LEO Network

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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

Sea gulls on the beach not moving
Observers report unusual sea gull lethargy and die-offs on area beaches.
Brevig Mission, Alaska, United States
Racheal Lee, Sarah Yoder, January Frost, Lillian Olanna, Gay Sheffield, Kathy Kuletz

Village Airport Stuck in the Mud
Brevig Mission's airport has been unusable due to heavy rain rendering its runways unsafe, disrupting travel and medical supplies.
Brevig Mission, Alaska, United States
KNOM Radio Mission

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

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
The Nome Nugget

Polar bear fatally mauls woman and boy in Northwest Alaska village
A Wales resident shot and killed the bear. With the loss of sea ice and the ocean staying open later in the year, polar bears have been spending more time on land, which increases the chance of human encounters.
Wales, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

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

Researchers find even higher algal levels in regional waters
After alerting the region to very high levels of harmful algal blooms west of Kotzebue and Gambell two weeks ago, scientist onboard the research vessel Norseman II have found even higher numbers of Alexandrium catenella algae cells near Wales, Diomede and Shishmaref.
Wales, Alaska, United States
The Nome Nugget

Windy March Storms in Wales Cause Concern for Future
March brought a series of storms across the Seward Peninsula, and in one Bering Strait community that meant a series of power outages. The storms are stronger than residents recall in the past.
Wales, Alaska, United States
KNOM Radio Mission

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.

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

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.

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

Erosion Threatening Burial Site
A few years ago, people had to cover up parts of the burial site that were becoming exposed.
Racheal Lee, Max Neale, Erica Lujan, Tom Wolforth, Mike Brubaker, Michael Bruce, Debra Seetook, Vladimir Romanovsky, Louisa Castrodale

Landfill is flooding
Brevig Mission, Alaska, United States

Thaw-related Cracking of Local Roads
Observers seek guidance on causes for road cracks and how to address damage.
Anahma Shannon, Vladimir Romanovsky, James Olanna, Johnee Seetot

Ground Sinking at Historic Mass Burial Site
This year was one of the warmest and wettest in recorded history, and permafrost thaw is causing the ground at the mass gravesite to sink.
Anahma Shannon, Vanessa Tahbone, Tom Wolforth, James Olanna, Johnee Seetot, Vladimir Romanovsky, Mike Brubaker, Louisa Castrodale, Racheal Lee

Hill Where Graveyard is Located is Eroding
This year was one of the warmest and wettest in recorded history and permafrost thaw is causing the ground at the community cemetary to thaw and erode. The community is seeking guidance on best practices for relocation of remains.
Vanessa Tahbone, Anahma Shannon, James Olanna, Tom Wolforth, Johnee Seetot, Racheal Lee, Vladimir Romanovsky, Mike Brubaker

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

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

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.

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

Unusual Spiders by the Dozen
Spiders possibly wolf spiders of family (*Lycosidae*) numbering some 75 to 100 were seen on top of snow along Boulder Creek road and lagoon.

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

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

Change in Wind and Weather Patterns
Weather patterns have changed so much in the past several years.
Moses Tcheripanoff, Stanley Oxereok, Erica Lujan, Richard L Thoman Jr

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

Blueberries (Vaccinium ovalifolium) Ripe Early!
Blueberries are ripe early!
Nome, Alaska, United States

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.
Anchorage Daily News

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

Smokey Air
Hazy fourth of July...

No Sea Ice Yet
By this time of the year, we usually have 2-3 miles of shore-fast ice that sticks to our beach. We as a village have not done our winter harvest of seals and walrus, and we are worried that we will not be able to bowhead whale hunt.

Dead Orca (Orcinus orca) Whale
Dead orca observed in the Bering Strait region.

Sighted - Swainson's thrush (Catharus ustulatus)
9-04-15 Swainson's thrush - Wales, Alaska, USA
Beth Paluso, Brit Oxereok, Dean Stockwell

Northern Grasshoppers
The northern grasshoppers never been observer here before.

Unusual Spider
8-1-14 Unusual spider - Wales, Alaska, USA

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

Mystery Mite
Mystery mite
Nome, Alaska, United States

Dead Spotted (Phoca largha) and Ringed (Pusa hispida) Seals
We are spotting dead baby 'spotted' and 'ringed' seals washing up on the beach with no signs of lesions or signs of gun shots.
Gay Sheffield, Olivia Lee, Robert Tokeinna, Hajo Eicken

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

Poor Sea Ice - Our Sea Garden
The sea is our garden for food and other things.

Brown Bears (Ursus arctos) in the Arctic
Brown bears spotted by a resident for the first time on the island of Shishmaref.
Shishmaref, Alaska, United States

Unusual Bearded Seal (Erignathus barbatus)
5-29-12 Unusual bearded seal - Shishmaref, Alaska, USA
Shishmaref, Alaska, United States

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