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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

Stranded whale pod beaches in East Yorkshire
Up to 10 sperm whales have been stranded between Withernsea and Tunstall on the coast. Members of the coastguard and British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) are on the beach, between Tunstall and Withernsea, near Hull.
Withernsea, England, United Kingdom
BBC News

Container ship "Sparta-3" stuck in ice in the Yenisei Bay
A container ship froze into the waters of Yenisei Bay in Russia’s Arctic. Traveling from Dudinka to Arkhangelsk, the ship got stuck in ice on December 13. The crew battled icing, but was not in danger. Three weeks later, the ship was able to break free. According to Atomflot, the ship did not have necessary permissions to sail along this section of the Northern Sea Route.
ТАСС

Autumn rains eight times more then last year
A year ago Bergensarane was bathed in autumn sun. This autumn it was bathed in rain. In fact, it has come in eight times more rainfall in November this year than last year.
Bergen, Hordaland, Norway
NRK

Shocking temperatures across the Arctic
A belt of warm air is currently stretching from northern Greenland across the North Pole to the Laptev and East Siberian Seas north of the Russian mainland. Northeast of Svalbard from Franz Josef Land to Severnaya Zemlya see similar heat. On a recent November weekend the average temperature was 6.7°C above normal across the Arctic.
The Independent Barents Observer

'Once in a millennium': Record-breaking rogue wave measured off Vancouver Island
A massive ocean wave that was tracked off the west coast of Vancouver Island in 2020 is now considered the most extreme rogue wave ever recorded, according to scientists at the University of Victoria.
Ucluelet, British Columbia, Canada
CTV News-Vancouver Island

New evidence suggests spate of Killer Whale-on-boat violence not tied to revenge but to fun
It was first reported, here, two months ago, that a pod of Killer Whales off the coasts of Spain and New Spain (i.e. Portugal) was exhibiting never-before-seen behavior in carrying out coordinated attacks on boats.
BeachGrit

Storm re-engineers mouth of Nome River
“My boys told me my cabin went into the river,” said Rita Hulkill, who is 82. “My cabin had been there since the 70s. The water has never been that high ever.”
Nome, Alaska, United States
The Nome Nugget

Fall storm wreaks havoc
Starting on the night of Wednesday, November 4, and continuing through Friday, a major storm ripped through the Norton Sound region, causing widespread closures and some damaging flooding.
Teller, Alaska, United States
The Nome Nugget

Feared sea urchin has come to Norway – Spreading like a plague
The species Japanese sea purse is found by divers in Stavanger harbour. "This is a plague we have been waiting for," says researcher Vivian Husa of the Institute of Marine Research. Now she particularly warns mussel breeders about the danger the species represents.
58.9812029, 5.7427645 Engøyholmen, Stavanger, Norway
Kyst og Fjord

Minor to Severe Erosion Across the Region Caused by Strong Bering Sea Storm
Late last week a strong Bering Sea storm hit the region, bringing winds up to 50mph, blowing snow, and high-water. Some communities saw significant erosion while others were mostly unscathed.
Nome, Alaska, United States
KNOM Radio Mission

Pacific Sand Lance (Ammodytes hexapterus) Make First Appearance
Pacific sand lance can be found along the Western and Southern coasts of Alaska, although their distribution is based on habitat availability. Computer models suggest that there is a low probability this habitat exists near Kivalina.
Kivalina, Alaska, United States

Coonstripe Shrimp (Pandalus hypsinotis) Found on Beach After Storm
Coonstripe shrimp (*Pandalus hypsinotis*) can be found at a depth of 30-300 feet in Norton Sound. During a strong storm, some washed up on a beach north of their known range.
Kivalina, Alaska, United States

Scottish islands under threat from rising sea levels
The Outer Hebrides are already suffering from the impacts of climate change including higher tides, longer storms and erosion.
Benbecula, Scotland, United Kingdom
BBC News

Monitoring program tracks invasive (Didemnum vexillum) or “marine vomit”
On 2 November 2020, the Japanese invertebarate *Didemnum vexillum* was detected by diver and underwater photographer Erling Svensen at Engøyholmen in Stavanger harbor. The aim of a new monitoring project is to register occurrences of the presumed recently arrived D. vexillum in the delimited areas, and then to map how it spreads locally, and also what impact it has on the local fauna.
Stavanger, Rogaland, Norway
havnespy.stavangerdykk.no

Russian Arctic Sea Fails to Freeze
For the first time since records began, the Laptev Sea has not yet formed sea ice by the end of October. Scientists attribute the lack of ice to early summer warming and an extreme heatwave in Siberia, as well as warm Atlantic currents flowing into the Arctic.
Laptev Sea
The Moscow Times

Mysterious Mass Deaths of African Cape Fur Seals Alarm Conservationists
The beaches of Namibia have been filled with thousands of seal fetuses. The problem was first detected in August, when observers began to see an unusual number of abortions and prematurely killed pups on the beaches of Pelican Point. Current estimates indicate about 5,000 have died in Pelican Point alone, although the precise reasons are still unknown.
Walvis Bay, Erongo, Namibia
Latin America Herald Tribune

New Methane Discharge Discovered in Russia's Arctic
The finding is prompting concerns that a new feedback loop that accelerates climate change may have already been triggered.
The Moscow Times

Tsunami warning issued following 7.4 magnitude earthquake off Alaska Peninsula
A tsunami warning was issued for areas along the Alaska Peninsula coastline following the 7.4 earthquake, which was centered 62 miles from Sand Point.
In this post, you can find links to the US Tsunami Warning Centers, as well as information on creating home emergency kits during COVID.
We hope everyone stays safe as this event unfolds, and welcome observations of conditions along the Alaska Peninsula.
Sand Point, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Foreign trash continues to wash up on regional shores
Residents across the Bering Strait have continued to report unusual amounts of foreign trash washing up on their beaches. After months of working on the models, NOAA has been able to pin the source of the debris as likely somewhere southwest of St. Lawrence Island in the Gulf of Anadyr.
Gambell, Alaska, United States
The Nome Nugget

Beluga Family Rescued From Low Tide by Russian Emergency Worker
Residents of the coastal Chumikan village reported two adult whales and one baby on Wednesday afternoon, on a shore of the Uda River that flows into the sea. Alexei Paramonov spent hours protecting the pod from wild animals and poachers and saved the baby whale from hypothermia.
Chumikan, Khabarovsk Krai, Russia
The Moscow Times

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

Beached bowhead whales in Nunavut point to killer whale attacks
This past weekend a group of hunters on all-terrain vehicles found four dead bowhead whales lying on a beach about 60 kilometres north of the Nunavut community of Kugaaruk. Photos of the bowhead whales taken by Rene Kukkuvak, appear to have a torn tongues and rake-like gouges.
Kugaaruk, Nunavut, Canada
Nunatsiaq News

Lone Scottish dolphin spotted off Denmark
The Moray Firth dolphins have been moving out of their normal range in Scotland waters. A dolphin known as Yoda is the latest member to be spotted far from home. Another Moray Firth dolphin has been seen in the Irish Sea.
Svendborg, South Denmark, Denmark
BBC News

Foreign Trash Washing Up on Beaches
"We have been finding plastic bottles, glass bottles, couple life vests, and boots." The Bering Sea has noted an abundance of foreign debris washing up on our shores. Communities like Unalakleet, Gambell, Savoonga and Nome have all reported and documented hoards of this debris.
Shishmaref, Alaska

Debris from 3/11 disaster now washing ashore across Okinawa
Plastic containers washed out to sea after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster are starting to wash up on the shores of Okinawa Prefecture, leaving residents puzzled at the time it took for the items to travel just 2,000 kilometers.
Naha, Okinawa, Japan
The Asahi Shimbun

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

After record-warm summer in Svalbard, extreme meltdown on the glacier
When glaciologist Jack Kohler returned to Austre Brøggerbreen in Svalbard, he was shocked. More than three meters of the ice at the glacier front had melted away. That's a record. And an ice tunnel had become a trench.
Austre Brøggerbreen, Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, Svalbard and Jan Mayen
NRK

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

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

Stunning beach with hundreds of colourful sparkling pebbles damaged by typhoon Maysak
The remarkable glass beach was formed after years of dumping old vodka, wine and beer bottles, along with jars and ceramics during the Soviet era. Record strong wind destroyed at least half of the unique beach on Ussuri bay.
Vladivostok, Primorskiy, Russia
Siberia Times

Unalaska records 120 mph winds during record-breaking August storm
The strong winds toppled boats, threw shipping containers into the bay, and even blew the windows out of American President Lines crane. The winds came during a storm from the remnants of Typhoon Bavi.
Unalaska, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Mystery lines on Haida Gwaii beach
I've asked quite a few of the elders here if they had ever seen and none of them said they had ever seen it, said Skidegate Chief Councillor Bill Yovanovich, who took the photos Saturday on Lina Island. They show small bits of white shells arranged into what appears to be an intentional grid pattern that stretches at least a hundred metres along the beach.
Lina Island, Haida Gwaii, Canada
Global News

Foreign plastic continues to wash up on region’s beaches
There has been a surge of plastic trash that has been washing up on beaches in Nome and across the Bering Strait Region.
Nome, Alaska, United States

Arctic ice extent is unlikely to hit a record-low minimum, but lingering ice is ‘thin and porous’
Large holes had developed by mid-August in the low-concentration ice in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas, according to National Snow and Ice Data Center.
Nunatsiaq News

Foreign Marine Debris Found in the Bering Sea
The Bering Sea has noted an abundance of foreign debris washing up on our shores. Communities like Unalakleet, Gambell, Savoonga and Nome have all reported and documented hoards of this debris.
Kawerak

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

Biologists hope dead sea lion will provide insight into endangered Aleutian population
Officials have been receiving reports of Steller sea lions hauling out on beaches in poor condition, but have been unable to retrieve the animals for research — largely because they are in remote areas.
Unalaska, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Last fully intact ice shelf in Canadian Arctic collapses
It lost more than 40 per cent of its area in just two days at the end of July, researchers said on Thursday.
Milne Ice Shelf
Global News

Even the low temperatures are breaking heat records in Portland
Temperatures are expected to remain above 80 degrees for the rest of the week.
Portland, Maine, United States
Press Herald

Phytoplankton Surge in Arctic Waters
The image shows a bloom of phytoplankton in the Barents Sea, north of Scandinavia and Russia.The floating plant-like organisms are showing up in higher concentrations across the Arctic Ocean.
Barents Sea
NASA Earth Observatory

Major Coastal Erosion near Kotzebue
The rate of coastal erosion seems to be speeding up near Cape Blossom.
Cape Blossom, Alaska, United States
Jimmy Evak, Jacquelyn Overbeck, Vladimir Romanovsky

Brown booby makes rare visit to Ireland
Birders are continuing to flock to Greystones in Co Wicklow after what is believed to be the first ever sighting of a brown booby in Ireland.
Greystones, Leinster, Ireland
RTE.ie

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

Tuktoyaktuk working with feds to address climate change and eroding shoreline
"If we can protect the shoreline for another 30 years, it will give us time to move inland because we all can't up and leave tomorrow," Mayor Elias said.
Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories, Canada
CBC

Thousands of blue jellyfish clog cooling system in Israeli power plant
Thousands of jellyfish clogged up a cooling system and threatened to suspend production at a power plant in Israel. Video filmed at the Electric Company power plant on Thursday shows the light blue sea creatures being swept down a chute and into a bin. The power plant, based in the coastal city of Ashkelon, about 15 miles north of the Gaza strip, uses seawater to cool its
Ashqelon, Southern District, Israel
The Independent

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

‘A grave concern’: European green crabs discovered on Haida Gwaii
There are many types of crabs that are green in colour, but only the European green crab has five spines on the outside of each eye. The aggressive invasive species was discovered in Skidegate Inlet; and now working group formed to decide next steps.
Skidegate 1, British Columbia, Canada
Victoria News

Jellyfish the size of dinner plates on Northeast beaches
Some beaches in the northeastern United States are dealing with more than the threat of COVID-19 this holiday weekend. They have to contend with an unwelcome visitor: the Lion's Mane jellyfish.
Scituate, Massachusetts, United States
CNN

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

Plastic pollution in Thailand soars during Covid-19 pandemic
Thai canals are clogged with discarded packaging, landfills are overflowing with mountains of bags, and trash bins are stuffed full of crumpled food wrapping.
Thailand
South China Morning Post

Beluga off San Diego is farthest south the species has been documented on West Coast
A beluga whale was spotted Friday off San Diego -- the farthest south the species has been documented on the West Coast, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration confirmed.
Point Loma, Coronado, California, United States
FOX 5 San Diego

Washed-up Stellar Sea Lion (Eumetopias jubatus) on Front Beach
Female Stellar sea lion found dead on the beach, partially scavenged by eagles. There was no sign of any bullet holes. In addition, there wasn't any other evidence of what happened to the sea lion.
Unalaska, Alaska, United States
Barbara Mahoney, Gay Sheffield, Julieanne Renee Berikoff, Melissa Good

Thousands of gallons of heating oil spill in Shungnak
The Arctic Sounder - Serving the Northwest Arctic and the North Slope
Shungnak, Alaska, United States
Arctic Sounder

Strange waves cause concern in Shishmaref
Denise Fernandez has lived on the island her entire life and says she's never seen waves like she did on Monday.
Shishmaref, Alaska, United States
KTVA

Seaweed invasion hurting fishermen's livelihoods
Seaweed native to the northwest Pacific is invading the rich marine waters of the Strait of Gibraltar and the brown algae is clogging up fishermen's nets and endangering their way of life.
Strait of Gibraltar
Al Jazeera

Oily substance found near Savoonga remains a mystery
About a month ago, residents of St. Lawrence Island found a patch of oily, white goo on the beach, along with some dead sea birds covered in the substance.
Savoonga, Alaska, United States

Yellow-tinted Water around Nome Identified As Spruce Pollen
The yellow tinting in ocean water has been identified by the Tanana Valley Clinic as spruce pollen, but it remains to be seen why the pollen counts are so high this year.

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
CBC

Orca pod makes rare appearance in Vancouver’s False Creek
It's a rare sight in Vancouver's False Creek, but a pod of orcas was spotted swimming the city's most inner waterway on Wednesday.
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Global News

Manet invasion in the Oslo Fjord
Large menger glass jellyfish in the Oslo fjord cause problems for both beachgoers and shrimp fishermen. The whole trawl was full before it reached the bottom where the shrimp are.
Saltnes, Østfold, Norway
NRK

Picking Shellfish Yields Tingling Fingers
Is there something that would cause fingers to tingle or swell after touching the mussels and clams?

Pollen Tinting Water around Norton Sound Communities
Ocean water may be tinted yellow from pollen.
Vanessa Tahbone, Anahma Shannon, Toby Anungazuk Jr

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
Sofie Dege Dimmen, Ida Loise Rostad, Idun Aalbu Rasmussen, Jo Hermstad Tronsen

Possible Pacific White-sided Dolphin Sighting (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens)
Unusually active marine mammals seen near Unalaska may actually be Pacific white-sided dolphins.
Melissa Good, Julieanne Renee Berikoff, Asia Beder

Humpback whale breaching east of Vancouver spotted by Burnaby seniors
Some residents of a Burnaby retirement home were about to start a meditation class on Wednesday when a humpback whale sighting stole their focus.
Burrard Inlet, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
CBC News

Scientists: Potential landslide could generate large tsunami in Prince William Sound
The rapid retreat of Barry Glacier, 28 miles northeast of Whittier, could release millions of tons of rock into Harriman Ford and generate a large tsunami in Prince William Sound, according to Alaska's top geologist.
Barry Arm
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Rare blue dragons are washing up on a Texas seashore
Visitors to the Padre Island National Seashore in Texas are discovering blue dragons during their trips, and though it may not be the flying, fire-breathing creatures their name may suggest, it's still 'a rare find,' the park says.
Padre Island National Seashore, Texas, USA
CTVNews

First recorded striped dolphin sighting on Haida Gwaii
Animal discovered stranded on Tlell beach, marking first recorded sighting north of Vancouver Island
Crow's Nest, Haisa Gwaii, Canada
Haida Gwaii Observer

Oil spill alert received
The Icelandic coastguard coordination centre yesterday received a red oil pollution warning from the European Maritime Safety Agency. The warning was accompanied by a satellite image showing an oil slick some 50 nautical miles southwest of the Reykjanes peninsula.
RÚV

Juvenile grey whale caught on camera in Nanoose Bay
A Parksville photographer has captured some stunning images of a grey whale that has been hanging out in the community of Nanoose Bay over the past several days.
Nanoose Bay, British Columbia, Canada
CTV News

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

Dead gray whale washes up on Oregon coast, buried
State park rangers and a contractor have buried a gray whale carcass that washed up on the beach at Sand Lake Recreation Area south of Tillamook.
Tillamook, Oregon, United States
AP NEWS

Three Dead Sperm Whales Have Scientists Concerned
It is quite unusual that three specimens of the same species have been stranded in such a short time. It may be a coincidence or something more behind. A concerned researcher hopes samples will answer what the whales died of.
Bleik, Nordland, Norway

Velella velella Strandings in Tofino
On a recent family vacation, stranded Velella velella were observed on beaches near Tofino, British Columbia.
Tofino, British Columbia, Canada

Oily water continues to ooze into Port Valdez as snow on the ground complicates response
The source of the spill, a drain area about a quarter-mile uphill from the coastline, was stopped on Monday, authorities reported. And oil on the water has been contained to a site near a small boat harbor at the terminal where tankers load up with oil.
Valdez, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Gooseneck Barnacles
Tofino, British Columbia, Canada

Alyeska Pipeline cleaning up oil spill at Valdez Marine Terminal
Alyeska Pipeline Service Company says that as of Tuesday morning, roughly 326 barrels — 13,692 gallons — of oily water have been recovered at the Valdez Marine Terminal.
Valdez, Alaska, United States

Evidence of Forest Erosion by Sea Level Rise
The northwest and west shoreline of Cormorant Island, British Columbia appears to have eroded due to sea level rise during the last few decades.
West Side Trail, Cormorant Island, British Columbia

Over 70 Common Eiders Found Dead
Dozens of dead eiders have been found along the coast in Eastern Norway. The preliminary autopsy report shows no signs of bird flu, but the birds are thin and emaciated.
Larvik, Vestfold, Norway

'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

Brand new whale behaviour caught on video
Whale watchers in Eyjafjörður, North Iceland, witnessed something new and exciting during a tour last weekend. A marine biologist describes the hunting behaviour as unique and something never before seen around Iceland.
Hjalteyri, Northeast, Iceland
RÚV

Mystery oil coating Westman Islands seabirds
Several dozen oil-covered seabirds have been discovered on the Vestmannaeyjar archipelago in recent days and weeks. The environment agency website states that most of the birds were found around the harbour on Heimaey and on Klauf beach. Oiled birds were first noticed as long ago as the start of this year.
Vestmannaeyjar, South, Iceland
RÚV

Ten seals are dead in the Oslo fjord
Seals have suffered serious infections of the heart and lungs. Veterinarians do not yet know the cause.
Helgeroa, Larvik

Warm, wet February linked to rise in ocean temperatures
At Unalaska's Tom Madsen Airport, temperatures haven't dropped below freezing yet this month. And in Cold Bay, the average temperature is running more than 8 degrees Fahrenheit above normal, making this the second warmest start to February since World War II.
Bristol Bay Times
Alaska Media, LLC., Steve Keller designer and application developer

Colder weather brings Bering Sea ice extent and thickness to near normal, benefiting hunters
Even if a storm does hit Western Alaska, thicker sea ice will always be more resistant than last year’s ice was at this time, a climatologist says.
Anchorage Daily News

Extreme weather 'Elsa' hit the coast of Norway
The extreme weather "Elsa" left its mark along the Norwegian coast on Monday night until Tuesday. In many places the water has gone far above the ordinary flood level and many cellars have been filled with water.
Måløy, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway
Geir Bjarte Hjetland, Ingrid Aarekol, Benedikte Grov, Roy Raasholm Fauske, Olaug Bjørneset, Julianne Bråten Mossing

Receding sea ice off northern Japan proves blessing and potential curse for seals
Climate change has allowed spotted seals to find new hunting grounds, but the marine mammals ultimately depend on sea ice to survive.
Hakodate, Hokkaido, Japan

600 fishermen taken off floating ice in the Sea of Okhotsk
Major rescue operation on the island of Sakhalin went on for two days. Some of the fishermen made their way back to safety on ice floes, using ice diggers as oars.
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Sakhalin, Russia
Siberia Times

Several rainfall records have already been broken - now a warning has been sent out on Helgeland
Several rainfall records in Nordland have already been struck. Now a warning has been sent out for even more of the same. - We are in the top tier of what we have measured by rainfall over the last 100 years, says meteorologist Bente Wahl.
Bodø, Nordland, Norway

Weathering 'Storm of the Century'
Conception Bay South was dealt a hard hand by what some have dubbed the ‘storm of the century.’ At least two local churches, Topsail United and All Saints in Foxtrap saw siding ripped off their steeples by the 120 kph winds.The most extensive damage was along the coastline, with both CBS mayor Terry French and Royal Newfoundland Yacht Club Commodore Larry LeDrew estimating millions of dollars worth of damage.
Conception Bay South, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
The Shoreline News

Numerous Dead Mottled Sea Stars (Evasterias troschelii)
Roughly 60 dead starfish were scattered on a stretch of beach about 1/4-mile long, showing potential signs of sea star wasting disease.
Fort Wrangel, Alaska, United States

Rare Arctic seal pup named after a flower rescued from Storm Brendan
Ringed seal Cloudberry was rescued from Quilty by Seal Rescue Ireland after being seen in Kerry.
Burren, Mayo, Ireland
Metro

Stranded Fork-tailed Storm Petrel (Oceanodroma furcata)
Bella Bella 1, British Columbia, Canada
Twitter

Mild winter puts squeeze on Saimaa ringed seal
Sipilä said that during his 40 years working for state-owned parks and wildlife management agency Metsähallitus, he has never seen such poor ice conditions in January.
Gulf of Finland
Yle Uutiset

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