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

Duck die-off likely caused by fungal infection
The cause of death is almost certainly acute Aspergillosis, a respiratory tract infection caused by a fungus commonly found in soil, dead leaves, moldy grain, compost piles, or in other decaying vegetation. Wildlife managers say the die-off seems to have stopped, likely due to the fungus source no longer being available.
Salmon, Idaho, United States
ktvb.com

Generation of B.C. salmon likely wiped out by landslide
Homalco First Nation to push for special hatchery permits
Southgate River, British Columbia
Campbell River Mirror
Quinn Bender, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Spring phenomenon in November: There goes the ice for the third time this fall
The warmest November in over 100 years has had unusual consequences in Finnmark. The video shows the third breakup this autumn.
Tana, Norway
NRK

In Southeast, this year's salmon harvest fell by more than half
Southeast’s total salmon harvest was 19 million fewer fish than last year. There was a drop in harvest for every species except chinook, which increased by a few thousand fish.
Wrangell, Alaska, United States
KTOO

Dead giant octopuses washed ashore south from Kamchtka peninsula on the Kuril Islands
A mass die off of fish and invertebrates has been reported in the Sea of Okhotsk, west of Kamchatka. Dozens of surfers reported symptoms including including poor eyesight, fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, skin rashes and head and throat aches.
Severo-Kuril’sk, Sakhalin, Russia
Siberian Times

Why so glum, chum? Scientists perplexed by this year's low chum salmon numbers in Yukon River
This year the Eagle station's fall chum estimate is 23,828 fish. This is far below the escapement goal of 70,000 to 104,000 fish.
Eagle, Alaska, United States
CBC

Salmonids in North Fork of Chester Creek
The number of salmon returning to Chester Creek has improved since 2008. This year, spawning salmon are lingering in the creek later than usual.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Eco disaster at Kamchatka peninsula with mass death of sea animals at precious Pacific beach
Khalaktyrsky Beach near Petropavlovsk is littered with hundreds of dead sea animals, from deep-sea Giant Pacific octopuses, to seals, sea urchins, stars, crabs and fish. Surfers were the first to raise alarm after problems with eyesight, fevers and throat aches.
Khalaktyrsky Beach
Siberian Times

Rare King-of-the-salmon fish found on Vancouver Island
A rare deep-sea fish was discovered on Vancouver Island this month. A pair of friends, Natalie Mueller and Andie Lafrentz, were walking along Whiffin Spit in Sooke on Sept. 19 when they spotted what they first thought was a “large piece of scrap metal.”
Sooke, British Columbia, Canada
CTV News - Vancouver Island

Rare fish washes ashore at Whiffen Spit
It was a king-of-the-salmon (Trachipterus altivelis), a deep-sea-dwelling species of ribbonfish. Its common name comes from the legends of the Makah people west of Strait of Juan de Fuca, which believe this “king” leads the salmon to their spawning grounds each year.
Sooke, British Columbia, Canada
Times Colonist

Salmon and smiles: 30,000 pounds of fish distributed in Whitehorse
The Yukon First Nations Education Directorate gave away 30,000 pounds of free fish as part of its nutritional program in Whitehorse this week. People were particularly happy to receive the donation because salmon are well below the historical average this year.
Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
CBC

Mushers react to scary closure of chum fishery
A lack of chum salmon is causing pain in riverside communities of Yukon and Alaska, as mushers are left without a traditional source of food.
Old Crow, Yukon, Canada
CBC

Chilkat sockeye, coho, chum runs appear low compared to past years
So far, the department has counted just under 37,000 fish at the Chilkat weir, well below the 10-year average of 80,000 fish. Zeiser said at this point in the season, it’s doubtful the run will hit the escapement range of 70,000 to 150,000 fish.
Haines, Alaska, United States
Chilkat Valley News

Yukon River fall chum run the worst on record
About 189,000 fall chum had entered the Yukon River as of Sept. 7. At least 300,000 fish must enter the river before either Alaska or Yukon fishers can begin harvesting.
Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
Yukon News

Pink salmon catches in Nunavik are raising red flags for biologists
After learning about catches of pink salmon near Salluit, Quebec wildlife officials are urging any fishers who net the newcomers to report their catch. Two pink salmon were netted in Nunavik during the summer of 2019 in the Ungava Bay region, one near Kangirsuk.
Kangirsuk, Quebec, Canada
ArcticToday

Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) with Dead or Dying Eggs
Dead or dying eggs in a female coho salmon are a possible symptom of environmental stress felt by the fish. In Western Alaska, water levels have been low following a rapid spring snowmelt and low precipitation.
Quinhagak, Alaska, United States
Jayde Ferguson, Erica Lujan, Richard L Thoman Jr, Ted Meyers

Waterfowl Disappearance and Other Lake Ecosystem Changes
Residents note significant changes in the Christiansen Lake ecosystem since 2019. This includes fewer nesting birds, fish, and mammals around the lake, while the leech population has increased along with the occurrence of algal blooms.
Talkeetna, Alaska, United States

Uncommon Slimy Sculpin (Cottus cognatus) Catch
Slimy sculpins (*Cottus cognatus*) are small, nocturnal, bottom-dwelling fish that lack a swim bladder to help them stay bouyant in the water. Their size and habitat allow them to easily avoid fishing gear designed for salmon.
North Fork Andreafski River

Low Water and Few Fish
Early snowmelt and low precipitation have led to low river water levels on the southern Seward Peninsula. Low water levels may be a contributing factor in observations of poor fishing, and poor fish health, along the western coast of Alaska.
Elim, Alaska, United States

Low Water Makes Fishing Difficult
Early snowmelt and low rainfall contributed to low river levels near Nome, affecting the ability of residents to reach usual fishing spots.
Nome, Alaska, United States

Surprise flood kills salmon in West Iceland
A jökulhlaup flood struck West Iceland’s Hvítá river in the early hours of Tuesday morning when water from a lagoon by the Langjökull glacier suddenly broke a new path and flowed in a different direction. Thick glacial mud now coats the river banks, and much of Borgarfjörður fjord.
RÚV

Yukon Salmon Sub-Committee recommends halt on fishing for Chinook
The Yukon Salmon Sub-Committee is recommending the complete cessation of fishing for Chinook salmon this year on the Yukon River.
Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
Yukon News

Miami-Dade fireboats hit the water to help with major fish kill in South Florida waters
Another day of dead marine life surfacing in Biscayne Bay as the swath of suffocated fish appears to be spreading.
Miami, Florida, United States
WPLG

Three great white sharks venture 'very tight' to Nova Scotia shores
Three great white sharks broke the border rules big-time on Friday. The sharks were tracking very tight to shore near South Shore communities.
Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada
The Telegram

U.S. officials allow killing of sea lions eating at-risk salmon and steelhead in Columbia River watershed
The sea lions have posed a long-running conundrum for wildlife officials, pitting mammals protected under federal law against protected — and valuable — fish runs.
Portland, Oregon, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Salmon rivers closed in face of high temperatures, low water
Salmon rivers like the Exploits River were closed to anglers around the province by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans earlier this week because of low water levels.
Botwood, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
The Telegram

Chum runs on Kuskokwim River are late and low
Usually Aug. 7 is the midpoint of the coho run, but this year it was not until Aug. 8 that numbers at the Bethel test fishery increased, and then only modestly.
Bethel, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

The cause of the mass mortality of fish in a large river in the Tyumen region has been determined
Local residents made a mound that led to the shallowing of the reservoir.
Тюмень, Tjumen, Russia
Radio Sputnik

Not a good salmon season in the Far East and fishery closes in an area of ​​Kamchatka
Петропавловск-Камчатский, Kamchatka Krai, Russia
FIS World News

Salmon Is Disappearing From Russia’s Amur River. It’s Taking Local Tradition With It
The Amur River, once full of salmon, has seen the fish all but vanish since 2017. The problem started because of over fishing. At first companies were harvesting in the first 100 kilometers of the river, and since they have expanded 700, 800 kilometers upstream.
Khabarovsk, Khabarovsk Krai, Russia
The Moscow Times

Black bear injures Juneau man after following him through open door
With few fish and limited berries, bear encounters are high in Alaska's capital city this year.
Juneau, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Summer resident killed by great white in Maine’s first fatal shark attack
Julie Dimperio Holowach, a recently retired fashion executive from New York City, was swimming near Bailey Island on Monday afternoon when she was attacked.
Portland, Maine, United States
Press Herald

Invasive grass carp caught in Chambly Basin
Scientists say the grass carp population in the Chambly Basin is probably small, but the presence of this species in any number is bad news.
Chambly, Quebec, Canada
Montreal Gazette

Some salmon return, but ‘not nearly enough’
Chum salmon have started returning the Douglas Island Pink and Chum Inc. Hatchery on Channel Drive, but it’s still not enough to establish a broodstock. As the hatchery struggles to ensure future stocks, fishermen are taking what fish they can just for cost recovery.
Juneau, Alaska, United States
Juneau Empire

Fisherman snags barracuda off Vancouver Island in rare encounter
Ferocious fish, not native to Canada, was netted and released in Alberni Inlet
Alberni Inlet, Vancouver Island, Canada
Port Alberni Valley News

Green Sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris) in Kachemak Bay
Until 2007, there have been only three verified reports of green sturgeon in the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea, and two anecdotal reports from the Copper River and Unalaska areas.
Halibut Cove, Alaska, United States

Southern resident whales returning later to Salish Sea in ‘drastic’ change
Southern resident killer whales made their first appearance in the Salish Sea on Canada Day after more than two months with only a brief sighting off the west coast of Vancouver Island.
Strait of Georgia
Times Colonist

Dead Tomcod (Microgadus proximus) on Beach
Dead tomcod were found on the beach following warm temperatures in Norton Sound, repeating a 2019 mortality event in the same area.
Teller, Alaska, United States

Northern anchovy blooms bring more sea life to Burrard Inlet
Northern anchovy are becoming more comment perhaps due to warmer temperatures. A 10-centimetre-long fish represents an anchovy that's about a year old suggesting that the fish are spawned locally in the pelagic zone, or upper, warmer zone of the seawater.
Port Moody, British Columbia, Canada

Wild salmon in Irish rivers displaying symptoms of red skin disease
Salmon affected have a characteristic red-spotted rash on their underbelly and may appear lethargic or moribund. In the past few weeks, suspected cases have also been reported in Denmark, Norway and Scotland.
River Leannan, Co. Donegol, Ireland
The Irish Times

Large landslides have passed in Alta
One person was evacuated and brought to safety after the landslide at Kråkneset in Alta municipality. A total of eight buildings were swept to the sea in the 650-metre landslide. Due to a high avalanche risk, police have still not entered the area.
Kråkenes, Alta, Norway
NRK
Sofie Dege Dimmen, Ida Loise Rostad, Idun Aalbu Rasmussen, Jo Hermstad Tronsen

Low sockeye returns prompt commercial fishing closure on the Copper River
"We’re way, well below what we expect to be at this point,” said Jeremy Botz, a biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. He says so far the entire commercial fleet has harvested around 6,000 sockeye, which is way below what the department anticipated
Cordova, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Algae bloom chokes Achencoil river stretch
Eutrophication — excess nutrients in water — and environmental changes were identified as the cause of the harmful algal blooms in the fresh aquatic system of the Achencoil.
Pathanāmthitta, Kerala, India
The Hindu

Icelandic Capelin May Have Migrated to the Faroes
A large stock of capelins have been found in Faroese fjords of late and scientists believe that the fish probably swam there from Icelandic waters, RÚV reports. Iceland’s capelin stock has been in decline over the last two years, likely due to rising ocean temperatures.
Faroe Islands
Iceland Review

White Spots in Smelts Appear to Be a Type of Tapeworm or Nematode
The white spots found in the smelt appear to be tapeworm or nematode larvae. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend cooking fish at about 153 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 minutes or freezing the fish at -4 degrees Fahrenheit for 7 days to kill the larvae before you eat the fish.
Chevak, Alaska, United States

'Nature is taking back Venice': wildlife returns to tourist-free city
Look down into the waters of the Venice canals today and there is a surprising sight – not just a clear view of the sandy bed, but shoals of tiny fish, scuttling crabs and multi-coloured plant-life.
Venice, Veneto, Italy
The Guardian

Otters spotted in southern Alberta city for first time in about a century
Some welcome new visitors have recently appeared in a southeastern Alberta park — otters.
Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada

Salmon Farm Rips Open in Dýrafjörður
A tear was discovered in one of Arctic Fish’s open-sea fish farms in Dýrafjörður in the Westfjords. A notice on the company’s website says the tear was discovered during routine inspection and is located at a depth of about 20 metres (65 feet).
Bolungarvík, Westfjords, Iceland
Iceland Review

Hundreds of thousands of fish dead in NSW as bushfire ash washed into river
Ecologist fears the Macleay River may take decades to recover, with heavy rains likely to affect other waterways
Macleay River, New South Wales, Australia
the Guardian

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