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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

Sabine’s Gull––A distinctive and unusual tern-like gull
An observer reports unusual sightings of Sabine's gulls, including juveniles, outside their typical migration period, suggesting a potential new breeding colony near Nome.
Nome, Alaska, United States
The Nome Nugget

Third consecutive Bering Sea storm touches down on Alaska's west coast
Meteorologists say the brunt of the storm is likely headed for the southern edge of the Seward Peninsula.
Nome, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

First ever subsistence fishery closure at Port Clarence causes hardship at Teller, Brevig
After experiencing an unprecedented closure of subsistence salmon fishing, the Port Clarence district, including Teller and Brevig Mission, is now open for fishing.
Teller, Alaska, United States
The Nome Nugget

Unusual Bubble (Capsule) in Fish Eggs
These eggs from a trout caught in the Fish River, had unusual milky translucent capsules in it.
White Mountain, Alaska, United States
Jacqualine Schaeffer, Ted Meyers, Jayde Ferguson

Research vessel en route to Nome after trapped in ice for 14 days
A research vessel, Norseman II, was trapped in unusually dense sea ice for 14 days off the Seward Peninsula coast during a Pacific walrus study, but is now en route to Nome for repairs.
Nome, Alaska, United States
The Nome Nugget

Nome and the region hit with back-to-back snow storms
Three weeks in a row, residents of Nome and the Southern Seward Peninsula Coast received winter storm warnings from the National Weather Service. Seven out of the last eight springs have been unusually stormy. This spring alone, since March, there have been eight significant storm days.

Mystery invertebrate in a red crab
A crab was caught on the ice just offshore in Nome. It had a small invertebrate in the gills of the crab.

Winter storms bring deep snow, high winds and delays to Nome
A series of winter storms hit Nome with deep snow and high winds, causing school closures, flight cancellations, and significant snow removal challenges.

Storm erodes shoreline at Shishmaref
A storm caused shoreline erosion in Shishmaref, Alaska, but no evacuations were needed as the new seawall held and damage was minimal.

Harmful algae bloom detected in Bering Strait waters
High concentrations of harmful algae called Alexandrium catenella have been detected in the Bering Strait waters near St. Lawrence Island, Wales, and Little Diomede, posing a potential danger to human health and urging caution when consuming certain seafood.
Bering Straits, Alaska

Crab pots 'absolutely stuffed' as Bering Sea Dungeness fishery breaks records
While many Bering Sea crab populations find themselves in freefall, Dungeness crab is breaking records in regions that used to hardly see them.
Alaska Public Media

Large-scale internet outage due to cut fiberoptic cable interrupts business as usual
On Sunday, Nomeites noticed that their internet wasn’t working and that cell service was spottier than usual. Large fiberoptic line was damaged by sea ice deep underneath the moving sea ice above.

ADF&G dispatches rabid moose roaming through Teller
A moose that was killed in Teller last week had been infected with rabies, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game confirmed.
Teller, Alaska, United States

Rabies outbreak worries health officials
Health and wildlife officials confirmed a dramatic rise in rabid foxes in Nome and the region, after a winter of increased fox attacks on dogs and people. According to an ADF&G press release, of 61 foxes that were dispatched in Nome and the area, 23 percent (or 14 foxes) tested positive for rabies. Of the 11 foxes that were found dead, or were killed by dogs or people because they behaved ‘rabid’, all tested positive.

Snow, wind and rain disrupt life as usual in Nome
Puddles on ice, slippery sidewalks and heavy wet snow berms are remnants of a three-day weather event that pummeled Nome and the region. According to UAF Climate Specialist Rick Thoman, “that’s the highest three day total on record for Nome in March in the past 116 years.

Back-to-back blizzards hit region with high winds and snow
The weekend was marked by cold sunny days and stunning aurora displays at night, but then the weather took another turn. By Tuesday morning, an east wind was howling and blowing snow sideways. The week started looking like a repeat of the last.

Musk ox attacks and injures pet dog
Last week a musk ox gored a 10-year-old Malamute outside of his family’s man camp near the Old Glacier Creek Road. A visiting veterinarian cared for the injured dog commenting on more frequent conflict between musk ox and dogs and an increase in musk ox population.

Nome’s Curtis Worland died after musk ox attack
Alaska State Troopers said on Tuesday that Curtis Worland, a Court Service Officer for the Nome AST post, was killed by a musk ox in the afternoon.

Warm weather woes wreak havoc in Nome
A week of several freeze and thaw cycles left Nome and the region with puddles on ice and scenes that look more like breakup in spring rather than the customary snowy landscape of December. The rain on ice interrupted normal life in Nome.

No sea ice in Grantley Harbor
December should have sea ice development in Norton Sound. But no sign of ice yet this year. Several storms have moved northward across the western Bering Sea and brought strong winds and bouts of above freezing weather to the Teller area and all of the Bering Strait region.
Teller, Alaska, United States
Richard L Thoman Jr, Kendra Lee, Anahma Shannon, Austin Ahmasuk, Kitrea P Takata-Glushkoff, Hajo Eicken

Ringed seal with poor hair growth
First report of a seal with poor hair growth this year in Norton Sound region.
Safety Sound, Alaska
Barbara Mahoney, Jaclyn Christensen, Raphaela Stimmelmayr, Gay Sheffield

‘Some of them just disappeared’: Essential pieces of life in Nome were lost in the storm
Nome's landscape is physically altered, with raw material scattered wildly, the coastline reconfigured, and camps that anchored generations of subsistence either flattened or gone.
KTOO

Powerful storm slams Western Alaska
A historically powerful storm slammed into Western Alaska Friday night and into Saturday, bringing major flooding and high winds to a huge swath of coastal communities. By Saturday evening, the state said it had received no reports of injuries or deaths related to the storm. But damage had torn across hundreds of miles of Alaska’s coastline impacting communities all along the way. Alaskans described water flooding homes and roads. Wind tore off roofs. Houses floated off their foundations. Boats sank.
Alaska Public Media

Researchers find high concentrations of harmful algae in regional waters
Researchers stepping off the research vessel Norseman II in Nome last weekend, brought significant news of having found very high concentrations of a phytoplankton called Alexandrium catenella in regional waters. Alexandrium is an algae that can produce saxitoxins, which can cause dangerous paralytic shellfish poisoning in people. The scientists issued an advisory, notifying Norton Sound Health Corporation, UAF Sea Grant and the Alaska Division of Public Health.

Norton Sound crab fishery bounces back with record year following fishing hiatus
After no commercial crabbing since 2019, this summer’s Norton Sound Red King Crab fishery had a record year of $3.7 million dollars in ex-vessel value.
KNOM Radio Mission

Visiting cormorant to White Mountain
A cormorant was observed in White Mountain. See also recent report from Golovin.
White Mountain, Alaska, United States

Brant displaying unusual spinning behavior south of Nome
This brant was seen at Mile 16 of the Nome-Council Road exhibiting spinning behavior.
Near Nome, Alaska, United States
Eric Taylor, Brandon Ahmasuk, Andrew Ramey, Racheal Lee, Gay Sheffield, Bob Gerlach, Angela Matz

Unusual behavior in red fox
This fox "was not scared of me" and it continued to repeat this motion as the person (Venessa Koonooka), watched for ~10 minutes.
White Mountain, Alaska, United States
Kimberlee Beckmen, Brandon Ahmasuk, Vanessa Koonooka, Racheal Lee, Angela Matz, Gay Sheffield, Eric Taylor

With less sea ice, expect seal pups near shore
On Sunday night, a plump ringed seal pup was spotted on the ice in front of Breaker’s Bar on Nome’s Front Street. UAF Alaska Sea Grant agent Gay Sheffield was called and moved the pup to a more secluded beach. The ice had likely gone out too fast and the mother finished up the normal weaning process on the ice chunks in front of Nome.

Swans displaying unusual posture floating in lake
A passenger on a small commercial plane flying between Nome and Golovin reported seeing 5-6 swans all motionless, floating on a pond. The reason of the behavior is unknown.
~ 60 Miles East of Nome Alaska, United States
Louisa Castrodale, Andrew Ramey, Bob Gerlach, Carol Oliver, Michael Bruce, Brandon Ahmasuk, Kimberlee Beckmen, Racheal Lee, Angela Matz, PATRICIA SCHWALENBERG, Gay Sheffield

Uncommonly consistent, strong winds rip through Western Alaska
These windy conditions have started to negatively impact sea ice coverage in the Bering Strait. Based on satellite imagery and observations from residents across the region, more open water has started to appear along coastlines and thicker ice has been pushed around, climatologist Rick Thoman said. He noted that sea ice conditions are drastically different in the Bering Strait than they were five days ago.
KNOM Radio Mission

Storms hit region with high winds, snow and then rain
Strong south winds hit 71 miles per hour in St. Michael, Shishmaref had its sea ice blown away and the Nome Airport saw 0.64 inches of precipitation – mostly in the form of rain - last weekend. The storm that hit on Saturday, Dec. 18 and continued all day Sunday brought the total precipitation for December thus far to 2.04 inches.

Ships traveling into a warming Arctic are leaving garbage in their wake, scientists warn
Following another year of stark climate impacts in the Arctic, scientists warned Tuesday of a new scourge hitting the region: marine trash. With the region warming twice as fast as the rest of the world, sea ice that has long blanketed the Arctic Ocean is disappearing, opening new routes to shipping.
ArcticToday

Back-to-back storms bring screaming winds to Nome and region
Back-to-back winter storms hit Nome and the region with very strong, screaming winds and accompanying blowing snow. While the first storm on Friday seemed just like a warm up, the second storm hit the region with very strong winds that knocked out power in Wales, ripped buildings apart in Golovin and brought water levels up 6.73 feet over normal. The high winds also pushed away ice cover.

This November's sea ice extent in the northern Bering is the best in years
Current sea ice extent in Northern Alaska waters is the highest it’s been since November 2001.

Red Squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) in Nome
"I've seen photos documenting one squirrel in Nome from 2007 and a Nome Nugget article in 2019, but we've had 3-4 reports of red squirrels this summer."

Norton Sound silver run among lowest harvests in decades
The commercial Silver harvest in the Norton Sound yielded the lowest numbers since 2002.This trend follows suit from last year as well, which yielded far less than projected. The run was “very poor,” Menard said. The preliminary catch was 7,100 Silvers. That’s less than half caught in the commercial fishery last year.
KNOM Radio Mission

Research has no answers for continued seabird die-off
St. Lawrence Island, home to two native villages in the region, is also the summer home of several migratory seabird species, including kittiwakes, auklets, murre and shearwaters. Over the last several years, though, the bird colonies on the island have been shrinking, and no one has been able to determine why.

Western Alaska residents fill buckets of late-budding salmonberries
Some possible causes for late budding in berries include more precipitation when flowers bloom, which reduces pollination, an overall lack of pollinators, or sometimes animals and birds eat the berries during the winter.

Dead seabirds wash up on regional shores
Starting last week, regional residents reported numerous dead seabirds washing up on regional beaches. Alaska Sea Grant Agent Gay Sheffield said there were carcasses of murres, puffins, shearwaters and a kittiwake starting on July 28; in Golovin, Solomon, Nome and a dead Little Diomede.

Coast Guard rescues man after being pounced, stalked by grizzly
By Julia Lerner Richard Jessee, a longtime summer miner, survived an aggressive bear attack near his cabin last week.

Low Abundance of Fish Harms Norton Sound’s Commercial Fishing Season
The prospects are dim for this summer’s Norton Sound commercial fishing and crabbing seasons.

Blizzardy March buries Nome in lots of snow
For four years in row now, March has failed to deliver glorious weather for spring outings, safe travels and happy hunting. Instead, March has come to be synonymous with dangerous weather condition.

Red Fox Rabies Outbreak in Nome
The head of Alaska’s Wildlife Disease and Health Surveillance Program confirms that the City of Nome has a higher than normal case count of rabies in the red fox population. Usually in winter, most of the cases come from Prudhoe Bay and Utqiagvik. This winter most of the cases are from Nome, as well as from Kivalina and other villages around Kotzebue.

Some Alaska seals are getting skinnier — probably because of retreating sea ice
As sea ice off Alaska continues its long-term vanishing trend, two seal species that depend on ice may be showing the effects in their bodies. Ribbon seals, distinctive for their black-and-white striped patterns on their fur, and spotted seals, known for their speckled coats, became thinner over time.
ArcticToday

Mild Temperatures and North Winds Contribute to Low Sea Ice Extent in Bering
Sea ice extent in the Bering Sea was at record low levels at the end of 2020. And with recent strong northerly winds combined with mild temperatures, sea ice coverage in the Bering Strait region is still not ideal.

Winter Storm Buffets Western Alaska While Lack of Sea Ice Continues to be the Norm
Similar to the last storm that hit the region earlier this month, there is hardly any sea ice in the Bering Sea to minimize the damage to coastal areas.

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.”

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.

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.

After dry summer, Nome sets daily rain record
Nome recorded 1.27 inches of rain on Sept. 14

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.

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.

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

﻿ ﻿Reports of dead seabirds raise concerns of another die-off
﻿The last few weeks have seen another alarming uptick in the number of dead, emaciated seabirds found washed  up on the shores in the Bering Sea.

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.

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.

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

Uncommon Ruby Tiger Moth (Phragmatobia fuliginosa) Sighting
The Seward Peninsula is within the ruby tiger moth range, but sightings are rare.

Yellow Jacket Wasp Nesting on the Beaches in Nome
"We have not seen this on a wide-spread occasion in a number of years. They are nesting in sea weed, and making it troublesome to go to the beach." Jacob Martin

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

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.

An atmospheric river is drenching parts of Alaska after a stretch of scorching weather
More than a month’s worth of rain has soaked parts of the state in just a few days, setting records.
Anchorage Daily News

Nome Breaks Another Climate Record: Most Rain in 24 Hours
Heavy rain and coastal flood warnings threatened boats near Kotzebue, caused flooding at the old shipyard in St. Michael, and brought high water to the Eastern Norton Sound as well as several rivers near Nome.

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.
ArcticToday

Rusty tussock moths invade Seward Peninsula
The rusty tussock moth has invaded the tundra in the Nome area, an infestation of the species not seen this far north before.

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.
Elizabeth Graham, Jessie Moan, Robin Mulvey, Tammy Davis, John Lundquist, John Lundquist

Infestation of Rusty Tussock Caterpillars (Orgyia antiqua) in Nome River Valley
Unusually high abundance of caterpillars in the Nome River Valley.

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

Blue Mussel (Mytilus edulis) Die-Off
"When we looked over the side of the boat, we saw clumps of mussels floating up the whole Tuksuk channel. No one has ever heard of something like this before."
Port Clarence, Alaska, United States
Brad Harris, Anahma Shannon, Gay Sheffield, Allison Topkok, Louisa Castrodale, Amy Holman, Jonathan Snyder, Joel Garlich-Miller, Racheal Lee, Erica Lujan, Barbara Mahoney, Emily Mosites, Bob Gerlach, Dean Stockwell

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.
Kendra Lee, Anahma Shannon, Carol Oliver, Gay Sheffield, Louisa Castrodale, Racheal Lee, Jayde Ferguson, Ted Meyers

First red squirrel documented in Nome
When young Jack James looked out the window of his home at Anvil Mountain on June 7, he saw a red squirrel.

Seal pups and walrus calves found stranded on regional beaches
Near Nome, reports of seal pups and walrus calves hauled out on beaches are piling up at an unprecedented rate.

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

Man rescued from ice drifting in Bering Sea describes hours jumping from floe to floe
“It started breaking into pieces beneath us,” said Phillip Rode.
Anchorage Daily News

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.

Back-to-back storms cripple business as usual in Nome
Back-to-back blizzards with tons of snow and high winds have hammered Nome since late January and the accumulation of a total of 76 inches of snow is now beginning to take a toll on residents.

Leads in Ice After Warm Storm
Leads appeared following a warm storm, in areas with usually stable, shorefast ice. The leads separate many crabbers from their pots, and are illustrative of how Norton Sound's recent erratic sea ice patterns are altering subsistence opportunities and patterns.

Botulism cases reported in Nome
Public health officials confirmed that four Nome residents had been hospitalized in early January with preliminary results pointing to poising from foodborne type E botulism from an aged beluga flipper.

White Mountain man missing after falling through ice
Stormy weather stalled a search and rescue effort on Monday for a man from White Mountain, whose 4-wheeler broke through thin ice at the edge of Golovin Bay on Sunday.

Wolf Spider (Lycosidae) in Teller
Possible wolf spider seen in Teller

This winter saw second highest snowfall in recorded history
The snowfall in Nome over the winter didn’t break the all-time record but it came close. According to the National Weather Service, 115.5 inches of snow fell, making the winter of 2017/18 number two for snowfall since modern weather reporting began.

Nature follows its own break-up calendar
Looking seaward over the last week from almost all points along the coasts of Norton Sound, folks have been dazzled by bright blue horizons colored by open water.

Open water wreaks havoc at Little Diomede
Last Tuesday, February 20, residents of Little Diomede have seen the impossible. Instead of looking out at a frozen seascape of ice, they witnessed open water and high surf crashing onto the shores and coming up beyond the high water line.
Little Diomede, Alaska, United States

Snowy winter is return to “normal” weather conditions
It seems like digging out from snow and some more snow is all Nomeites do this winter.

Toxic algae may have played part in sea bird die off
Walruses were found washed up on the beaches from Cape Espenberg to Shishmaref and further west. Samples taken from the intestines of four walrus all had moderate to high levels of saxitoxin.

With musk oxen attacks seemingly on rise, one Nome pet owner calls for more action
Over the last five months, multiple sled dogs in Nome were attacked by musk oxen in at least four separate incidents.

Seabirds found dead on Nome beach
On Sunday, Austin Ahmasuk went along the beach to his camp at the Sinuk River, about 28 miles from Nome, and shortly after hitting West Beach past the port, he found one dead seabird on the shore.
Sinuk River, Alaska, United States

When the Sea Wall Breaks: Climate Change in Teller, Alaska
Teller, Alaska is identified by the US Army Corps of Engineers as one of 31 villages in imminent danger of the effects of climate change.
The Arctic Institute

Caterpillars taking Anvil Mountain, inch by inch?
A biologist peers into his collection jar to find an example of the green caterpillars that have been dining on willow bushes, making brown batches on the landscape in and about Nome.

Fast Moving Winter Storm
Extreme winter weather conditions.

Nome Area Ponds Are Disappearing
Ponds in and around the Nome area are drying up.

M/V Crystal Serenity Cruise Ship
Visits Port of Nome before voyage through Northwest Passage.

Blueberries (Vaccinium ovalifolium) Ripe Early!
Blueberries are ripe early!

Why Alaska's Arctic tundra is slowly sinking
Alaska’s tundra landscapes carpet a good portion of the state, from the North Slope to the elbow of the Alaska Peninsula. Researchers say it's slowly sinking in places -- as much as a fifth of an inch each year.

No Permanent Winter Ice and Early Break Up For Nome

Unseasonably Warm and Rainy
Nome was hit by unseasonably warm temperatures and strong winds.

Low Water In Area Rivers
Low water on area rivers
Jacob Martin, Scott Kent, David Streubel, Ed Washburn, Michael Sloan

Lighting Strikes
Nome experienced 2 lightning strikes and thunder Monday morning during a snow squall.A

Pine grosbeak (Pinicola enucleator)
Pine grosbeak

Northern Grasshoppers
The northern grasshoppers never been observer here before.

Longhorn Beetle (Monochamus scutellatus)
Could invasive insect be an indicator of changing weather patterns?

Arctic Loon?
The bird is not commonly seen in the Teller area.

Mystery Mite
Mystery mite

Gravesite Erosion
Permafrost thaw and storms are drivers.
Jennifer Demir, Ryan Brubaker, Racheal Lee, Anahma Shannon, Mike Brubaker, Kendra Lee, Tom Wolforth

Heavy Rains and Flooding
Heavy rains and flooding.

Where is the Snow?
1-3-14 Where is the snow - Solomon, Alaska, USA
Solomon, Alaska, United States

Trapped on Sea Ice
A snowmachiner was trapped on the quickly moving floe and he was rescued later by a helicopter.

Dead Grey Whale
8-7-12 Dead grey whale - Nome, Alaska, USA

Sunken Vessel Spill
Sunken vessel leads to petroleum spill.

Sick Ringed Seal

Ice seal mortality

Climate change turns Alaska, and the rest of the nation, into a land of extremes
I'm going to start by challenging myself to have more proactive conversations with my teens about climate change, and set some house rules about energy use and what we can do as individuals to reduce our consumption of things like plastics. I don't think it will stop glaciers from melting, but perhaps it will help us all prepare to take larger actions that will.
The Arctic Sounder

Holy crab! Rare, weirdly colored crustaceans found in Norton Sound
The red king crab that wasn't red appeared in Nome on Fourth of July.

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