity
There will be something noticeably different in Old Crow, Yukon in a few months. The hum of diesel engines will be gone, as the community's solar farm is now generating power. "The symbolism in shutting down those generators will be, we're becoming more sustainable and we're becoming more self-sufficient like our ancestors were," said Brandon Kyikavichik, the First Nation's heritage interpreter.
Old Crow, Yukon, Canada

'Sensitive clay' behind massive northern Quebec landslide
IThe Great Whale River landslide, which happened about eight kilometres upstream from the Cree and Inuit villages of Whapmagoostui and Kuujjuarapik, was too far south to be caused by melting permafrost, and too deep to be caused by variations in the climate, says a landslide expert.
Whapmagoostui, Quebec, Canada

Scientists researching strange appearance of Arctic salmon asking fishers to send in their catches
Scientists looking at salmon found in Arctic waters are still asking northern harvesters and fishers to submit any unusual catches in exchange for compensation. It's part of the Arctic Salmon Project, which is a collaborative effort involving Fisheries and Oceans Canada, scientists from the South and local hunters and trappers organizations.
Yahoo

Russian planes seed clouds as raging wildfires near Siberian power plant
Russian planes seeded clouds to bring down rain on huge wildfires raging in the Siberian region of Yakutia that in one place spread dangerously close to a hydroelectric power plant, authorities said on Monday.
Yakutsk, Sakha, Russia

Canada’s disappearing coastline
Projections show rising sea levels could cause Canada’s beaches to retreat inland, in extreme cases by as much as half a kilometre. The best option may be to stand back and let it happen.
Canada's Beaches
The Globe and Mail

'The aliens to watch': how the humble earthworm is altering the Arctic
After hitching a ride with humans, the species has colonised entire areas – and may be making the soil too fertile

Girdwood faces high costs to repair aftermath of record-breaking storm, official says
The temporary repairs would consume about 60% of the town’s annual budget for contract work on roads, a Girdwood official said.
Girdwood, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News look

Nunavut sees 5-year high for water advisories in 2021
Nunavut communities have seen a five-year high of water advisories in 2021, without counting Iqaluit’s ongoing water emergency. As of Friday, about a month before the year’s end, 14 water advisories had been issued in seven communities outside of the capital city this year, more than tripling the four advisories issued in 2017.
Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada

A new analysis finds melting at Russian Arctic glaciers is speeding up
Until recently, glaciers sprawling over three separate archipelagos in Russia’s High Arctic have remained more protected and intact than the faster-melting glaciers in subarctic Alaska and similar locations. But now, the melt of those Russian Arctic glaciers is speeding up too, according to a new study by German and Russian scientists.

What's it like to touch permafrost in Yakutia?
In Yakutia, just a few meters separate summer from winter. There are places here where you can always build a snowman or taste fresh snowflakes.
Yakutsk, Sakha, Russia
Russia Beyond

Bird flu concerns mean there will be no chickens, turkey, geese or ducks at the Alaska State Fair
Fair organizers say they’re concerned about the spread of bird flu.
Palmer, Alaska, United States

The Aleutian Islands could become a hub for zero-emissions shipping
ICCT researcher Elise Georgeff has been investigating hydrogen as a potential replacement fuel. First, her team calculated how many ships could cross the Pacific Ocean using the existing hydrogen technology. "About 43% could be powered by using hydrogen fuel cells," Georgeff said.Unalaska and Adak islands in the Aleutians are in perfect locations to become pit stops in a trans-Pacific green corridor. Most of the international ships crossing from west to east follow the same path, and those two communities are right in the middle: about halfway through one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.
Bristol Bay Times

Expanding renewable energy in rural Alaska | Alaska Insight
Climate change and global fuel shortages are combining to make energy prices unusually high in rural Alaska. Seeking relief from high energy prices and unreliable supplies are fueling transitioning to renewable energy. ANTHC is developing alternative energy projects in Ambler and has reknewable energy projects in more then 80 communities across the State.
Ambler, Alaska, United States

Hearty welcome to Alaska's mosquito-gobbling swallows
The swallow that makes the biggest dent in insect populations in these parts is the cliff swallow. These birds can nest in colonies of several thousand given the right conditions. The largest group of swallows I’m personally aware of is on the middle Porcupine River, where the cliffs of impressive Howling Dog Canyon host at least 4,000 swallows.

Alaska seeks more time to submit air-quality plan for particulate-plagued Fairbanks
The state’s environmental commissioner is pushing back on EPA’s position that the state should address power-plant emissions.

New rivers in the North? Scientists identify how the dissection of Arctic landscapes is changing with accelerating climate change
New research shows that amplified global warming in the Canadian High Arctic drove a profound shift in the structure of a river network carved into a permafrost landscape in only 60 years. Researchers combined air photographs from 1959 with field observations and state-of-the-art Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data they collected in 2019 to understand how the Axel Heiberg Island landscape has evolved over a 60-year period
Axel Heiberg Island

As the once-lucrative Bering Sea crab harvest resumes, Alaska fishermen face challenges
Alaska fishermen face challenges as the Bering Sea crab harvest resumes, with environmental and economic upheaval threatening the future of the industry. Scientists are questioning whether full recovery is possible in a warming world for these ailing crab populations that have supported some of the world’s most lucrative fisheries.

On the Trails: Avian flu ailments
Avian flu and avian pox are causing serious ailments and mortality in bird populations, with the viruses being transmitted through direct contact, ingestion, and inhalation, while pesticides and toxic run-off from mining activities also contribute to avian disability and mortality.
Juneau Empire

A new rush arrives on the Seward Peninsula: for graphite, not gold
The need to diversify America's sources of graphite for electric vehicle batteries is driving the exploration of graphite mining projects in the United States, but concerns about the potential environmental impact and disruption to Indigenous communities remain.

Researchers say Unangax knowledge can help solve the mystery of Unalaska’s ancient bear bones
Researchers from the University of Oklahoma are using Unangax knowledge and oral traditions to solve the mystery of ancient bear bones found on Unalaska and Amaknak Islands in Alaska, with the possibility that the bones were transported by sea from a neighboring island.

Nez Perce Tribe leads the way in protecting the community from wildfire smoke indoors
The Nez Perce Tribe in Idaho is leading efforts to protect vulnerable community members from wildfire smoke indoors by distributing free portable air purifiers and providing education on indoor air quality. A nearby paper mill is a local source of emissions. But now, wildfire smoke is the main pollutant the reservation faces, a near-constant each summer.
Boise, Idaho, United States
KSUT Public Radio

Iceland volcano: What happens if it erupts?
Residents of Grindavik have evacuated the town as the threat of a volcanic eruption looms over Iceland.
Grindavík, Southern Peninsula, Iceland
Al Jazeera

Microplastics found in stomachs of spotted seals
Researchers looked inside the stomachs of 34 spotted seals that were collected in Gambell and Shishmaref in 2012 and 2020. Of those, 33 contained microplastics.
The Nome Nugget

Men charged with killing 3,600 birds, including bald and golden eagles, to sell on black market
Two men in Montana have been indicted for killing approximately 3,600 birds, including protected bald and golden eagles, to sell their parts on the black market.
Missoula, Montana, United States

Executive order bars imports of Russian fish that is processed in other countries
An executive order issued by President Biden extends the ban on Russian seafood imports to include products processed in other countries, closing a loophole from previous sanctions.
Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia
Petersburg Pilot

Measuring up: How meteorologists gauge the snowfall as Anchorage nears a season record
Experts use measuring sticks and tanks in regular intervals to monitor snowfall as this season’s total approaches an all-time high.

Orcas aren’t attacking ships — they’re just playful teens, scientists say
Since 2020, members of a small group of killer whales have rammed into at least 673 vessels off the coasts of Portugal, Spain and Morocco — causing some to sink. The Spanish and Portuguese governments responded by tasking a group of experts with determining what was causing the whales to strike rudders, which are used to steer ships, and how to stop it.
Off the Coast of Portugal and Spain

Gusty winds caused 2023 crash that killed ‘Flying Wild Alaska’ pilot Jim Tweto and passenger, federal investigators say
The renowned bush pilot was making a trip he’d made many times when the Cessna 180 crashed near Shaktoolik in June 2023.
Shaktoolik, Alaska, United States

Comments by Toby Anungazuk, Wales, Alaska, on "The Big Sickness."
When I asked my father a question about the flu, you can feel him withdraw into himself, see him dose his eyes, become very quiet, even start saying some names and block out (showing any emotions) when someone that was close to him dies. l have seen this in almost all the Elders who's parents died during the flu.
Wales, Alaska, United States

Exceptionally cold April brings frost every day
Ben Rich looks back at a month in which an air frost has been seen somewhere in the UK every single morning. In fact, provisional data from the Met Office suggests it has been the frostiest April for at least 60 years - with the lowest average minimum temperatures since 1922.
Windermere, England, United Kingdom
BBC

Tuluksak Will Lose Only Source Of Running Water During Breakup
For the residents of Tuluksak, breakup means that they will once again be losing their source of running water.
Tuluksak, Alaska, United States
KYUK

In Fountain, Colorado, There’s Plenty Of Room For New Homes. But There Isn’t Enough Water
Colorado Springs' housing boom is expanding into nearby cities, like Fountain. But new homes require water — and there are currently fewer than 9,000 taps to Fountain’s water supply.
Fountain, Colorado, United States
Colorado Public Radio

Meet the nation’s only wild wood bison herd, which now roams Western Alaska
Once believed extinct, Alaska’s wood bison have survived their first winter, and new calves represent a huge milestone for the state’s experimental project.
Shageluk, Alaska, United States

Four Endangered North Pacific Right Whales Spotted in the Gulf of Alaska
Biologists were able to collect valuable data on these rare animals during a special whale survey in August.
Barnabas Trough
NOAA

Rabies Outbreak in Western Alaska
Alaska Wildlife News is an online magazine published by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game
Alaska Fish and Wildlife News

The Ingenious Ancient Technology Concealed in the Shallows
Fish traps have a long history around the world, and a vast network in a Vancouver Island estuary reveals generations of ecological wisdom.
Courtenay, British Columbia, Canada

Pink Salmon May Benefit as Pacific Arctic Warms
“Our results suggest that warming is both increasing freshwater habitat and improving early marine survival of pink salmon in the northern Bering Sea,” said Ed Farley, NOAA Fisheries biologist at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center, who led the study.
Eastern Chukchi Sea
NOAA

Get checked, Nunavut top doc tells Iqaluit residents complaining of skin issues amid water crisis
Nunavut's chief public health officer says Iqaluit residents complaining about skin irritations should get checked out by their doctors, but so far, Dr. Michael Patterson said he hasn't heard of any formal diagnoses.
Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada

The Big Thaw - Alaska becomes the nation's first frontier of climate disruption
Most of Alaska sits atop permafrost. But the ground is thawing, leading to unexpected and sometimes catastrophic outcomes — what scientists have called a “slow disaster.”
Selawik, Alaska, United States
Type Investigations

Russia Losing 1-3 Meters of Arctic Shoreline to Climate Change Annually
An amount of shoreline roughly the size of central Moscow now collapses into the sea every year.
Kolguyev Island
The Moscow Times

Fairbanks winter air pollution holds clues for safe living in northern cities worldwide
A major source of pollution comes from wood-burning stoves. Other sources are vehicle exhaust systems, power plant emissions and heating oil. The air pollution can permanently harm respiratory function and cause other health problems.

Declines in moose population a concern for Quebec Cree
An aerial survey of the moose population in Zone 17 and the southern part of Zone 22 carried out in 2021, shows a 35 per cent decline in moose populations, a moderate and concerning decline, says Cree Grand Chief Mandy Gull-Masty.
Waskaganish, Quebec, Canada

Parts of Northwest Alaska will be closed to nonlocal caribou and moose hunters the next 2 summers
“While many factors, such as weather, climate change and changes to the historical extent and timing of caribou migration may be contributing to lower harvests by federally qualified subsistence users, the board should act to help ensure that rural residents are able to meet their subsistence need, and to provide for a subsistence priority,” said Thomas Heinlein, acting Alaska director for the Bureau of Land Management, during the board meeting.
Kotzebue, Alaska, United States

Ocean animals face a mass extinction from climate change, study finds
Rising temperatures and dwindling oxygen levels are decimating marine species. But humanity can avert mass die-offs by curbing fossil fuel use and other planet-warming activities.
Oceans of the World

Electric vehicle rally will bring Teslas and Rivians to the North Slope in August
Ten electric cars including Teslas, Rivian pickup trucks and potentially Ford F-150 Lightings will drive more than 1,000 miles on the Dalton Highway from Fairbanks to the Arctic Ocean and back, to demonstrate electric vehicle technology in a remote, rugged, low-infrastructure environment.
Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, United States

‘Some days we eat grass’: families on the edge in Afghanistan’s food crisis – in pictures
Drought, economic collapse and soaring food prices have pushed millions into hunger. Cash aid from the Disasters Emergency Committee is helping families feed their children and send them back to school
Afghanistan

Ice climbers and mountain adventurers fear climate change creates new unpredictable risks
Extreme weather, floods, fires and landslides related to climate change are shifting the way Canadian adventure sports enthusiasts approach backcountry — as risks get harder to predict.
Canmore, Alberta, Canada

Planned whaling halted the day before hunting due to start
The Minister of Food has temporarily suspended planned whaling until August 31. A new report stated that of the 148 whales killed, 36 were shot more than once. Five were shot three times, and four whales on four separate occasions. One whale with a harpoon in its flesh was chased for five hours without success.

Alaska fire agencies offer wildfire-smoke reports online
Alaskans have shown interest in online smoke and air-quality advisories after a surge of lightning-caused fires across the Interior.

Trudeau convenes emergency crisis team as thousands prepare to flee wildfires in N.W.T.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is convening a high-level emergency meeting to discuss the wildfire situation in the Northwest Territories. "This is an example of how bad the forest fires have become now in our country where we're seeing unprecedented forest fires ... my thoughts are with the community."

Why a potentially deadly fungus from the American southwest is creeping closer to Canada
A fungus that lurks in desert soil makes thousands of Americans sick every year with a condition known as Valley Fever. Thanks to climate change, it’s spreading north.

What to know on the mystery dog respiratory illness: Signs, symptoms and more
The mysterious respiratory illness that may have sickened thousands of dogs across the country could be caused by a new type of bacterial infection, researchers say.
United States
NBC News

A nuclear-powered ship in Murmansk started to burn. Only few locals got to know about the serious incident
A fire broke out on the nuclear-powered container ship Sevmorput in Murmansk, but information about the incident was scarcely communicated to the public.
Murmansk, Murmansk, Russia

Microbes in Arctic Soils Are Primed to React to Climate Change
Arctic soil microbes in Svalbard are equipped with enzymes to degrade carbon compounds and can adapt to climate change, potentially affecting CO2 emissions feedback loops.
Svalbard and Jan Mayen
Energy.gov

Over 1,000 Anchorage building owners warned of snow collapse risk and danger to workers
The city told owners their buildings should not be occupied until snow is removed if they have a roof at risk of collapse.

Deer Steak, Beaver Tail, and a Fish to Finish it
To learn more about wolf diet Roffler and colleagues used a new technique called DNA metabarcoding. This technique identifies prey species by DNA found in scats.
Gustavus, Alaska, United States

Anchorage Assembly seeks 2-year extension on Eklutna Lake fish and wildlife plan process
The Anchorage Assembly is seeking a two-year extension on the Eklutna Lake fish and wildlife plan, expressing concerns over the current proposal's impact on local ecosystems and property taxes.
Eklutna Lake, Alaska

Finnish pond hockey on thin ice as climate crisis looms
A changing climate threatens the pastime of outdoor ice hockey around the world and in Finland.
Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland
News

Sturgeon fish to be reintroduced to Swedish waters
Similar projects have proven successful in Germany and other Baltic countries. ”And finally it's Sweden's turn” says project manager Linnéa Jägrud..
Göteborg, Västra Götaland, Sweden

Monitoring Service for Multi-Year Permafrost to be Established in Chukotka
Chukotka lawmakers have unanimously approved a law protecting permafrost landscapes and establishing a government service to monitor permafrost changes.
Anadyr, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia
prochukotku.ru

Arctic research consortium closing down after Trump administration cuts funding
The Arctic Research Consortium of the United States, established in 1988 and credited with helping scientists and Alaska communities, is closing this month.

Trees keep our cities running. Urban construction is threatening their survival
Trees purify the air and generate economic benefits, but unbridled development in cities is increasingly changing growing environments
Québec, Quebec, Canada
The Narwhal

Underwater farming offers sustainable industry for coastal communities
The definition of farming has expanded over time from soil-only planting and harvesting to include farmers that harvest from the sea. Along the coast, kelp f...
Ketchikan, Alaska, United States

LED lights offer potential solution to chronic bycatch problem in Alaska fisheries
The lights require no plugs or batteries, automatically turn on underwater only when needed, and do not weaken or weigh down nets.

How did earthworms reach Alaska traveling 30 feet a year?
Most of the 17 species of worms in Alaska seem to be exotic types that have recently settled the last Frontier with the help of humans, who gave them a lift.

Canadian Ice Service tracking icebergs in western Arctic for 1st time
Drifting icebergs can conflict with navigation routes and cause hazards for coastal communities and ships. Climate change is creating more ice shelf break-off than ever and scientists are keeping track of drifting patterns as a result.

70,000 pink salmon caught in Norwegian rivers
“Dramatic”, says researcher Henrik H. Berntsen. The Norwegian Environment Agency has launched a major offensive to get rid of the invasive species. But, despite more fishing, there appear to be ever more humpback salmon arriving in Norwegian rivers. Currently, around 70,000 pink salmon have been caught in Norwegian watercourses this year.
SalmonBusiness

Sea ice, storms and coastal erosion in Nelson Lagoon - Science Q&A with Reyce Bogardus
UAF graduate student Reyce Bogardus talks about sea ice, storms and coastal erosion at Nelson Lagoon, which is on the southernmost edge of the historical max...
Nelson Lagoon, Alaska, United States

Arctic Cold Case: Thousands of mysterious animal deaths finally solved
Forty-two reindeer were found foraging among the skeletal remains of a herd on St. Matthew’s Island, a remote patch of Alaskan land in the Bering Sea. What makes it most puzzling is that only three years earlier, the same herd numbered 6,000 animals.
St. Matthew Island, Alaska, United States
Eye on the Arctic

Melting sea ice forces polar bears to travel farther for food
In recent years, polar bears in the Beaufort Sea have had to travel far outside of their traditional arctic hunting grounds which has contributed to an almost 30% decrease in their population.
Beaufort Sea
Phys.Org

Thawing permafrost could expose Arctic populations to cancer-causing radon
According to a new study, thawing of permafrost due to climate change could expose the Arctic population to much greater concentrations of the invisible, lung cancer-causing gas Radon.

Climate change could enable Alaska to grow more of its own food
Gardeners in Alaska know that it’s hard to grow big, juicy tomatoes here. But as the climate rapidly warms in the far North, that could change. Anchorage reached 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) for the first time on record in 2019.

'Bat boxes' could help revive Canada's depleting bat population
White-nose syndrome has wiped out millions of bats in North America, pushing researchers to look at alternative roosts like bat boxes. But the U.S. bat box designs may not suit Canadian bats.
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
The Conversation

New insights on avian influenza spillover and global spread
When it comes to avian influenza, more commonly known as bird flu, all birds are not created equal.
Newfoundland
News-Medical.net

Here’s why downpour in Florida just wouldn’t stop
In some ways, it was the Florida Man of storms – not quite knowing when to say when. Usually, thunderstorms fizzle out after they run out of rain or get cold air sucked in. But not Wednesday, when …
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States
DC News Now | Washington, DC

Snow creates vole problem
A small, furry rodent — the vole — is showing up throughout Utah as this year’s record amount of snow melts. Orchards, residential lawns, pastures, and golf course lawns are feeling the brunt of the vole’s activity. Voles are the world’s most prolific mammals.
Moab, Utah, United States
The Times-Independent - The Times-Independent

The day 'dog vomit' slime mold invaded my front yard
About a week ago, we noticed an intruder in our front yard -- a vivid yellow, blob-like substance that appeared to be invisibly oozing across our garden mulch like the beginnings of a horror film.
Merrifield, Virginia, United States
PBS NewsHour

Fifth child of Grubby captured in Homer’s opossum odyssey
A wildlife biologist says the search isn’t over. Opossum litters are usually eight or nine joeys — and can be as many as 13.
Homer, Alaska, United States

Invasive species threatening Swedish ecosystem say agencies
The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and Agency for Marine and Water Management want to create a national list of invasive species, and have presented ...
Sweden

Can hurricanes reach the Arctic?
Hurricanes form in the tropics, feeding on very warm ocean waters. As they track northward, they may transform to an extratropical storm with an added punch, sometimes reaching southern Greenland, Alaska, and even Arctic latitudes of the North Atlantic.
The Arctic
National Snow and Ice Data Center

New artificial intelligence-assisted technology is planned to track permafrost in Alaska, beyond
Tracking changes in permafrost can take years and sometimes decades, lags that cannot keep up with the transformations in the rapidly warming Arctic.

By road and by air, Yellowknifers head home after 3-week evacuation
A three-week evacuation odyssey ended for many Yellowknifers Wednesday, as people began to return home. The barricades outside of the city opened at 11 a.m., and cars began streaming in.

Bering Sea crabbers fear another bleak season as populations dwindle in Alaska’s warming waters
Researchers say warmer waters themselves aren’t killing crabs, but they may be allowing predators to move in and disease to spread more easily.

Kenai Peninsula borough declares flooding emergency
Kenai River flooding began last week when glacier-dammed lakes burst and caused water levels to rapidly rise. Water levels were already high due to recent rainfall.
Sterling, Alaska, United States

Can sunflower sea stars keep sea urchins from overfeeding on declining kelp forests?
Researchers at Oregon State University are studying the relationship between sunflower sea stars and sea urchins to determine if the reintroduction of the sea stars can help protect declining kelp forests from overgrazing by sea urchins.
Sitka, Alaska, United States

Antarctic winter sea ice hits 'extreme' record low
Researchers warn the shift can have dire consequences for animals, like penguins, who breed and rear their young on the sea ice while also hastening global warming by reducing how much sunlight is reflected by white ice back into space.
Two Hummock Island

Another Bering Sea snow crab season closure brings more financial hardships for fishermen
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced it was closing the 2023-24 Bering Sea snow crab season for the second season in a row.
Alaska News Source

Dial it up to Category 6? As warming stokes storms, some want a bigger hurricane category
A handful of super powerful tropical cyclones in the last decade has a couple of experts proposing a new category of whopper hurricanes: Category 6.
Rebalse (Rancho Cervantes), Colima, Mexico
AP News

Climate change is making it harder to survey pollock in the Gulf of Alaska
Between 2017 and 2019, pollock surveys in the Gulf of Alaska produced wildly different estimates. A new study shows what climate-driven mismatch in pollock surveys for sustainable fisheries management.
Gulf of Alaska
KTOO

Volcano Watch: Remembering 1992, seeing the ash plume up close
A retired volcanologist recounts his firsthand experience of the 1992 Mount Spurr eruption, describing the dramatic flight over a rising ash plume and the unforgettable moments above the volcano. His narrative highlights both the beauty and inherent risks of volcanic activity.
KTUU

Climate change is a health care emergency
As health care providers, we fully and completely recognize the immediacy and urgency of the moment. We must heed the words and wise counsel of Sir David Attenborough, “The impacts of climate change will be upon us for thousands of years ... The future of humanity and, indeed, all life on Earth, now depends on us.”

Latest research from Woods Hole finds HABs growing locally in Northern waters
Scientists have documented an increase in abundance of harmful algal blooms in the Northern Bering and Chukchi Seas.
Northern Bering and Chukchi Seas

Norway wind turbines should be torn down, reindeer herders say
Norway should dismantle two large wind farms that were stripped of their licenses for jeopardizing traditional reindeer husbandry, herders from the Indigenous Sámi community said on Friday. Reindeer herders say the sight and sound of giant wind turbines frighten their animals and thus disrupt age-old traditions.
Åfjord, Trøndelag, Norway
Arctic Today

Utah Debates Solutions to Water Shortage
Growing population and limited water has Utah lawmakers and conservation groups discussing how to replenish the state's water sources. A new state grant program will help farmers convert idle land in an effort to mitigate the environmental and economic effects of drought on the state.
Salt Lake City, Utah, United States

Premature Mortality Observations among Alaska’s Pacific Salmon During Record Heat and Drought in 2019
Widespread mortality of Pacific salmon Oncorhynchus spp. returning to spawn in Alaska coincided with record-breaking air temperatures and prolonged drought in summer 2019.
Western Alaska, United States
Fisheries Magazine

ConocoPhillips Alaska says gas release source is controlled
The release was first detected last month at one of the company’s North Slope drill sites. A report from the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, dated Friday, listed the cause of the release as under evaluation and said that future plans included a continuation of “source remediation operations.”
Alpine Field

Interior Alaska electric cooperative moves to shutter troubled coal plant and pursue construction of large wind farm
Golden Valley Electric Association voted this week to develop a plan to close one of its two coal plants in Healy.
Healy, Alaska, United States

Loss of Arctic summer sea ice 'inevitable' within 30 years, report says
Climate change is rapidly melting away the world’s frozen regions, with summertime Arctic sea ice sure to vanish by 2050, according to a report published on Monday. In just this year, rains fell on East Antarctica in March, as air temperatures were unusually warm. During the summer, the Alps lost 5

Our climate journey through Norway
In Norway, way up by the Arctic circle, global warming is already affecting people and nature. Here's how.
NRK

White House officials working directly with Alaskans on the issues around climate change.
The White House’s newly-released National Strategy for the Arctic Region reflects a growing interest by the federal government in the ways climate change is affecting Alaska. And the challenges that brings for security and economic wellbeing for arctic residents. We take a look at a recent visit by White House officials to the state, and what this new interest in the Arctic means for Alaskans.
Quinhagak, Alaska, United States

Florida’s Majestic Manatees Are Starving to Death
Deprived of once plentiful seagrass, more than 900 have died this year. Some experts contend they were taken off the endangered species list prematurely.
Orlando, Florida, United States
Inside Climate News

As rising temperatures affect Alaskan rivers, effects ripple through Indigenous communities
Ketchikan, Alaska news. Southeast Alaska news, Alaska news, national and world news.
Sitnews

A Guide to Keeping Your Dog Safe in the Arizona Heat
Dog owners in the sunniest state need to know the correct measures to take to keep pets safe during the summer.
Phoenix, Arizona, United States
The Copper Courier -

New dashboard warns Sitkans of landslide risk
A landslide warning system developed in Sitka is now available to the public as an online dashboard, and work is underway to export the project to other communities in Southeast Alaska.
Sitka, Alaska, United States

Drones, AI, goats: The new playbook to curb wildfires
Officials there are scrutinizing the limits of traditional firefighting tactics. In Europe, the fastest-warming continent due to climate change, firefighters are exploring new ways to battle monster blazes. Emergency and disaster management crews are deploying drones that can detect fires earlier and are even reviving traditional practices such as using sheep and goats to graze the grass.
Greece

Second snow crab season canceled as researchers pinpoint cause of decline
The second snow crab season has been canceled due to a decline in population caused by marine heat waves, which are becoming more common and severe due to climate change.
Bering Sea, Alaska

First Nations harness power of AI to monitor wild salmon stocks in B.C.
First Nations in British Columbia are using AI technology to accurately count and differentiate species of wild salmon in order to inform harvesting practices and aid in conservation efforts.
Skeena River, British Columbia

Salmon runs in Alaska’s Kuskokwim River show some positive signs, but totals remain low
Salmon runs in Alaska's Kuskokwim River show some improvement compared to last year, but overall numbers remain low, with chum and coho salmon still below long-term averages, while Chinook salmon meet escapement goals through precautionary management and sacrifices by subsistence users.
Kuskokwim, Alaska, United States

Communities must adapt as climate change transforms Alaska, federal report says
A federal report highlights the need for communities in Alaska to adapt to the impacts of climate change, which threaten jobs, revenue, and food security, particularly for rural Alaska Native communities, but also emphasizes the actions being taken by Alaskans and the importance of collaboration and funding for successful adaptation.
KTOO

Frozen plans: building of far northern coal mine is halted by sanctions and Arctic ice
Sanctions and a lack of ice-class carriers have stalled Severnaya Zvezda's plans to export coal from the Taymyr Peninsula via the Northern Sea Route.
Taymyr Peninsula, Russia

In the vicinity of the village of Provideniya in Chukotka, they are looking for a brown bear
Authorities are searching for a brown bear near the village of Provideniya in Chukotka, Russia. The bear has been sighted near the village, prompting concerns for the safety of the local residents.
Provideniya, Chukotskiy Avtonomnyy Okrug, Russia

Redpolls, feisty songbirds of the Alaska winter, are flocking to feeders this season
Unusually high numbers of the chunky little finches in Southcentral are prompting surprising questions from bird lovers.

Finnish fisherwoman turns to driving taxi due to climate change
Due to anticipated continued increased temperatures, Finland's inland fishing problems are likely to continue.
Kajaani, Kainuu, Finland

‘No home to go to’: Hundreds of evacuees need shelter as catastrophic Western Alaska storm empties inundated villages
Troopers said that they have suspended the active search for two men missing from Kwigillingok, one of the hardest-hit communities. The men are related to the storm’s lone confirmed fatality, a 67-year-old woman found Monday.
Kipnuk, Alaska, United States

Great Salt Lake is shrinking fast. Scientists demand action before it becomes a toxic dustbin
Great Salt Lake is also known as America's Dead Sea -- owing to a likeness to its much smaller Middle Eastern counterpart -- but scientists worry the moniker could soon take new meaning.
Salt Lake City, Utah, United States

Emergency cooling centres open as heat wave blankets Ottawa
A heat warning has been issued for Ottawa and the surrounding region.
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Bristol Bay records its largest sockeye run on record
Bristol Bay’s 2021 sockeye run is the largest on record: 63.2 million fish have returned to the bay, breaking the 2018 record of 62.9 million.
Dillingham, Alaska, United States

First phase of Cape Blossom Road construction set to start this fall
For more than a decade, the city of Kotzebue has been planning to establish a deep-water port facility out at Cape Blossom, about 11 miles south of Kotzebue. A new road to the port would allow goods to be delivered to town, without the lightering fee.
Cape Blossom
KNBA

Rabies Outbreak in Western Alaska
Arctic fox rabies is enzootic in populations of arctic and red fox populations along Alaska’s northern and western coasts. This means rabies is always present in these populations at some low level but periodically there can be outbreaks called epizootics (an outbreak in animal disease rather than an epidemic as is it is called when occurring in a human population). However, the winter of 2020-2021 ushered in a widespread outbreak with persistent and large focus in and around Nome.
Alaska Fish and Wildlife News

Why is Canada building a pipeline through a province on fire?
Drivers on the Coquihalla could feel the heat in their cars as they rushed to clear the highway before the July Mountain fire overtook it. Somewhere in the ashes is the route for the Trans Mountain pipeline, a project that would fuel the climate change that’s making these fires worse.
Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada
Wilderness Committee

Protecting Alaska's Harvest
Seldovia, Alaska, United States
Karen Pinchin

Signed Contract Worth Billions for Operating Hydrogen Ferries between Bodø and Lofoten: “World Class Climate Project”
The Norwegian Public Roads Administration and Torghatten Nord have signed an agreement on Norway’s first full-scale hydrogen ferry which allows for CO2 emission cuts equaling 13,000 diesel-fueled cars per year.
Bodø, Nordland, Norway
High North News

Wolverines, lynx and moose: Fish and Game screens wildlife for COVID
Biologists are collecting samples from moose and mustelids — that’s wolverines, minks and martens. There are plans to test caribou and Sitka black tail deer, as well as seals and belugas.

N.W.T. and Yukon partner with tick monitoring app
A tick tracking app that recently became available to residents in the N.W.T. and Yukom allows residents to report tick sightings. It also helps people identify what type of tick they've found.

6 invasive plants in the Yukon and what you can do about them
There are more than 20 invasive plant species in the Yukon that spread, change the makeup of the soil and generally prevent native plant species from thriving in their natural environment. here's what you can do about six of the most common ones.

More shrubs means way more moose in western Alaska
Biologists want to know why there are so many moose. It may have a lot to do with shrubs — moose feast on their leaves during the spring and summer. These short woody plants are spreading west, aided by climate change, and moose populations are expanding along with them.
Bethel, Alaska, United States

In 'momentous' act, regulators approve demolition of four Klamath River dams
Federal regulators have approved a plan to demolish four Klamath River dams, a historic act that is intended to save imperiled salmon. “The Klamath salmon are coming home,” Yurok Tribe Chairman Joseph James said in a statement. “The people have earned this victory and with it, we carry on our sacred duty to the fish that have sustained our people since the beginning of time.”
Klamath, California, United States
Los Angeles Times

Canada's Hudson Bay polar bear population plummets as climate change warms the Arctic
Canada’s Western Hudson Bay polar bear population has fallen 27 percent in just five years, according to a government report released last week, suggesting climate change is impacting the animals.
Churchill, Manitoba, Canada

Clam Gulch and Ninilchik beaches closed to clamming for the 9th year in a row
The clam population crashed on the east side of Cook Inlet about a decade ago and has been slow to bounce back.
Clam Gulch, Alaska, United States

Alaska firefighters experiment with targeting blazes to save carbon
A pilot program in Alaska lets firefighters tackle fires deep in the wilderness that burn carbon and speed climate change and don’t just threaten homes and lives.

Still waiting on Merbok aid, Shaktoolik braces for fall storms
Shaktoolik, a village in Alaska, is still waiting for aid from FEMA to rebuild a protective berm that was destroyed by a typhoon, leaving the community vulnerable to storms and erosion.
Shaktoolik, Alaska, United States

Scientists say wild berries are in decline in Yukon and they don't know why
Berry pickers have long reported that the number of wild berries has been diminishing, and a 26-year study is now confirming the unexplained decline.

New work season opens for Denali Park Road bridge
The $100 million Pretty Rocks Bridge will cross the site of a landslide that has closed the road at Mile 45 since 2021.
Denali Park

The lessons for British Columbia in Alaska’s epic Bristol Bay sockeye run
Bristol Bay’s prolific salmon runs are also made possible because of the effective and transparent management of the Alaskan salmon fishery, according to both Hill and Schindler. Decisions are made in real time, on the ground — or, to be precise, overlooking the water — compared to the much more cumbersome and bureaucratic Canadian system.
Bristol Bay

Health officials to study mosquitoes in the Sea to Sky region after cluster of illness
Late last year, four people in the Sea to Sky corridor developed encephalitis after being infected with California Serogroup viruses (Snowshoe Hare and Jamestown Canyon viruses). Vancouver Coastal Health is launching a mosquito surveillance pilot in the Sea to Sky corridor after four locally acquired encephalitis cases linked to California Serogroup viruses.
Sea to Sky corridor, British Columbia, Canada
Vancouver Sun

Haines disaster considered 200-500 year storm event
An assessment by geotechnical experts will need to be completed in order to know the stability of the slide and understand continuing risk.
Haines, Alaska, United States

Kivalina on the Coast: how an Arctic community is responding to climate change
The rapid pace of climate change is affecting the Arctic at a more accelerated pace than anywhere else in the world.
Kivalina, Alaska, United States

Evacuation alerts in areas of Tagish, Marsh Lake, and Lewes River Road
An evacuation alert has been issued by Yukon Emergency Measures Organization for areas of Tagish, Marsh Lake and Lewes River Road. This alert is due to high water and flooding in the areas. Water levels have exceeded what they were in the 2007 flood.
Marsh Lake, Yukon, Canada

Updated Juneau maps add buildings to avalanche risk areas
The Associated Press

Winemakers getting bitter taste of climate change
As grape harvest time nears across Greece, winemakers are worried about the impact on output from a succession of extreme weather events.
Greece
eKathimerini.com

Earthworm species may be native to Interior Alaska
A Fairbanks high school student has discovered five species of earthworms in Interior Alaska, including one possibly native to North America.
UAF news and information

Gulf of Finland's low blue-green algae levels this summer 'gives us hope'
The scientist noted that the amount of phosphorus, which is essential for cyanobacterial growth, in the Gulf has dropped by around 60 percent compared to their worst, peak levels.
Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland

Flooding in Finland is getting worse, new climate report says
Pori and Rovaniemi are among the areas to be worst affected in the coming decades, the Finnish Climate Change Panel warned in a new report.
Finland

Alaska’s most prominent permafrost cliff is one of a kind
Called yedomas in Russia, the mounds of land are much more populous there.
Itkillik River

Chronic wasting disease ravaging deer population near South Saskatchewan River
CWD was first recorded in Saskatchewan in 1996 on a game farm, but has since moved into the wild deer, elk and moose populations, with wildfire-like infection rates in some areas. Up to 70 per cent of male deer are infected with the fatal disease, says a wildlife health specialist.
South Saskatchewan River

Scientists of "Beringia" came close to explaining the mystery of "smelly" whales in Chukotka
The specific "medical" smell of whale meat may be caused by liver disease or the animals' diet. Chukchi Sea hunters began noticing the pungent, unpleasant smell in some whales about 20 years ago. Recently, the number of stinky whales has increased. Scientists with Beringia National Park analyzed the isotopic composition in 46 samples of gray whales. “Stinky” whales had significantly lower levels of heavy nitrogen. Scientists still must understand whether this is a result of liver disease or a diet based on algae. Scientists hope to study more high-quality samples of “stinky” whales.
Chukotka

Alaska wildlife officials on the lookout for new, deadlier bird flu
This strain does not seem to pose a serious risk to people but there's concern for backyard flocks and the wild birds that are a food source for many Alaskans.

Prevalence of serum antibodies to Coxiella burnetii in Alaska Native Persons from the Pribilof Islands
Q fever is a febrile illness caused by infection with the bacterium Coxiella burnetii. It is most often transmitted by inhalation of the bacteria after it is shed by infected livestock. The antibody prevalence in NFS samples from 2009 and 2011 (69%) was significantly higher than in 1994 (49%). The antibody prevalence of SSL samples from 2007 to 2011 was 59%. All NFS vaginal swabs were negative for C. burnetii, despite an 80% antibody prevalence in the matched sera. The significant increase in antibody prevalence in NFS from 1994 to 2011 suggests that the pathogen may be increasingly common or that there is marked temporal variation within the vulnerable NFS population.
Saint Paul, Alaska, United States
PubMed Central (PMC)

Gray whale numbers along North America's west coast down nearly 40 percent since 2016
The number of gray whales migrating along the Pacific Coast of North America has steadily declined by nearly 40 percent from a 2016 peak, and the population produced its fewest calves on record this year, according to U.S. research released on Friday.
Los Angeles, California, United States

AFN delegates push for measures to decrease salmon bycatch
Two resolutions brought before the Alaska Federation of Natives during this year’s annual convention called for efforts to reduce salmon bycatch for fish that return to the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers.
Eagle, Alaska, United States
KDLG

Warmer, wetter, stormier climate brings typhoons, fires and more rain to the Arctic Indigenous people, report finds
The Arctic Sounder - Serving the Northwest Arctic and the North Slope

The bottom of the Bering and Chukchi seas could become too warm for some important species
There is danger lurking on the floor of the Bering and Chukchi seas for mussels, snails, clams, worms and other cold-water invertebrates, according to a new study led by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientists.

As beavers gain foothold in Arctic Alaska, some see benefits in how they reshape the landscape
Beavers, on the other hand, leave a mark on the landscape that you can sometimes see from space.Swarming ponds, building dams and expanding waterways, beavers are moving farther and farther into the Arctic, and are changing what the region looks like.
Ambler, Alaska, United States

New estimate for Cook Inlet belugas shows ‘glimmer of hope’ for endangered population
The number of endangered beluga whales in Alaska’s Cook Inlet increased slightly the past four years, according to a new estimate by federal biologists.

Even frozen Antarctica is being walloped by climate extremes, scientists find
A new study concludes that Antarctica is already being and will continue to be affected by more frequent and severe extreme weather events, a known byproduct of human-caused climate change.
McMurdo Station, , Antarctica
AP News

‘The worst year ever’: Lost Lake runners endure nearly 16 miles of rain, mud
Around 600 competitors faced what the race director called the wettest edition of the race in its 32 years. The impact on competitors, a grueling race. The impact on the trails - mud, erosion and more mud.
Seward, Alaska, United States

Fish and Game: Tapeworm 'common' in Alaskan salmon
While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported larva of Japanese broad tapeworm has been detected in wild pink salmon from Alaska, the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game says the discovery is nothing new.

Bering Sea crab surveys show populations still low a year after marquee Alaska harvests closed
A year after the closure of the Bering Sea crab harvests in Alaska, surveys show that crab populations are still low, raising doubts about future harvest prospects and suggesting that continued closures may be necessary.
Southeast Bering Sea, Alaska

Worsening warming is hurting people in all regions, US climate assessment shows
The National Climate Assessment was released Tuesday with details that bring climate change’s impacts down to a local level.
Washington, D.C., Washington, D.C., United States
AP News

The Science of landslide risk
"Talk of Alaska discusses the science behind landslide risk and early warning systems in the wake of Wrangell's third deadly landslide since 2015."
Wrangell, Alaska, United States

‘Snakeworm’ mystery in Alaska yields species new to science
The snakeworm gnat larvae move in columns, possibly to frighten predators and to keep their fragile bodies moist when crossing dry ground.

In Hawaii, coral is the foundation of life. What happened to it after the Lahaina wildfire?
A deadly wildfire burned more than 2,000 buildings in the Hawaiian town of Lahaina on Maui in August and left behind piles of toxic debris.
Lahaina, Hawaii, United States

Anchorage sets new record for getting an inch of snow this late in the season
Yes, the city's official measuring station has recorded later snowfalls — but none that come in at an inch or more.

Reindeer Have to Eat Up to Survive the Winter
Arctic biologists use 25 years of data to find that warmer autumns might be enough to increase the odds of reindeer’s winter survival on Svalbard.
Eos

Beach Road residents must reckon with long-term risk of living under Mount Riley
As geoscientists learn more about the Beach Road slide and the geology of Mount Riley, area residents aren't expecting to reach their homes until
Haines, Alaska, United States
Chilkat Valley News

European Green Crab: Will they be the next aquatic invasive species in Alaska?
As ocean temperatures trend warmer than average, green crab larvae dispersed in ocean currents from more southern latitudes will find more suitable habitat along the Alaska coast. Recently, adult green crabs have been detected in Skidegate Inlet on Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, and larval crabs have been found in Prince Rupert, both less than 100 miles south of Ketchikan.
Alaska Department of Fish and Game

Western Canada heat wave accelerates rate of glacier melt, experts say
Because the heat coincided with the summer solstice, when the northern hemisphere gets “maximum energy” from the sun, "it was really kind of a one-two punch.”
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
vancouversun

An Anchorage man spent more than a decade planning and building a micro-hydropower project in his backyard. Now, it can power more than 300 homes.
“This sort of became my purpose in life, to make something for my children and for humanity going forward,” said Dave Brailey, the mastermind behind the Juniper Creek Hydroelectric Project.
Eagle River, Alaska, United States

Climate change threatening Indigenous ways of life
Cecelia Brooks remembers a time when the deep forest of New Brunswick was so cold, snow could still be found in its depths in August. That rarely happens anymore. Brooks, who lives on St. Mary's First Nation in Fredericton, is one of many Indigenous people in the Wabanaki region who say climate change is threatening traditional plants and medicines. Those changes, Brooks says, could alter their way of life.
Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada

Observed Evidence of Changing Forests:Testimonial for the Status of Tribes and Climate Change Report
The Institute of Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) Tribes and Climate Change Program is publishing a report called the Status of Tribes and Climate C...
Spokane, Washington, United States

Steller’s Sea Cow and Their Not So Stellar Demise
This study examines another mechanism of human impact on large species. If humans hunted a keystone species to a certain tipping point or extinction, they may have indirectly triggered a collapse of a complex ecosystem, leading to a chain reaction resulting in the extinction of other species. Since it is difficult to study ecosystems that existed thousands of years ago, the authors researched a more recent megafauna extinction event of the Steller’s sea cow in the mid-1700s, for which a few in person observations from Georg Steller exist.
Commander Islands
Oceanbites

Colorado ptarmigan populations holding steady
Populations of southern white-tailed ptarmigan, an iconic yet well-camouflaged and easily overlooked bird of Colorado’s alpine regions, appear to be holding steady. But long-term concerns about its future remain in a warming world with growing numbers of people recreating in the state’s fragile alpine ecosystems.
Colorado, United States
Vail Daily

Alaska governor sends more salmon to Yukon River communities
Gov. Mike Dunleavy lauded the partnerships with Alaska businesses and “tremendous team effort to get salmon into the hands of our fellow Alaskans in need."

Trans Mountain Pipeline
Trans Mountain pipeline expansion would effectively triple existing capacity, and in turn increase oil tanker traffic in B.C. coastal waters.
Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

Alaska U.S. senators propose task force to gain better understanding of salmon declines
Alaska tribes and groups representing Bering Strait communities has filed an emergency petition with the U.S. secretary of commerce to eliminate chinook salmon bycatch and cap chum catch. The task force of up to 19 people would conduct a comprehensive review of salmon management in Alaska.

Mercury levels in Stellar sea lion pups are rising. Researchers look to the past to find out why
A new research project is building a timeline of mercury levels in the Aleutian Islands over the last few thousand years.

Food shipments arrive in Clyde River after reports of bare shelves
Several shipments of food made it into Clyde River, Nunavut, this week after delays due to weather. It's just the latest in a series of problems in the community that's been battered by weather since late January.
Clyde River, Nunavut, Canada

Scientists present theories for deer decline at Prince of Wales Island deer summit
For years, populations of Sitka black-tail deer have slumped, leaving residents without a staple source of protein. A three-day summit held in Craig last month prompted lengthy discussions about the problem. When loggers cut down a section of old growth Sitka spruce, hemlock and cedar in the Tongass National Forest, there’s no need to replant — trees grow back on their own. It’s what scientists call an “even-aged forest.” When trees all start growing at the same time, they create a dense canopy that prevents light from reaching the ferns and berry bushes that black-tail deer love to snack on. And because the trees grow close together, they end up long and spindly — not the massive, thick, tight-grained trunks that make old growth lumber so highly valued.
Craig, Alaska, United States

Starving seabirds on Alaska coast show climate change peril
The seabirds are struggling because of climate-linked ecosystem shifts — which can affect the supply and the timing of available food — as well as a harmful algal bloom and a viral outbreak in the region, she said. And their peril jeopardizes the human communities, as well: "Birds are essential to our region — they are nutritionally and economically essential," said Sheffield.

Worms can be the cause of the appearance of stench in the meat of whales in Chukotka
Marine hunters of eastern Chukotka often encounter "stinky" whales whose meat is unsuitable for food. The situation has become a problem for local residents. Researchers from Moscow State University and the Beringia National Park believe they have found the causes of an unpleasant odor in animals.
Lavrentiya, Chukotskiy Avtonomnyy Okrug, Russia
goarctic.ru

On the Yukon, Alaska and Canada are bound together by salmon – and their collapse
A 20-year-old treaty keeps Alaska and Canada working together, even through the devastating king and chum salmon collapse.
Yukon River

Yellowknife wildfire flares up in areas but is still being 'held,' officials say
As of Tuesday, the fire which prompted the evacuation of the city two weeks ago was still 15 kilometres west of Yellowknife. Fire officials declared the fire as "being held" on Monday. According to N.W.T. Fire information officer, it's still unsafe to bring back the bulk of the residents to Yellowknife.

New wind turbine installed on Kluane Lake expected to cut diesel use by nearly 50%
The Kluane First Nation in Yukon is leaning into alternative energy. The nation has a new wind turbine towering over Kluane Lake with biofuel and solar energy projects also in the works. The wind turbine is expected to generate power for the residents of Burwash Landing by spring.
Burwash Landing, Yukon, Canada

FEMA is making sweeping changes, but they’ve come too late for Typhoon Merbok survivors
Homes, fish camps, and destroyed subsistence gear that haven’t already been repaired or replaced still won’t qualify for individual assistance under new policies that take effect in March 2024.
Chevak, Alaska, United States
KYUK

Snowzilla returns to Airport Heights after 10-year hiatus
The behemoth snowman that stole Anchorage’s heart years ago is back — as big as always, and looking friendlier than ever.

The tropical disease that everywhere - Dengue Fever
Dengue is erupting in South America — and has even found its way to the US.
São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

Alaskapox no more: Newly discovered disease and virus renamed ‘borealpox’
The disease and virus likely exist well beyond the state’s borders, making the new name more scientifically accurate, officials say.

As lower Kuskokwim River breaks up, Bethel sees highest river gauge level in almost 20 years
Amid the highest water levels seen since 2005, the city urges residents to be prepared for things to get worse.

Microbes fueled by wind-blown mineral dust melt the Greenland ice sheet
Scientists have identified a key nutrient source used by algae living on melting ice surfaces linked to rising sea levels. They discovered that phosphorus containing minerals may be driving ever-larger algal blooms on the Greenland Ice Sheet.
EurekAlert!

Ultra-rare whale washed up off Florida is a new species, scientists say
The animal was until now called a Gulf of Mexico Bryde’s whale. The species is considered the region’s only baleen whale, known for comb-like plates in their mouths that strain food in lieu of teeth.The new name designation awaits recognition from a committee, in a process similar to peer review. Scientists have suggested calling the animal the Rice’s whale, after Dale Rice, a biologist who first recognized them in the gulf.
Tampa Bay Times

Donated salmon gets shipped to the communities on the Yukon
Three charters flew to distribute 10,921 pounds of donated king salmon to Bush and rural Alaska communities.

Lake Superior Summer: Blue-green algal blooms come to a lake once believed immune
As the deepest and most northern of the Great Lakes, Superior was once thought immune to algal blooms, which is why it was such a shock when the first report of blue-green algae came in 2012.
Lake Superior
Great Lakes Now

‘The economy of the Lower Yukon is gone’
Second of three parts: As salmon stocks have crashed on the Yukon River, so has a key source of income in fish-dependent communities.
Emmonak, Alaska, United States

Climate change worries Finland's young reindeer herders
Ida Wessman, 28, bought her family's herd of reindeer after her father passed away five years ago. "It's been going pretty well. With this industry you've got high points and low points," Wessman said, alluding to severe 2019-2020 weather that killed 15,000 of the animals.
Northern Finland

How might the world meet its clean energy needs
Sixteen miles (26km) off the windswept coast of northern Scotland, the future of renewable energy is taking shape. Rotating rhythmically in the breeze, the five colossal turbines of the Hywind Scotland wind farm look much like any other off-shore wind project, bar one major difference – they're floating.
BBC

As the number of electric vehicles grows in Alaska, a charging station corridor is in the works
By summer, the heart of Alaska’s road system will feature a string of fast-charging stations between Fairbanks and the Kenai Peninsula.

Flood risk higher due to rising freezing levels and rain melting snowpack
Weather systems that carry warm air inland, bringing not just rain, but also pushing up freezing levels, causing rapid snowpack melting. The atmospheric river hitting B.C.'s central coast will also pose a risk in the Interior.
Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada
Castanet

More shrubs means way more moose in western Alaska
Fall moose hunts are beginning across Alaska. In western parts of the state, biologists hope that hunting pressure will help protect the health of booming populations. They also want to know why there are so many moose in the first place. It may have a lot to do with shrubs — particularly scrubby willows shooting up at the edges of open tundra. Moose feast on their leaves during the spring and summer. These short woody plants are spreading west, aided by climate change, and moose populations are expanding along with them.

Video probes methane emissions from Siberian sinkholes
Are the newly found sinkholes really new or are they just newly discovered? And how much of a concern at this point?
Yamal Peninsula, Russia
Yale Climate Connections

The great goose die-off
Scientists determine geese died due to exhaustion and salt-poisoning. More birds end up dying because of the long flights they undertake, in extreme conditions.
Cambridge Bay
NUNAVUT NEWS

Arctic Lakes Are Disappearing Fast, and Scientists Are Just Figuring Out Why
Recently, however, scientists have observed not just shrinking lakes but lakes that have completely gone away. A paper published this year in Nature Climate Change, based on satellite imagery, found widespread lake loss across the Arctic over the past 20 years.
Arctic Alaska
Scientific American

Threatened listing proposed for sunflower sea star after population devastated by wasting disease
It causes legs to fall off and, ultimately, results in disintegration of the animals’ bodies. Climate change may be behind that disease, as the arrival of Pacific marine heat waves coincided with the disease outbreak, according to federal biologists.The sea star, with a range from Baja California to the Aleutians, would be the first sea star with an Endangered Species Act listing.
Gulf of Alaska

Residents speak against reducing caribou harvest limits
Residents and Fish and Game present ideas and opinions around Northwest Caribou population and hunting regulations and restrictions. .

Citizen observers help scientists predict breakup flooding
As Alaska faces an increased risk of spring breakup flooding this year, scientists are asking residents to share photos documenting major rivers’ progress from ice to water to help them predict with more accuracy where flooding might occur.
Tanana, Alaska, United States

UN nuclear agency chief to visit Fukushima plant to see final preparations for release of wastewater
The chief of the U.N. nuclear agency will visit Japan next week to meet with officials and see final preparations for the release of treated radioactive wastewater from the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean.
Fukushima, Fukushima, Japan

TOTE Maritime Alaska is now powering its ships with natural gas, cutting carbon and other pollutants
The company says it's the first in the world to convert a full fleet to run on the most environmentally friendly fuel available.
Tacoma, Washington, United States

Arctic climate science ‘broken’ as US, Europe isolate Russia
Arctic climate science has been severely disrupted by the war in Ukraine, as US and European countries isolate Russia, leading to suspended funding, limited communication, and a fractured Arctic Council, hindering efforts to mitigate global warming and understand its dynamics.
Moscow, Moscow, Russia

As effort to restore Eklutna River inches toward decision, disagreements remain over how far plan should go
Disagreements persist over the extent of the restoration plan for the Eklutna River in Alaska, with utilities arguing that a replacement dam would be costly and increase electric rates, while proponents of the plan believe it would benefit the public interest by boosting local fishing and tourism and improving the ecosystem.
Eklutna, Alaska, United States

As Russia’s Permafrost Thaws, Ancient Pathogens Risk Re-Awakening
Ancient pathogens that have been preserved in northern Russia’s permafrost for millennia could reawaken as global temperatures rise, scientists warn, potentially putting humanity at risk of never-before-seen diseases.
Khatanga, Krasnoyarskiy, Russia
The Moscow Times

There's a crisis in the Yukon River
When Jody Potts-Joseph was growing up, her family mushed sled dogs during the harsh Alaskan winters to hunt and trap, feeding them salmon caught from the Yukon River by the thousands. But after rebuilding her sled dog team as an adult, Potts-Joseph, a member of the Han Gwich'in tribe, had to turn to store-bought dog food. The river that was once renowned for its salmon doesn't have enough to offer anymore.
Eagle, Alaska, United States
Yahoo News

Are birch trees dropping more bio-bits on Anchorage this year?
Garden writer Jeff Lowenfels asks whether there is more matter falling from birch trees late this summer than in previous years,

Climate-fuelled wildfires testing the limits of Canada's aging water bombers
A summer of devastating wildfires that burned huge swaths of the N.W.T. and forced countless communities across the country to evacuate has some experts questioning whether Canada is equipped for hotter, more intense fire seasons.

The proof is in the paw print: how researchers are monitoring polar bear populations
Researchers have developed a non-invasive method to monitor polar bear and lynx populations by extracting environmental DNA from their paw prints in the snow, offering a safer and potentially more informative alternative to traditional tracking methods.
BioTechniques

In Newtok, decades of erosion have finally caught up to the school
Newtok's school faces demolition due to severe riverbank erosion, as the community grapples with climate-induced relocation challenges.
Newtok, Alaska, United States
KYUK

‘Rock flour’: The unassuming material that could soak up carbon emissions
Researchers want to use the ultrafine rock particles left by eroding glaciers to suck climate-warming carbon from the air.
Nuuk, Sermersooq, Greenland

Weak winds in the Pacific drove record-breaking 2019 summertime marine heat wave
Weakened wind patterns likely spurred the wave of extreme ocean heat that swept the North Pacific last summer, according to new research led by the University of Colorado Boulder and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego. The marine heat wave, named the "Blob 2.0" after 2013's "Blob"; likely damaged marine ecosystems and hurt coastal fisheries. Waters off the U.S. West Coast were a record-breaking 4.5 degrees F (2.5 degrees C) above normal, the authors found.

Several drownings reported during Northwest heat wave
Several people have drowned or been reported missing after swimming in Pacific Northwest bodies of water during the record-breaking heat wave in the past few days.
Bellingham, Washington, United States
Bellingham Herald

'The bottom has just dropped out': As insect populations plummet, scientists wonder why
Back at his Spokane home, McCrea looked around. No bugs on the lights there either. No frogs in the pond. Only one bumblebee was buzzing against a porch light – and at an odd hour, around 10 p.m. that night.
Spokane, Washington, United States
Spokesman.com

Africa's most populous city is battling floods and rising seas. It may soon be unlivable, experts warn
Cars and houses submerged in water, commuters wading through buses knee-high in floods, and homeowners counting the cost of destroyed properties.
Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria

Vast wildfires in Russia's Yakutia have already set an emissions record
MOSCOW — Summer wildfires have already produced a record amount of carbon emissions in Russia’s Siberian region of Yakutia, with still more weeks of the fire season to come, according to the European Union’s Copernicus satellite monitoring unit. Environmentalists fear the fires, fuelled by hot weather, may thaw Siberian permafrost and peatlands, releasing even more
Yakutsk, Sakha, Russia

One Health Zoonotic Disease Prioritization for Multisectoral Engagement in Alaska

Alaska Gov. Dunleavy wants to transplant deer into the Mat-Su for hunters. State biologists say the project is likely to fail.
A proposal to relocate Sitka black-tailed deer into areas crisscrossed with roads, farms and established wildlife populations may ultimately cause more problems than it’s worth, says an internal report from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
Wasilla, Alaska, United States

2021 'amazing' record low year for fires in Yellowknife
Heading into the end of 2021, Yellowknife’s deputy fire chief is celebrating a record low number, three, of structure fires in the city this year.

Russia’s Arctic coast loses 7,000 hectares annually due to climate changes
A new study conducted at the Moscow State University confirms that the Arctic permafrost along the country’s northern coastline is thawing at terrifying speeds.
Dikson, Krasnoyarskiy, Russia

As Bering Sea ice melts, Alaskans, scientists and Seattle’s fishing fleet witness changes ‘on a massive scale’
Researchers now are uncertain when and to what extent the ice may return, and have scrambled to better understand the consequences of back-to-back years of its loss.
Savoonga, Alaska, United States

Research project aims to spread reflective beads on Arctic ice to slow climate warming
Communities and conservation groups have raised concerns about the project. Researchers said they won’t move forward with field testing until it’s deemed safe.
Nuiqsut, Alaska, United States

New wave of Kenai Peninsula fishery closures takes effect
State officials said that king salmon runs are not showing signs of improvement and that conservative measures are needed to ensure future fishing opportunities.
Kenai, Alaska, United States
Peninsula Clarion

Combined threats keep Alaska’s Cook Inlet beluga numbers perilously low, scientists say
The endangered population continues to slip and calf numbers are few, but no single factor has been identified as the cause.
Cook Inlet

A Homer scientist is bringing changes in Arctic permafrost into high-resolution
After growing up in Sweden, Anna Liljedahl moved to Alaska to study hydrology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. She now lives in Homer, where she conducts research as an associate scientist at the Woodwell Climate Research Center, focusing on how climate change is impacting water in Arctic ecosystems.
KDLL Public Radio for the Central Kenai Peninsula

In Metlakatla, people from across Southeast learn how to watch for invasive green crabs
The destructive, invasive green crabs showed up in Metlakatla last summer. Stumpf explained a few key tells for a crab that doesn’t belong. “They have the five spines on either side of the eyes and then the three bumps in the middle,” he said. “So we’ve been teaching people with guides how to identify the crabs.”
Metlakatla, Alaska, United States

2 major tribal groups' departure from AFN raises questions about its future
Two regional tribal organizations, the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska and the Tanana Chiefs Conference, have each cited different reasons for parting company with AFN.

Prevalence of deadly chronic wasting disease in some Alberta deer hits 23%
An incurable disease found in deer, elk, and moose is spreading across Alberta, according to new provincial surveillance results — and certain populations have reached a 23 per cent positivity rate.
Alberta, Canada

Alaska’s weird fire season ain’t over yet
Waking to the smell of a wet ashtray (which, as a Child of the Seventies, I can still remember), I knew the wind had shifted. Wildfire smoke hung in the neighborhood.

Fagersta resident on swine fever outbreak: ”Hold on and hope for the best”
The small Swedish town of Fagersta, Västmanland County, has been at the epicentre of the recent outbreak of African swine fever.All activities in an area of forest around 1000 square kilometers in the counties of Västmanland and Dalarna have been off limits since Friday following the discovery of dead wild boar.
Fagersta, Västmanland, Sweden

Red tide killing thousands of fish along the Texas Gulf Coast
According to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), the presence of red tide on the upper coast was first confirmed at a red tide monitoring station near Freeport about 3 weeks ago.
FOX 26 Houston

California sea lions are dying—now scientists know why
Twenty-two sea lions have been found dead on beaches in California, with many more found sick.
Bodega Bay, California, United States
Newsweek

Prey driven away by wildfire, YKDFN Chief says wolves are turning to Yellowknife for food
Fred Sangris said there isn't a big population of wolves in the area of Yellowknife, Ndilǫ and Dettah — but sightings are happening more often because they're hungry and venturing near communities in search of food.

Low water in Yellowknife Bay not increasing arsenic risk says official, researcher
An official with the Giant Mine remediation project and a local researcher aren't worried the low water in Yellowknife Bay is exposing people to more arsenic in areas along the shore line.

Tick-borne encephalitis vaccine scheme expands
Cases of TBE have fallen slightly, but in Kustavi on the west coast, the number has been growing steadily.
Finland

Russia is to lose its permafrost, minister of natural resources warns
Northern territories ‘will become arable farmland in 20-to-30 years', and will have to adapt - fast. ‘Every such region understands what's coming to it in 20, 30 years. It’ll stop being northern (climate-wise), or it will suddenly turn into a clearly agricultural’, Alexander Kozlov said in an interview to Russian business news outlet RBC.

Increasing Insect Reactions in Alaska: Is this Related to Changing Climate?
During the summer of 2006, Fairbanks Alaska experienced its first two known cases of fatal anaphylaxis as a result of Hymenoptera stings, presumably from yellowjackets. Statistically significant increases in patients seeking medical care for insect bite and sting related events are observed throughout the state, with 5 of the 6 regions experiencing at least a 6 degree Fahrenheit increase in winter temperature since 1950.
Nature Precedings

Invasive species bill introduced to Alaska legislature
In June 2010, researchers discovered Didemnum vexillum — also known as “rock vomit” — in Whiting Harbor near Sitka. This species, which can cover large areas of the seafloor, is an aggressive invader and a potential threat to shellfish farms, groundfish fisheries, fish spawning and other resources. The council is also concerned about the European green crab which can potentially travel in the ballast water of oil tankers and be released into Prince William Sound.
Prince William Sound

Global Warming Threatens Sweden’s Reindeer Herds
Unusual weather patterns in Sweden’s arctic region seem to be jeopardising the migrating animals’ traditional grazing grounds, as rainfall during the winter has led to thick layers of snowy ice that block access to food.
Kiruna, Norrbotten, Sweden
Courthouse News

Booming turkey vulture populations could be another sign climate
For the past five years or so, former state Sen. Randall Hardy has watched a few dozen turkey vultures roost in a tree next to his garage. He can tell when the migratory birds return to his central Salina neighborhood each spring as the colors begin to change.
Hays, Kansas, United States
kake.com

Bad weather hampers military efforts to purify Iqaluit river water
Task Force Iqaluit is making plans to move its water purification operation indoors, after a winter storm knocked down the tent housing its purifying system. Meanwhile, city staff are being redeployed due to the crisis, leading to some cuts to recreation services.

Scientists have found out what kind of garbage threatens the marine animals of Kamchatka
Employees of the Kronotsky Reserve have published the results of a large-scale summer expedition to collect and classify garbage on the coast of the South Kamchatka Federal Reserve. The main pollutants that threaten the lives of marine and coastal animals are identified.
Петропавловск-Камчатский, Kamchatka Krai, Russia
mnr.gov.ru

Surface trawl survey reveals shifting fish populations
Researchers are predicting low fish runs in the Norton Sound and Northern Bering Sea region again next year, according to research biologist Jim Murphy.
Northern Bering Sea

Scientists study accelerating land subsidence affecting coastal North Slope communities
CLIMATE CHANGECLIMATE CHANGECLIMATE CHANGEAnchorage Daily News When a
Point Lay, Alaska, United States

What happens when the ice disappears?
Lake Superior is warming faster than any of the Great Lakes, with impacts on ice fishing, wildlife and Indigenous ways of life
Lake Superior / *Gitchigumi*

Into the ice: Snow crab decline hits Bering Sea island community of St. Paul
This season’s quotas of snow crab catch were slashed by nearly 90%, a body blow to the small island government on St. Paul, where the crab are processed — and taxed.

Coxiella burnetii in northern fur seals and Steller sea lions of Alaska
Coxiella burnetii, a zoonotic bacterium, has recently been identified in several marine mammal species on the Pacific Coast of North America, but little is known about the epidemiology, transmission, and pathogenesis in these species.
PubMed

Study links lack of running water to prevalence of ear infections among rural Alaska children
A Bering Strait study, part of a program examining ear infections and hearing loss, links lack of running water to childhood ear diseases.
Alaska Beacon

Can the Alaska blackfish really survive being frozen?
The Alaska blackfish is an evolutionary loner that fins through lakes and tundra ponds across much of the state. It exists nowhere else, except just across Bering Strait in Siberia. The fish is different from others in the state because in addition to gathering oxygen through its gills, it can pull oxygen from free air.
Hughes, Alaska, United States

Insights on climate realities concludes Arctic Encounter Symposium
The Arctic Encounter Symposium (AES) held its 2023 event, bringing together policymakers, industry leaders, military leaders and other experts to discuss the leading issues in Arctic policy, innovation and development. The event allowed attendees to hear from several Alaska Natives about their experiences in a rapidly changing climate and ecosystem.

Most of Anchorage safe from tsunami, but new report notes threat from worst-case scenario
The risk of a tsunami hitting Anchorage – Alaska’s largest city, at the head of Cook Inlet – has been the subject of debate for years.

Homeowners face rising insurance rates as climate change makes wildfires, storms more common
A growing number of Americans are finding it difficult to afford insurance on their homes, a problem only expected to worsen because insurers and lawmakers have underestimated the impact of climate change, a new report says. “If you’re not worried, you’re not paying attention,” said California Sen. Bill Dodd, whose district includes the wine-country counties devastated by the LNU Complex fires in 2020.
United States

Northern Bering Sea saw some indicators of health rebound in 2023
The Northern Bering Sea showed signs of ecological recovery in 2023, with improved conditions for zooplankton and fish despite ongoing challenges from climate change and variable sea ice patterns.

Russia Threatens to Withdraw From the Arctic Council
"We need to keep all political options open, including a withdrawal from the Arctic Council," says Russia's Arctic Ambassador, Nikolay Korchunov.
Moscow, Russia
High North News

Caribou declines causing angst for Alaska hunters are part of wider North America trend
There are signs that climate change is depressing caribou herds across the north, and looming development could be an obstacle to recovery.
Alaska Beacon

State officials extend studded-tire removal deadline by 15 days
Most of Southcentral Alaska has seen near record-setting snowfall this winter. The state of Alaska extended its annual deadline for residents to swap out their studded winter tires by 15 days due to what they called “prolonged winter weather.”

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