LEO Network

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

Observations

Albatross divorce rates up with ocean warming
A team of researchers has found that black-browed albatrosses living on the Falkland Islands see rising divorce rates during times when the sea surface temperatures rise. They point out that hunger could lead to one or the other partner abandoning an egg or hatchling—events that could lead to one of the birds ditching the other.
Falkland Islands
Phys.org

Bowhead whales that washed up in Nunavut in 2020 were likely killed by orcas
"We never know for sure how they died, but it does seem like a lot of the evidence points to killer whale predation," Steve Ferguson, a research scientist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, said Thursday.
Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada
CBC

Federal survey delivers more bad news to Bering Sea crab fleet
The king crab harvest survey could indicate a second bleak year for crabbers in Washington, Oregon and Alaska as warm water affects the number of adult crabs.
Bering Sea
The Seattle Times

Canceled crab season could devastate Unalaska
This year, that industry came to a drastic halt. In October, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game closed both the the Bristol Bay Red King Crab and Bering Sea Snow Crab seasons. Kelty said he is expecting between the lost revenue from the past two years, intertwined with the suspended season, he is expecting both the crabbing industry along with sector businesses to lose close to a billion dollars.
Unalaska, Alaska, United States

Communities consider 'managed retreat' from climate change
Ricky Wright points to the bank of a creek to show one way his hometown has been affected by climate change. Many banks have eroded or collapsed, and now some favorite fishing spots that were once on solid ground are reachable only by boat.
Saint Helena Island, South Carolina, United States
AP NEWS

‘It’ll be a disaster’: Southeast Alaska fishermen fear looming closure of king salmon fishery
More than 100 salmon trollers packed a Sitka meeting Wednesday night with sharp questions about the future of an iconic Southeast Alaska fishery, facing what could be an unprecedented full shutdown of this year’s chinook trolling season. State officials are scrambling to open the fishery after it was effectively closed by a federal judge — but damage has already been done.
Juneau, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Retreating sea ice in Arctic affecting zooplankton behaviour
As the climate warms and Arctic sea ice retreats and gets thinner, more light is getting through. “Since marine zooplankton respond to the available light, this is also changing their behaviour – especially how the tiny organisms rise and fall within the water column,” the AWI said in a news release on their website.
MOSAiC Expedition Route
The Independent Barents Observer

Study shows warm water sliding into Beaufort Sea
The Arctic Sounder - Serving the Northwest Arctic and the North Slope

North Pacific right whales may be returning to northern parts of the Bering Sea
North Pacific right whales, once numbering in the tens of thousands, swam throughout the Bering Sea until they were nearly wiped out by commercial hunters. Now the Eastern North Pacific right whale population is estimated to total about 30 individuals, and its habitat is believed to be concentrated in the southeastern corner of the Bering Sea.
Bering Sea
ArcticToday

Sunflower sea stars need help after catastrophic population declines, scientists say
Experts say a wasting disease epidemic has decimated about 95% of the sunflower sea star population from Alaska’s Aleutian Islands to Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. Without sea stars to keep them in check, sea urchins are causing a troubling decline in kelp forests that provide food and shelter.
West Coast of North America
oregonlive

Scientists point to climate change as likely cause for Alaska snow crab decline
“This is unprecedented in the United States for a mature, rationalized fishery to suffer a stock collapse, in part due to climate change,” the executive director of the Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers said.
Bering Sea
Anchorage Daily News

Canada’s disappearing coastline
Projections show rising sea levels could cause Canada’s beaches to retreat inland, in extreme cases by as much as half a kilometre. The best option may be to stand back and let it happen.
Canada's Beaches
The Globe and Mail

The Aleutian Islands could become a hub for zero-emissions shipping
ICCT researcher Elise Georgeff has been investigating hydrogen as a potential replacement fuel. First, her team calculated how many ships could cross the Pacific Ocean using the existing hydrogen technology. "About 43% could be powered by using hydrogen fuel cells," Georgeff said.Unalaska and Adak islands in the Aleutians are in perfect locations to become pit stops in a trans-Pacific green corridor. Most of the international ships crossing from west to east follow the same path, and those two communities are right in the middle: about halfway through one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.
Unalaska, Alaska, United States
Bristol Bay Times

As the once-lucrative Bering Sea crab harvest resumes, Alaska fishermen face challenges
Alaska fishermen face challenges as the Bering Sea crab harvest resumes, with environmental and economic upheaval threatening the future of the industry. Scientists are questioning whether full recovery is possible in a warming world for these ailing crab populations that have supported some of the world’s most lucrative fisheries.

Executive order bars imports of Russian fish that is processed in other countries
An executive order issued by President Biden extends the ban on Russian seafood imports to include products processed in other countries, closing a loophole from previous sanctions.
Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia
Petersburg Pilot

Orcas aren’t attacking ships — they’re just playful teens, scientists say
Since 2020, members of a small group of killer whales have rammed into at least 673 vessels off the coasts of Portugal, Spain and Morocco — causing some to sink. The Spanish and Portuguese governments responded by tasking a group of experts with determining what was causing the whales to strike rudders, which are used to steer ships, and how to stop it.
Off the Coast of Portugal and Spain

Ocean animals face a mass extinction from climate change, study finds
Rising temperatures and dwindling oxygen levels are decimating marine species. But humanity can avert mass die-offs by curbing fossil fuel use and other planet-warming activities.
Oceans of the World
Washington Post

Planned whaling halted the day before hunting due to start
The Minister of Food has temporarily suspended planned whaling until August 31. A new report stated that of the 148 whales killed, 36 were shot more than once. Five were shot three times, and four whales on four separate occasions. One whale with a harpoon in its flesh was chased for five hours without success.
Reykjavík, Capital Region, Iceland
RÚV

Underwater farming offers sustainable industry for coastal communities
The definition of farming has expanded over time from soil-only planting and harvesting to include farmers that harvest from the sea. Along the coast, kelp f...
Ketchikan, Alaska, United States
YouTube

Canadian Ice Service tracking icebergs in western Arctic for 1st time
Drifting icebergs can conflict with navigation routes and cause hazards for coastal communities and ships. Climate change is creating more ice shelf break-off than ever and scientists are keeping track of drifting patterns as a result.
Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada
CBC

Sea ice, storms and coastal erosion in Nelson Lagoon - Science Q&A with Reyce Bogardus
UAF graduate student Reyce Bogardus talks about sea ice, storms and coastal erosion at Nelson Lagoon, which is on the southernmost edge of the historical max...
Nelson Lagoon, Alaska, United States
YouTube

Melting sea ice forces polar bears to travel farther for food
In recent years, polar bears in the Beaufort Sea have had to travel far outside of their traditional arctic hunting grounds which has contributed to an almost 30% decrease in their population.
Beaufort Sea
Phys.Org

Bering Sea crabbers fear another bleak season as populations dwindle in Alaska’s warming waters
Researchers say warmer waters themselves aren’t killing crabs, but they may be allowing predators to move in and disease to spread more easily.
Kodiak, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Antarctic winter sea ice hits 'extreme' record low
Researchers warn the shift can have dire consequences for animals, like penguins, who breed and rear their young on the sea ice while also hastening global warming by reducing how much sunlight is reflected by white ice back into space.
Two Hummock Island
CBC

Another Bering Sea snow crab season closure brings more financial hardships for fishermen
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced it was closing the 2023-24 Bering Sea snow crab season for the second season in a row.
Alaska News Source

Climate change is making it harder to survey pollock in the Gulf of Alaska
Between 2017 and 2019, pollock surveys in the Gulf of Alaska produced wildly different estimates. A new study shows what climate-driven mismatch in pollock surveys for sustainable fisheries management.
Gulf of Alaska
KTOO

Latest research from Woods Hole finds HABs growing locally in Northern waters
Scientists have documented an increase in abundance of harmful algal blooms in the Northern Bering and Chukchi Seas.
Northern Bering and Chukchi Seas
KNOM Radio Mission

Premature Mortality Observations among Alaska’s Pacific Salmon During Record Heat and Drought in 2019
Widespread mortality of Pacific salmon Oncorhynchus spp. returning to spawn in Alaska coincided with record-breaking air temperatures and prolonged drought in summer 2019.
Western Alaska, United States
Fisheries Magazine

Loss of Arctic summer sea ice 'inevitable' within 30 years, report says
Climate change is rapidly melting away the world’s frozen regions, with summertime Arctic sea ice sure to vanish by 2050, according to a report published on Monday. In just this year, rains fell on East Antarctica in March, as air temperatures were unusually warm. During the summer, the Alps lost 5
ArcticToday

First phase of Cape Blossom Road construction set to start this fall
For more than a decade, the city of Kotzebue has been planning to establish a deep-water port facility out at Cape Blossom, about 11 miles south of Kotzebue. A new road to the port would allow goods to be delivered to town, without the lightering fee.
Cape Blossom
KNBA

Signed Contract Worth Billions for Operating Hydrogen Ferries between Bodø and Lofoten: “World Class Climate Project”
The Norwegian Public Roads Administration and Torghatten Nord have signed an agreement on Norway’s first full-scale hydrogen ferry which allows for CO2 emission cuts equaling 13,000 diesel-fueled cars per year.
Bodø, Nordland, Norway
High North News

Clam Gulch and Ninilchik beaches closed to clamming for the 9th year in a row
The clam population crashed on the east side of Cook Inlet about a decade ago and has been slow to bounce back.
Clam Gulch, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Still waiting on Merbok aid, Shaktoolik braces for fall storms
Shaktoolik, a village in Alaska, is still waiting for aid from FEMA to rebuild a protective berm that was destroyed by a typhoon, leaving the community vulnerable to storms and erosion.
Shaktoolik, Alaska, United States
The Nome Nugget

Gulf of Finland's low blue-green algae levels this summer 'gives us hope'
The scientist noted that the amount of phosphorus, which is essential for cyanobacterial growth, in the Gulf has dropped by around 60 percent compared to their worst, peak levels.
Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland
Yle Uutiset

Scientists of "Beringia" came close to explaining the mystery of "smelly" whales in Chukotka
The specific "medical" smell of whale meat may be caused by liver disease or the animals' diet. Chukchi Sea hunters began noticing the pungent, unpleasant smell in some whales about 20 years ago. Recently, the number of stinky whales has increased. Scientists with Beringia National Park analyzed the isotopic composition in 46 samples of gray whales. “Stinky” whales had significantly lower levels of heavy nitrogen. Scientists still must understand whether this is a result of liver disease or a diet based on algae. Scientists hope to study more high-quality samples of “stinky” whales.
Chukotka

AFN delegates push for measures to decrease salmon bycatch
Two resolutions brought before the Alaska Federation of Natives during this year’s annual convention called for efforts to reduce salmon bycatch for fish that return to the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers.
Eagle, Alaska, United States
KDLG

The bottom of the Bering and Chukchi seas could become too warm for some important species
There is danger lurking on the floor of the Bering and Chukchi seas for mussels, snails, clams, worms and other cold-water invertebrates, according to a new study led by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientists.

New estimate for Cook Inlet belugas shows ‘glimmer of hope’ for endangered population
The number of endangered beluga whales in Alaska’s Cook Inlet increased slightly the past four years, according to a new estimate by federal biologists.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

In Hawaii, coral is the foundation of life. What happened to it after the Lahaina wildfire?
A deadly wildfire burned more than 2,000 buildings in the Hawaiian town of Lahaina on Maui in August and left behind piles of toxic debris.
Lahaina, Hawaii, United States
AP News

European Green Crab: Will they be the next aquatic invasive species in Alaska?
As ocean temperatures trend warmer than average, green crab larvae dispersed in ocean currents from more southern latitudes will find more suitable habitat along the Alaska coast. Recently, adult green crabs have been detected in Skidegate Inlet on Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, and larval crabs have been found in Prince Rupert, both less than 100 miles south of Ketchikan.
Ketchikan, Alaska, United States
Alaska Department of Fish and Game

Observed Evidence of Changing Forests:Testimonial for the Status of Tribes and Climate Change Report
The Institute of Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) Tribes and Climate Change Program is publishing a report called the Status of Tribes and Climate C...
Spokane, Washington, United States
YouTube

Starving seabirds on Alaska coast show climate change peril
The seabirds are struggling because of climate-linked ecosystem shifts — which can affect the supply and the timing of available food — as well as a harmful algal bloom and a viral outbreak in the region, she said. And their peril jeopardizes the human communities, as well: "Birds are essential to our region — they are nutritionally and economically essential," said Sheffield.
Nome, Alaska, United States

The great goose die-off
Scientists determine geese died due to exhaustion and salt-poisoning. More birds end up dying because of the long flights they undertake, in extreme conditions.
Cambridge Bay
NUNAVUT NEWS

Threatened listing proposed for sunflower sea star after population devastated by wasting disease
It causes legs to fall off and, ultimately, results in disintegration of the animals’ bodies. Climate change may be behind that disease, as the arrival of Pacific marine heat waves coincided with the disease outbreak, according to federal biologists.The sea star, with a range from Baja California to the Aleutians, would be the first sea star with an Endangered Species Act listing.
Gulf of Alaska
Alaska Public Media

UN nuclear agency chief to visit Fukushima plant to see final preparations for release of wastewater
The chief of the U.N. nuclear agency will visit Japan next week to meet with officials and see final preparations for the release of treated radioactive wastewater from the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean.
Fukushima, Fukushima, Japan
AP News

TOTE Maritime Alaska is now powering its ships with natural gas, cutting carbon and other pollutants
The company says it's the first in the world to convert a full fleet to run on the most environmentally friendly fuel available.
Tacoma, Washington, United States
Alaska Public Media

Weak winds in the Pacific drove record-breaking 2019 summertime marine heat wave
Weakened wind patterns likely spurred the wave of extreme ocean heat that swept the North Pacific last summer, according to new research led by the University of Colorado Boulder and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego. The marine heat wave, named the "Blob 2.0" after 2013's "Blob"; likely damaged marine ecosystems and hurt coastal fisheries. Waters off the U.S. West Coast were a record-breaking 4.5 degrees F (2.5 degrees C) above normal, the authors found.

Africa's most populous city is battling floods and rising seas. It may soon be unlivable, experts warn
Cars and houses submerged in water, commuters wading through buses knee-high in floods, and homeowners counting the cost of destroyed properties.
Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria
CNN

As Bering Sea ice melts, Alaskans, scientists and Seattle’s fishing fleet witness changes ‘on a massive scale’
Researchers now are uncertain when and to what extent the ice may return, and have scrambled to better understand the consequences of back-to-back years of its loss.
Savoonga, Alaska, United States

New wave of Kenai Peninsula fishery closures takes effect
State officials said that king salmon runs are not showing signs of improvement and that conservative measures are needed to ensure future fishing opportunities.
Kenai, Alaska, United States
Peninsula Clarion

Combined threats keep Alaska’s Cook Inlet beluga numbers perilously low, scientists say
The endangered population continues to slip and calf numbers are few, but no single factor has been identified as the cause.
Cook Inlet

California sea lions are dying—now scientists know why
Twenty-two sea lions have been found dead on beaches in California, with many more found sick.
Bodega Bay, California, United States
Newsweek

Surface trawl survey reveals shifting fish populations
Researchers are predicting low fish runs in the Norton Sound and Northern Bering Sea region again next year, according to research biologist Jim Murphy.
Northern Bering Sea
The Nome Nugget

Insights on climate realities concludes Arctic Encounter Symposium
The Arctic Encounter Symposium (AES) held its 2023 event, bringing together policymakers, industry leaders, military leaders and other experts to discuss the leading issues in Arctic policy, innovation and development. The event allowed attendees to hear from several Alaska Natives about their experiences in a rapidly changing climate and ecosystem.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Northern Bering Sea saw some indicators of health rebound in 2023
The Northern Bering Sea showed signs of ecological recovery in 2023, with improved conditions for zooplankton and fish despite ongoing challenges from climate change and variable sea ice patterns.
The Nome Nugget

Support

Observation Template