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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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Mulchatna Caribou Hunt Closing On Federal Lands Amid Steep Population Decline
Midnight on Dec. 31 brings the close of 2019 and also the close of the hunting season for Mulchatna Caribou on federal lands. The federal season,
Bethel, Alaska, United States
KYUK

For the first time, scientists have found a dangerous toxin from algae in the Bering Strait and Chukchi Sea
Clams collected in late August had concentrations of saxitoxin considered dangerous for human consumption. The samples were collected in August about 70 miles north of St. Lawrence Island and about 50 miles north of Cape Lisburne, much further north than previously documented.
Cape Lisburne
ArcticToday

In Sweden's Arctic, ice atop snow leaves reindeer starving
Hiila Inga is concerned about the health of his reindeer. His community herds 8000 head each year, between traditional grazing lands in the mountain and the forests further east.
Kiruna, Norrbotten, Sweden
Associated Press

Victoria Falls dries to a trickle after worst drought in a century
One of southern Africa’s biggest tourist attractions has seen an unprecedented decline this dry season, fuelling climate change fears
Victoria Falls, Matabeleland North, Zimbabwe
The Guardian

'Funky' weather brings late harvest
It was out of habit that Rachel Kukull carried foraging tools while hiking through Chilkat State Park. The custom paid off when she spotted on the forest floor a flash of gold that made her scream. Chanterelles in November!
Haines, Alaska, United States
Chilkat Valley News

Utqiagvik celebrates first whale of season in November
It's been a challenging year for whalers in Utqiagvik. Crews started going out in September, but found the bowheads weren't appearing in their usual concentrations in the waters closer to shore. On the water Nov. 16 Panigiuq Crew landed the first whale of the season for Utqiagvik, later than many people can remember ever bringing one in before.
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States
Arctic Sounder

Erosion threatens campsites at Nome River, Fort Davis
Severe erosion at the Nome River mouth has cost Rita Hukill and her family most of their land at their campsite at Fort Davis.
Nome, Alaska, United States
The Nome Nugget

Utqiagvik whalers still hope to land a bowhead as season wanes
Aerial surveys this September and October show the bowheads aren’t where they usually are.
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

After summer of record heat, Alaska health officials see spike in scombroid poisoning from fish
Caused by eating fish that has not been properly chilled, symptoms can last up to 48 hours and include severe headaches, palpitations, blurred vision and abdominal cramps.At least seven people fell ill between May and August. Between 2015-2018, there were only five.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Unseasonable rains, lightning and thunder
Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico

As Bering Sea ice melts, Alaskans, scientists and Seattle's fishing fleet witness changes on a massive scale
Instead of halibut, fisherman are increasingly catching less valuable Pacific cod, voracious bottom feeders whose numbers in recent years have exploded.
Savoonga, Alaska, United States
Seattle Times

Whitehorse fish ladder sees fewest chinook salmon since 1977
The number of chinook salmon that reached the Whitehorse fish ladder this year hit a 40-year low, and it's not clear why. Just 282 chinook passed through the fish ladder this year, compared to 690 last year. "We did see some large pre-spawn mortality die-offs in a tributary of the Yukon River — the Koyukuk in Alaska. This was for summer chum, and not chinook — but we expect that that higher water temperature also affected the chinook migrating through."
Whitehorse Fish Ladder, Yukon, Canada
CBC

Abundance of Hemlock Looper Moths (Lambdina fiscellaria)
Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

State of emergency in Yakutsk as Russia’s permafrost river dries to a record low
Usually one of the most full flowing in Russia, the river tends to drop the level twice a year - but not by a catastrophic 2-2.5 meters as this year.
Yakutsk, Sakha, Russia
Siberia Times

Poor Langoustine Season Could Mean Restaurant Shortage
In a good season, Skinney’s langoustine catch can reach 250-300 tons. This summer, it was only 38.
Höfn, East, Iceland
Iceland Review

Detectan presencia del 'Pez Diablo' en Sinaloa; una amenaza para la pesca y los ecosistemas
They detect the presence of the 'Devil Fish' in Sinaloa; a threat to fishing and ecosystems
Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico
News

Late Bloomers - Highbush Cranberry (Viburnum edule) Blooming Late August
During a summer of unusually warm temperatures, highbush cranberries (*Viburnum edule*) are blooming, using buds that would have normally bloomed next spring.
College, Alaska, United States

Sockeye salmon returns plunge in B.C., as climate change mainly to blame
Federal fisheries experts paint devastating picture of the challenges facing Pacific salmon and point to climate change as the main culprit.
Fraser River, British Columbia, Canada
Vancouver Sun

Record heat has Susitna Valley silver salmon in hot - and low - water
Two popular rivers are being closed to fishing because almost no cohos are making it upstream.
Willow, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Wildfire Smoke Affecting Ability to Dry Fish
"The fish was easy to mold on the drying rack because the hot summer sun was not coming through the smoke."
Nuiqsut, Alaska, United States
Rosemary Ahtuangaruak, Raphaela Stimmelmayr, Alison York

Wasilla store contends with ‘large-scale’ rodent problem
Fred Meyer is employing an aggressive pest-control plan after customers spotted mice in the store through Southcentral Alaska’s unusually warm summer.
Wasilla, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

2019 to be ‘worst-ever year’ for wildfires in Siberia and ‘only rain can now extinguish flames’
Some 5.4 million hectares of land are ablaze across Russia, mostly in Siberia and the country's far east. Water sprayed by planes to fight the fires is ‘now as expensive as Champagne’.
Siberian Times

Jakolof Creek Fish Die-off
"Jakolof Creek is dry almost all the way up to the switchbacks and continues to recede. The early run of red salmon may have made it to the lake, but that is probably the only run that has."
Head of Jakolof Bay on Jakolof Creek
Brian Berube, Stephen Payton, Glenn Hollowell, Michael Opheim , Ryan Brubaker

Drought increases in SE Alaska while July temps break records
Southeast Alaska has suffered from a drought and warmer-than-normal temperatures for about two years now. The month of July broke more records.
Petersburg, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Short-tailed Shearwaters (Ardenna tenuirostris) Found on Chukchi Sea Beach
More than 50 birds and a seal were found along the shoreline.
Kivalina, Alaska, United States
Kathy Kuletz, Janet Mitchell, Gay Sheffield, Hillary Burgess

Pink Salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) with White Nodes/Lumps
If the cysts contain milky, white fluid, they are likely *Henneguya*, a harmless and relatively common parasite. But if they contain a larvae, they are likely tape worms which can infect people.
Tolstoi Bay, Alaska, United States
Ted Meyers, Carol Fletcher, Emily Mosites, Ryan Brubaker, Andrew Atkinson

Mixed fortunes for berry pickers this year
The south and west of the country are on course for a good harvest, as the sun has been a near-constant companion all season. Berry pickers in East Iceland are less optimistic.
Egilsstaðir, East, Iceland
RÚV

Moldy fish in an Alaskan river threaten a community’s food supply
In early October 2013, local fishers Eli Nukapigak and Edward Nukapigak Jr. alerted wildlife officials to the discovery of “sick fish” in their nets near Nuiqsut. The aanaakłiq had fuzzy grayish-white patches on their bodies, fins, and heads. Cottony masses almost covered the eyes of some fish. None of the fishers in the community recalled seeing this condition before.
Nuiqsut, Alaska, United States
Hakai Magazine

Deer covered in warts caught on camera
Fibromatosis is not a cause of deer mortality, according to officials, who added that the disease is not known to infect humans.
Pipestone, Minnesota, United States
Fox News

How an accelerated warming cycle in Alaska's Bering Sea is creating ecological havoc
Every year since 2015, the Bering Sea has melted out earlier than in every year before 2015. If heat is killing animals, scientists have yet to pin down exactly how it is doing so.
Nome, Alaska, United States
ArcticToday

E39 is washed away
Several ground slides close E39 between Førde and Skei in Jølster. More than 150 people must be evacuated.
Vassenden, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway
NRK
Marita Solheim, Roy Raasholm Fauske, Erlend Blaalid Oldeide, Tonje Noreng Trøen

Honeybees are dying; beekeepers suspect pesticides are to blame
Local beekeepers suspect pesticides used for controlling mosquitoes may be the cause.
Fairbanks, Alaska, United States
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Uncommon Squat Lobster (Munida quadrispina) Sighting
A squat lobster (*Munida quadrispina*) was pulled up in a shrimp pot placed in Prince William Sound, which is not a common event. Squat lobsters are commonly found in Southeast Alaska during ADF&G shrimp survey pots and in scallop dredge surveys near Yakutat, Kayak Island, Kachemak Bay, and Kodiak.
Surprise Cove, Alaska, United States

Dead Pre-spawned Pink Salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha)
During the summer of 2019, warm water temperatures lowered the amount of dissolved oxygen in rivers and caused salmon across the state, including Mountain Village, to die before they were able to spawn.
Mountain Village, Alaska, United States

Scientists Need Help Studying Dead Salmon In Yukon Area
Dead chum salmon are lining the banks of one of the Yukon River’s largest tributaries. Koyukuk River residents and scientists alike suspect the deaths are
Huslia, Alaska, United States
KYUK

Unspawned Chum Salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) and Other Dead Fish
"Over 40 dead dog salmon, one shee fish, one lush fish, and two delmaga all dead along the river going towards the creek opening."
Kaltag, Alaska, United States
Kyle Wright, Carolyn Craig, Jayde Ferguson

Algal Bloom
Discolored marine waters near Haines may be reflective of the extremely high level of algae in southeast waters this month.
Haines, Alaska, United States
Kyle Rosendale, Luke Williams, Bruce Wright, Rose Masui, Chris Whitehead, Dean Stockwell

Record Warm Water Likely Gave Kuskokwim Salmon Heart Attacks
As record high temperatures swept Alaska, many people said that the heat was killing them. For Kuskokwim salmon, it was actually true.
Akiak, Alaska, United States
KYUK

Fish Die-Off Tubutulik River
We observed more than 50 otherwise healthy (not spawned out) dead fish including pink and chum salmon and white fish
Koyuk, Alaska, United States

Warm Ocean Temperatures
In July, Norton Sound water surface temperatures reached 68.2 DEG F on 7/10 and 69.3 DEG F on 7/11, which is about 17 degrees above average. The water was warm enough to comfortably swim in.
Nome Alaska
Jason Sebring, Richard L Thoman Jr, Gay Sheffield, Racheal Lee, Anahma Shannon

Rusty Tussock Moth (Orgyia antiqua) Caterpillars in Nome
Unusually high abundance of rusty tussock moth caterpillars in the Nome area.
Nome, Alaska, United States
Elizabeth Graham, Jessie Moan, Robin Mulvey, Tammy Davis, John Lundquist, John Lundquist

Dead Pink Salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) Floating Down River
"Our temperatures reached 83 degrees, and seem to be getting hotter! We think that maybe the warm water has something to do with the humpy die-off?"
Shaktoolik, Alaska, United States
Jayde Ferguson, Anahma Shannon, Toby Thaler, Jolene Auliye, Gay Sheffield

Add krill and mussels to the list of unusual marine deaths in Northwest Alaska
Village wildlife observers worry that the unusual warmth of oceans off Alaska is causing problems throughout the ecosystem.
Shishmaref, Alaska, United States

Warmer Water Means More Parasites In Kuskokwim Salmon
Subsistence families along the Kuskokwim River are cutting open fish to find white balls or white streaks deforming the meat.
Bethel, Alaska, United States

A rat was found dead on St. Paul Island in the Bering Sea. Here’s why that’s a big deal.
The Bering Sea island is breeding habitat for millions of seabirds, including rare migratory species. A “strike team” had been searching for the rogue rat for 10 months.
Saint Paul, Alaska, United States

Pink Salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) and Other Fish Dying in Warm Water
Koyuk, Alaska, United States
Gay Sheffield, Chris Dankmeyer, Anahma Shannon, Rebecca Charles, Austin Ahmasuk, Racheal Lee, Jayde Ferguson

Cape Thompson: Gathering Murre (Uria aalge) Eggs
Murres along Cape Thompson are migrating earlier, allowing coastal community residents to collect eggs a few weeks earlier than normal.
Kivalina, Alaska, United States

Scientists search for cause of ice seal deaths
Around 60 ice seals have been reported dead across northern and western Alaska this month.
The cause of the strandings and deaths is not known.
Kotlik, Alaska, United States
Arctic Sounder

Invasive elodea prompts closure of Susitna Valley lakes
Elodea was discovered in Alexander Lake in 2014 by researchers checking minnow traps. At the time, it covered 20 percent of the lake but now has spread to 90 percent.
Willow, Alaska, United States
Alaska Journal of Commerce

Stranded walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens)
"Its face was down in the mud and it was laboring to breathe. Its body condition was wasted and we could see its ribs."
Solomon, Alaska, United States
Jonathan Snyder, Dean Stockwell, Barbara Mahoney, Anahma Shannon, Mellisa Heflin, Gay Sheffield, Kathy Kuletz, Racheal Lee, Louisa Castrodale, Joel Garlich-Miller, Michelle Snowball, Raphaela Stimmelmayr, Chris Dankmeyer

Dead Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens)
This walrus was found by a local fisherman and reported by LEO Network to the US Fish and Wildlife Walrus Hotline. The carcass is thought to be too old for necropsy or sample collection.
St. Michael, Alaska, United States
Louisa Castrodale, Mellisa Heflin, Anahma Shannon, Joel Garlich-Miller, Jonathan Snyder, Barbara Mahoney, Racheal Lee, Gay Sheffield, Michelle Snowball

Tumor found in King Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)
Tumor found in King Salmon (*Oncorhynchus tshawytscha*)
Pilot Station, Alaska, United States

'Potentially lethal' toxins found in Juneau shellfish
A group that monitors shellfish toxin levels is warning Juneau residents not to consume shellfish from locations in the Auke Bay area.
Juneau, Alaska, United States
KTOO

Sea Lice Plagues Return and Threat to Wild Salmon Increases
Major sea lice epidemics have erupted on Atlantic salmon fish farms on Vancouver Island’s west coast over the last three months, according to industry, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and independent reports.
Clayquot Sound, British Columbia, Canada
The Tyee

Dead Smelt (Osmerus mordax) and Tomcod (Microgadus proximus) Scattered for Miles along Beach
Widespread mortality events that include more than one fish species are indicators that something is wrong in the environment.
Teller, Alaska, United States
Kendra Lee, Anahma Shannon, Carol Oliver, Gay Sheffield, Louisa Castrodale, Racheal Lee, Jayde Ferguson, Ted Meyers

Little Ice for Bearded Seal (Erignathus barbatus) Hunting
Because of the increased travel distance, only families with larger boats were able to participate in the hunt and bring back enough to make the trip cost effective. With a heavier load in the boat, one family ran out of gas trying to get home and had to be rescued.
Kivalina, Alaska, United States
Janet Mitchell, Anna Godduhn, Richard L Thoman Jr

Salal (Gaultheria shallon) dying back in coastal BC and WA
Cape Disappointment, Washington, United States

Walrus herds pass Nome Headed North
The appearance of walrus on the ice off Nome added some excitement to the onset of spring.
The Nome Nugget

In Utqiaġvik, temperatures are warmer, and the ice is changing. What does that mean for whalers?
“I think it was a little more stable, and there was a little bit more assurance that the ice you were on was not going to disintegrate on you that easy,” said whaling captain Gordon Brower.
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Strange Growth in Snow Goose (Anser caerulescens)
An unusual growth was found in a snow goose (*Anser caerulescens*) while it was being butchered. The growth may be related to a previous injury or illness that the bird healed from.
Stebbins, Alaska, United States
Jerry Hupp, Mike Brubaker, Kathy Burek Huntington, Harold Okitkun, Todd O'Hara

Seaweed invading Essequibo, Demerara, Berbice rivers
Aerial shots of what appeared to be remnants of an oil spill in the Essequibo River has turned out to be huge beds of sargassum seaweed which is now a
Parika, Essequibo Islands-West Demerara, Guyana
Stabroek News

No Chestnut Trees, No Honey — Beekeeping at Risk in Russia's South
A sharp decline in chestnut trees caused by a parasitic fungus in Russia's southern Krasnodar region is threatening the area's honey production, according to local beekeepers and scientists.
Krasnodar, Krasnodarskiy, Russia
The Moscow Times

Pace of Bering Sea changes startle scientists
Frigid north winds blow down from the Arctic Ocean, freeze saltwater and push sea ice south. The ice normally prevents waves from forming and locks onto beaches, walling off villages. But not this year.
Kotlik, Alaska, United States
PBS NewsHour

Pike (Esox Lucius) Caught with Pug Head Deformity to Mouth/Jaw
Northern Pike (*Esox Lucius*) caught with "pug head" jaw deformity, usually associated with cold water temperatures during incubation.
Kotlik, Alaska, United States
Harold Okitkun, Jayde Ferguson, Elizabeth Lindley

Thin ice and deep slush making for unsafe conditions in Iqaluit, warn hunters
Popular hunting spots, such as Frobisher's Farthest, Pink Lady Island and Ward Inlet should be avoided, says the chair of the Amaruq Hunters and Trappers Association.
Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada
CBC

Record Temps in Goldstream
Warm temperatures are rapidly melting snow and creating ice, which creates difficult conditions for dog mushers. Migratory birds are arriving early, and a mosquito emerged months early. Small owls dead around the Goldstream Valley that looked unusually thin.
Fairbanks, Alaska, United States

A nightmare trip, how drivers handled the mud on the Mackenzie Valley winter road
One of the main winter highways in the Northwest Territories turned into a swamp this week following unseasonably high temperatures.
Mackenzie Valley
CBC

Northern Canada: mild temperatures cause winter road closure in Northwest Territories
Deteriorating conditions on the Mackenzie Valley Winter Road have prompted the Northwest Territories government to close the winter highway for the season.
Mackenzie Valley Winter Road
Eye on the Arctic

For first time since records began, NWT hits 20C in March
The NWT broke a symbolic temperature barrier as a heatwave continued. There were warnings over ice roads and spoiled meat, and questions about climate change.
Northwest Territories, Canada
Cabin Radio

Shorefast Ice Breaks Off in Nome
Warm ocean temperatures are keeping ice thin, which become easily moved by the wind. This ice movement separates commercial and subsistence crabbers from their gear, and have led to the loss of both crabbing and mining gear.

Wales Loses Shorefast Ice
Wales lost shorefast ice early in the season. Ice along the shore has been crushed and broken. This is a very unusual event for Wales as many of our hunters rely on great ice conditions for whale and other sea mammal catch for food.
Wales, Alaska, United States

Bering Sea ice is at an ‘unprecedented’ low right now
“You could take your sailboat and sail from Dillingham all the way to Little Diomede and never see much more than an ice cube.

Arctic Char Population Rapidly Declining
The stock of arctic char in Elliðavatn lake has almost collapsed. Similar developments are taking place in Norway as well. Hilmar Malmquist, head of the freshwater division at the Marine Research Institute, believe that climate change is the main explanation.
Kopavogur, Capital Region, Iceland
RÚV

We get warmer and warmer later in the year
In Etne in Hordaland, 30.4 degrees of heat were measured at 15 today. Never has it been so hot so late in the year in Norway.
Etne, Hordaland, Norway
NRK
Oddleif Løset, Birger Kolsrud Jåsund and Geir Bjarte Hjetland

Rainbow Smelt (Osmerus mordax) With Bad Odor and Taste
The smelt, caught through the ice in late January, may have caused a person who ate some to get sick. Local, tribal and state officials worked together to collect and analyze the fish.
Shishmaref, Alaska, United States
Gay Sheffield, Bob Gerlach, Percy Nayokpuk, Jayde Ferguson, Anahma Shannon, Louisa Castrodale, Racheal Lee, Tim Thomas, Sharon Nayokpuk, David Verbrugge, Mike Brubaker

Reported wolverine sightings are up, says N.W.T. gov
Last week, in the wee hours of the morning, a curious wolverine was caught on camera wandering the hallway to a dormitory at Diavik Diamond Mine.
Northwest Territories

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