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

This stubborn shrub is helping to keep Arctic river banks intact as permafrost thaws
A study published in Nature Climate Change examined how 10 big rivers in the Arctic had moved 50 years, and found they did not migrate as much as expected.
Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada
CBC

Snow is as high as ski lifts in California as drought abates
More than 700 inches of snow have fallen at Mammoth Mountain, almost burying entire houses and setting new record for snowfall. The snowfall in the Sierra Nevada range will help mitigate drought conditions in coming years.
Dollar Point, California, United States
Washington Post

Exceptional temperature increase in Arctic hotspot
The Barents area is the fastest warming place on the planet. A new study shows that the warming is happening twice as fast as previously thought.
Barents Sea
The Independent Barents Observer

Is it possible to improve winter biking in Canada? Finland shows the way
Oulu has more than 900 kilometres of separated bike paths, which is comparable to Montreal. In the winter, the city plows this huge bike network by 6 a.m. every day and will plow multiple times a day if needed.
Oulu, Northern Ostrobothnia, Finland
CBC

Bowhead whales are changing migration patterns in the Arctic
With ice declining, bowhead whales of the Pacific Arctic choose to stay longer in the waters up north. A change in migration patterns could affect the bowheads' health and safety, as well as the hunters' access to the subsistence resource.
Bering Straits

Increasing cases of avian influenza in people
The recent death of an 11-year-old girl in Cambodia's Prey Veng province infected with avian influenza has reinvigorated concern over the virus potentially gaining the ability to spread among humans. And while experts maintain the risk of that happening "remains low" at this time, the World Health Organization has said that increasing reports of avian influenza infection in humans are "worrying."
Phnom Penh, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Mayo Clinic

Seaweed farming inspires high hopes in Alaska for economic and environmental benefits
Seen as a bright spot in a troubled coastal economy, seaweed cultivation must overcome many obstacles to become big business in Alaska.
Juneau, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

'Whole hell of a lot of water up there': This map shows the Sierra snowpack's record levels
Atmospheric river boosted California's snowpack, especially in Central and Southern Sierra. Now the levels are record level creating safety issues such as roofs collapsing and helping with drought conditions across the western states.
Sierra Nevada, California, United States
San Francisco Chronicle

Anne Margrethe was sick from a tick bite: – Know how bad it can be
The Institute of Public Health is expanding the area where they recommend that people take the vaccine against the tick borne encephalitis.
Oslo, Oslo, Norway
NRK

Juneau's wastewater has four times as much COVID as the national average
This weekend marks the third anniversary of the World Health Organization’s declaration of the global pandemic — and Juneau’s wastewater is awash with COVID.
Juneau, Alaska, United States
KTOO

Researchers struggle to find out if windmills scare reindeer
A video of the reindeer on the steps of the wind turbine has caused wonder. Aren't the animals intimidated by wind power anyway? Here are some reasons why it is so difficult to find clear facts and secure figures.
Tromsø, Troms, Norway
NRK

Skjoma: Statkraft wants to make as much electricity as possible – now NVE recommends that they release more water
At times, the water level in the river Skjoma in Narvik is so low that the salmon freezes to death. But Statkraft has refused to release more water into the watercourse. Now the NVE intervenes.
Narvik, Nordland, Norway
NRK

Scientist explains how 'rain-on-snow' events can interact with California's snowpack
A scientist explains the interaction between "rain-on-snow" events and California's snowpack in Northern California.
Northern California, United States
KCRA Sacramento

School district closes 5 libraries due to snow load
Libraries at two Anchorage elementary schools — Klatt and Spring Hill — were closed after the maintenance department identified ceiling damage. The district also decided “out of an abundance of caution” to proactively close the libraries of Bear Valley Elementary, Fire Lake Elementary, and Ravenwood Elementary, which share the same building design with Klatt and Spring Hill.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Blizzard batters Northwest Alaska, causing infrastructure problems
In addition to blizzard conditions, Kotzebue residents have been experiencing power outages, water service interruptions and travel complications because of the storms.
Kotzebue, Alaska, United States

A decision looms on the Willow oil and gas project in Alaska's Arctic
Environmental and climate activists are rallying online against ConocoPhillips’ proposed Willow oil and gas drilling project in Alaska’s Arctic as the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden weighs whether to greenlight the controversial plan.
Nuiqsut, Alaska, United States
ArcticToday

Ice in the Baltic Sea reducing due to climate change
The Baltic Sea is experiencing a reduction in ice due to climate change, with this winter seeing significantly less ice compared to previous years.
Baltic Sea

Chronic wasting disease found in new deer species in Manitoba
Another species of deer has been detected suffering from chronic wasting disease in Manitoba according to the province.
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Winnipeg

Students learn lessons on climate change, pollution through raising salmon
Although many Alaskan students are familiar with salmon fishing, raising them gives them a new perspective on writing, science, math and art.
Kenny Lake, Alaska, United States
KYUK

Saanich invites volunteers to help battle invasive plants
A volunteer program in Saanich, B.C., is helping to beat back invasive species on the island.
Vancouver Island, BC, Canada
Vancouver Island

State shutters most Cook Inlet king salmon fishing this summer in unprecedented array of emergency closures
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced preseason fishing limits and closures Thursday as chinook numbers continue to decline. The closure also triggers commercial setnet shutdowns.
Cook Inlet, Alaska
Anchorage Daily News

Record-low quota caught as Bering Sea Tanner crab season wraps up
The fishing season has ended for Bering Sea Tanner crab. Crabbers caught the record-low quota of two million pounds just before the end of March. Nichols said the average size of the crab caught was smaller than in seasons past. That could be because buyers agreed to accept crab they would've previously turned away.
Bering Sea

Chugach State Park has been ‘loved to death.’ A ballot proposition aims to tackle longstanding problems
Amid an explosion in popularity, access points to the Chugach State Park are overwhelmed and underdeveloped, leading to a push for a new mechanism to handle chronic underfunding.
Chugach State Park
Anchorage Daily News

Residents of East Iceland told to be aware of ash eruption guidelines
In the last week, rapid ice melting on the crater lake (Öskjuvatn), usually frozen solid at this time of year, indicated significant geothermal energy being expended, and pointed to at least the increased possibility of an ash eruption at Askja.The police chief in East Iceland encourages people in the region to increase their awareness of a possible eruption of Askja and to familiarise themselves with instructions.
Askja
RÚV

'Like a highway going right past us': Nome grapples with its future as Arctic shipping traffic increases
Residents wonder if a proposed port expansion will help or hinder efforts to address chronic social problems.
Nome, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Highly venomous spiders still a problem for factory workers.
Highly venomous spiders native to Chile remain a worry for workers at a firm in Sandviken, near Gävle, several years after they were first discovered.
Sweden

This season’s snowfall isn’t yet too heavy for the vast majority of Anchorage rooftops, experts say
Engineers caution that residents wanting to clear their own roofs face greater risk of hurting themselves or damaging roofs than from a collapse.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Earthquakes last longer and feel stronger in parts of Interior Alaska, research finds
Researchers found that the seismic waves get amplified as they bounce back and forth off the sides and bottom of the sedimentary basin near Minto. So people in the flats perceive the earthquakes as bigger than they actually are and it’s all about the reverberation.
Minto, Alaska, United States

Arctic oilmen break through the ice to Tanalau
Ice lies thick on the Yenisey River as nuclear-powered icebreaker "Sibir" escorts a cargo ship to the remote terminal applied by oil company Rosneft
Yenisey River, Russia
The Independent Barents Observer

Subsistence in these days of climate change
There’s an old saying that captures the essence of subsistence harvesting: “When the tide is out, the table is set.” Clams, mussels and other food are available for the person. Climate change has impacted subsistence in the ocean and on the land. Community members share observations on changes.
Kodiak, Alaska, United States
Kodiak Daily Mirror

A year after Russia invaded Ukraine, a walrus discovery is caught up in geopolitics
Russian and American scientists have been cut off from collaborating for a year, and Arctic research is suffering.
Cape Serdtse­-Kamen, Chukchi Sea, Russia

Old Tjikko stands on Fulufjellet, just a mile from the Norwegian border in Trysil
Old Tjikko is 9500 years old, one of the oldest fir tree in the world.
Trysil, Innlandet, Norway

Environmental groups urge feds to track flulike illnesses common among BP oil spill workers
The petition is the latest step in a long effort to better protect oil spill responders from a range of long- and short-term health problems suffered after BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil disaster in 2010 and other spills.
Gulf of Mexico

Baffinland critical of report that says shipping to blame for narwhal displacement
A new report predicts there will be almost no narwhal left in an area off the northeastern coast of Baffin Island this summer and says shipping traffic from the nearby Mary River iron ore mine is to blame. The mine's operator says it leaves out key information.
Baffin Islands, Canada
CBC

Trudeau says he ordered takedown of 'unidentified object that violated Canadian airspace'
Trudeau orders takedown of unidentified object in Canada airspace.
Yukon, Canada

No deer, no problem: Sea otters become main course for this Southeast Alaska wolf pack
The pack killed all the black-tailed deer on the island and another established pack back on the mainland was preventing their return. Scientists assumed they would die off from starvation.
Pleasant Island, Alaska, United States

B.C’s pink sea urchins are on the move to shallower waters thanks to climate change
Researchers at Memorial University, Ocean Networks Canada and the University of Victoria found the urchins, living as deep as 400 metres below, were expanding their populations into shallower water at an average rate of 3.5 metres per year as ocean warming reduces oxygen levels and food sources at lower depths.
Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada
Port Alberni Valley News

Diminished population of sunflower sea stars may get Endangered Species Act listing
The huge sea stars, which help conserve kelp beds by eating sea urchins, have been devastated by a wasting disease that is linked by scientists to climate change.

Polar bear in fatal Wales attack was in poor health
A polar bear that killed a young mother and her baby last month in western Alaska was likely an older animal in poor physical condition.
Wales, Alaska, United States

Crab crisis in Bering Sea a sign of ‘borealization’ and big changes in the future, scientists warn
In coming decades, the ocean conditions that triggered the snow crab crash and harvest closure are expected to be common.
Bering Sea

Atmospheric rivers are hitting the Arctic more often, and increasingly melting its sea ice
Atmospheric rivers, those long, powerful streams of moisture in the sky, are becoming more frequent in the Arctic, and they’re helping to drive dramatic shrinking of the Arctic’s sea ice cover.
Arctic
ArcticToday

How will the Bering Strait respond to harmful algal blooms?
Harmful algal blooms will become a more common feature of a warming Arctic. Last summer, a massive bloom was detected off the coast of Western Alaska, almost by chance, when scientists sailing through the Bering Strait and Chukchi Sea found worryingly high levels of Alexandrium catenella.
Bering Strait
The Nome Nugget

Beaver colonization around Nome is a ‘harbinger’ of Arctic changes
Research shows Beavers are relatively new to the Seward Peninsula and push farther north as climate change occurs.
Nome, Alaska, United States
The Nome Nugget

Will 33-fold solar power in Norway in seven years
We (Norway) need to build solar power, at a pace we have not seen before, according to the Energy Commission. And the industry believes a 33-fold increase in seven years is realistic.
Norway

Warmest January in Norway’s northeast
East Finnmark region was 4 to 5 degrees warmer than normal in January.
Alta, Finnmark Fylke, Norway
The Independent Barents Observer

Company stopped the municipality's reindeer facility - sewage goes straight into the fjord
About 25 kg of sticky mass from a company entered the sewage system. Sewage goes into the sea from operating plant impacting fish and other sealife.
Ålesund, Møre og Romsdal, Norway

Forestry violates its own environmental rules – retains the green certificate
Time and time again, they have cut down forests that should not have been cut, according to a review made by NRK. Yet no company has lost its sustainability stamp.
Norway

Hogs are running wild in the U.S.—and spreading disease
The nation's six million feral pigs are destroying crops and preying on endangered species. But the most serious threat they pose is to human health.
United States
Animals

EPA stops Alaska's Pebble mine with rarely used power
The decision caps a decades-long battle over a region that is home to both the world’s largest wild salmon run and one of the world’s largest deposits of copper and gold.
Pebble Mine Proposed Site

Gov. Dunleavy says his carbon storage bills could bring Alaska ‘billions,’ but many unknowns remain
Dunleavy administration’s proposals, which could take years to implement, highlights economic gains for the state for carbon offset and sequestration programs.
Alaska, United States

How Indigenous people are strengthening fur traditions in an anti-fur world
Despite the negativity toward using and selling fur, Indigenous people say fur can be a sustainable, respectful and even luxurious material for clothing, accessories and art.
Northwest Territories, Canada

Human behaviour needs to shift for coexistence with wildlife, say specialists
Vancouver Island is known for its predatory wildlife, such as black bears, coastal wolves and cougars. Many towns and villages sit in areas with high populations of predatory wildlife, making interactions with humans often inevitable, unless effective coexistence management is in place.
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Wildlife talk about Yukon Flats recap
A wildlife biologist at Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge presented his findings after studying the kill-rate of moose by wolves in the Yukon Flats.
Yukon Flats, Alaska, United States
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Student project tracking microplastics found in Bering Strait-area spotted seals
A UAF graduate student has found microplastics in the stomachs of spotted seals harvested in the Bering Strait region.
Bering Strait

Weeks after snowstorms, some Anchorage bus stops remain inaccessible
Six weeks after a series of snowstorms dumped more than three feet of snow, bus stops along a handful of state-maintained roads remain buried, forcing transit users to navigate deep, slippery drifts and towers of snow.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

'The ocean is their garden': Initiative aims to make whaling safer
Backyard Buoys project will give residents real time data such as wave height to whaling crews and communities throughout the North Slope. A system of buoys will be displaced across the slope this summer.
North Slope, Alaska, United States
Arctic Sounder

Local Alaska egg producers fill cracks during shortage
Local farms help provide eggs with statewide shortage during avian flu outbreak.
Soldotna, Alaska, United States

NOAA denies emergency request to close red king crab savings areas
Federal officials denied an emergency request to close crucial habitat for Bristol Bay red king crab to all commercial fishing.
Bristol Bay, Alaska, United States

More than $13 million in federal funding earmarked for Bristol Bay
Bristol Bay will receive 13 million in Federal Funding to help with projects such as safe drinking water.
Bristol Bay, Alaska, United States

There's a lot of talk about what we would gain from the Ambler Road. But what would we lose?
The potential impact on caribou and the way of life in Northwest Arctic if Ambler Mining District is opened.
Ambler, Alaska, United States

Rare attack in Alaska renews interest in polar bear patrols
For isolated communities at the top of the world, keeping the planet’s largest land predators -- polar bears -- out of town is key to coexistence.
Wales, Alaska, United States
AP NEWS

Ice lies thick over Russian Arctic waters, but this winter might be record warm
Ship captains are battling with major volumes of sea-ice across the Russian far north. Temperature data show that the Arctic has almost never before been this hot.
Russian Arctic

Hard rain
Rain began to fall on the already snow-covered Yamal Peninsula, an Arctic region of northwest Siberia, in November 2013. Rain fell for the next 24 hours.  As rain saturated the snow, the temperature dropped below freezing, turning the precipitation into a thick, icy crust.
Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Russia
Boulder Weekly

How far can $25 million go to relocate a community that’s disappearing into Alaska’s melting permafrost?
A recent Interior Department grant aims to help residents in Newtok move to higher ground, but it’s just a sliver of what’s needed.
Newtok, Alaska, United States
High Country News

Alaska's cold climate 'luck' with three consecutive La Niña years is about to run out
National Weather Service says Alaska has been lucky to have three La Niña years. Due to climate change we could see a shift into warmer La and El Nino's.
Alaska, United States

More industry must be placed where power is produced
Mayors of power municipalities in Norway want new industry in the villages where electricity is produced, instead of sending it away to the city. Local power is very efficient.
Dalen, Telemark, Norway

Possible record year for arctic fox in Nordics with 762 cubs counted in 2022
The arctic fox population across the Nordic region has declined for decades, but recent data suggests cross-border cooperation between Finland, Norway and Sweden is helping turn things around. Arctic Fox dens and cub population is highest in all three countries.
Lapland, Finland
Eye on the Arctic

LKAB discovers large rare earth metals deposit in northern Sweden
The state-owned Swedish mining company LKAB says it has found a deposits containing more than one million tons of rare earth oxides near Kiruna in Northern Sweden.
Kiruna, Norrbotten, Sweden
ArcticToday

Congress approves development of national One Health coordination plan, other veterinary funding priorities
Language supported by the AVMA in new legislation will coordinate federal activities aimed at combating zoonotic disease outbreaks. The measure was among other provisions relevant to animal health that Congress passed before the end of the 2022.
United States
American Veterinary Medical Association

A real scramble: State suffers an egg shortage
Avian flu outbreak in Washington prompts cull of over 1 million eggs. This has led to a shortage of eggs in urbans areas such as Anchorage and rural communities in Alaska. The egg-shortage adds to the Covid-19 supply chain issues.

It's warmer than normal in many parts of the North — and it's going to stay that way for awhile
The Yukon, the N.W.T. and western Nunavut are experiencing above-average temperatures. According to Environment and Climate Change Canada, it's going to stay that way for the month of January.
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada

December was Anchorage’s wettest and second snowiest on record
Climatologist Rick Thoman says climate change is driving this more extreme winter snowfall. As the oceans warm, more moisture evaporates into the air. Then, when the atmospheric conditions are right for a storm, that increased evaporation results in “heavier and heavier precipitation,” Thoman said. That’s in part why Anchorage saw 41.2 inches of snow last month, capping off its wettest year on record, according to the National Weather Service.

Why Are Alaska's Rivers Turning Orange?
Streams in Alaska are turning orange with iron and sulfuric acid. Scientists are trying to figure out why
Kiana, Alaska, United States
Scientific American

In northernmost Alaska, a battle is on to limit the damages of permafrost thaw
Warming soils beneath Utqiagvik are triggering erosion that threatens homes, infrastructure and cultural resources. The North Slope has seen some of the fastest changes in coastal erosion in the nation.
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States
KTOO

Anchorage is still struggling to remove snow, weeks after a trio of winter storms
City officials say crews have made progress. But there are challenges. Crews are currently focused on hauling snow from main streets that are near schools, said Kohlhase’s Thursday email. He said he hopes to get every school cleared by the time classes resume on Monday, Jan. 9.

After 30 years in decline, Yukon's Finlayson caribou herd may be on the upswing, gov't says
For the first time in decades, Yukon's Finlayson caribou herd appears to be growing in number. That's according to recent population survey data from the territorial government.
Pelly Mountains, British Columbia

The hidden underwater forests that could help tackle the climate crisis
Underwater forests, such as kelp forests, have been found to cover a large area and have the potential to absorb significant amounts of carbon dioxide, making them important in addressing the climate crisis, although more research is needed to understand their long-term carbon sequestration capabilities.
Bodega Bay, California, United States
the Guardian

Climate change seen as suspected factor in Western Arctic Caribou Herd decline
Alaska’s Western Arctic Caribou Herd population is lower than at any time in over four decades. Climate change is the leading cause of the decline in the herd.

Researchers discuss more salmon appearing in Arctic
The Arctic Sounder - Serving the Northwest Arctic and the North Slope
Kaktovik, Alaska, United States

In the district capital, the estuary did not freeze, in Pevek it warmed up to +4
Three temperature records this week were broken in Chukotka. Forecasters recorded abnormally high temperatures for this time of year in Pevek and Omolon.
Pevek, Chukotskiy Avtonomnyy Okrug, Russia
prochukotku

An Unmistakable Stain in America’s Most Pristine Rivers
Dozens of once crystal-clear streams and rivers in Arctic Alaska are now running bright orange and cloudy, and, in some cases, they may be becoming more acidic. This otherwise undeveloped landscape now looks as if an industrial mine has been in operation for decades, and scientists want to know why.
Noatak River
The Atlantic

Ancient moose antlers hint of early arrival on Alaska's North Slope
The North Slope offers a marginal place for a moose because far fewer willow shrubs grow there than in the boreal forest. Moose are recent invaders of the North Slope due to climate warming and expanding willow growth.
North Slope, Alaska
Arctic Sounder

State downsizes bison hunt after a third of Delta herd starves to death
Alaska’s longest and most popular hunting season ended early this year. The Delta Junction bison hunt usually extends from October to March, but the state limited this year’s season to just two weeks, and only 50 animals were taken, because last winter’s heavy snow and ice buildup wiped out nearly a third of the Delta bison herd.
Delta Junction, Alaska, United States
KUAC

Washing away
The Arctic hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk, N.W.T., is collapsing into the ocean as it loses up to a meter of coastline each year. The people who live there are in a race against time to preserve their way of life — and their community — before it is washed away.
Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories, Canada

Garbage collection from the coast and tundra after the storm was completed in the village of Rytkuchi
Garbage and wood were removed by the municipal services of the village of Rytkuchi of the Pevek urban district from the coastline and tundra near the settlement. This was the final stage of a large-scale clean-up, which began in the summer after a strong storm.
Prochukotku

Dead bowheads in Beaufort and Chukchi point to increased killer whale presence in Arctic
There are new signs that killer whales, which are swimming farther north and staying for longer periods of the year in Arctic waters, are increasingly preying on Alaska’s bowhead whales. A newly published study found that 2019, an especially warm year in the region, also seems to have been an especially dangerous year for bowheads.
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States

Dungeness crab summer harvest drops $10M from previous season
Some Southeast fishermen skipping fall season entirely, other’s say season has been “hit or miss”
Homer, Alaska, United States
Homer News

As climate change progresses, trees in cities struggle
As the driest summer in Seattle’s record books ended, trees across the city were sounding silent alarms. It was the latest in a string of Seattle summers in the last decade, including a record-breaking heat dome in 2021, to feature drier conditions and hotter temperatures that have left many trees with premature brown leaves and needles, bald branches and excessive seeding –- all signs of stress.
Seattle, Washington, United States
AP NEWS

St. Paul government declares emergency in attempt to get ahead of looming crab crash
The recent closure of the Bering Sea snow crab and Bristol Bay red king crab fisheries has some Western Alaska towns taking a hard look at their futures, including St. Paul.
Saint Paul, Alaska, United States

Nome-Council Road passable again after suffering significant damage from severe September storm
Three weeks after ex-typhoon Merbok hit Western Alaska and breached the Nome-Council Road, Department of Transportation crews and local contractors finished their repairs.
Nome, Alaska, United States
KNOM Radio Mission

Climate change driving narwhals to change migration timings
Researchers have detected striking changes in narwhal migration times driven by climate changes in the North. "Our long-term dataset identified that passage boundary crossing dates were associated with changing sea ice dynamics as a result of climate change," the researchers said in their paper p
Eye on the Arctic

Bering Sea king and snow crab seasons canceled amid population declines
For the first time ever, the Bering Sea snow crab fishery will not open for the upcoming season. The Bristol Bay red king crab fishery will also be closed for a second year in a row.
Bering Sea

Haines’ changing alpine permafrost
Alpine permafrost is thawing, according to an article by the National Science Foundation. This is bad news because thawing releases carbon dioxide and methane and because it can cause destabilization of the land, as a couple of northbound drivers found out last week when their car was buried in the slide at 23 miles, as reported in a Chilkat Valley News article.
Haines, Alaska, United States
KHNS Radio | KHNS FM

Under threat of thaw, some North Slope ice cellars will get tech upgrades to stay frozen
Iñupiat communities have been looking for alternatives to traditional ice cellars. Some households switched to using manmade freezers, which can be effective but they affect the taste and the quality of the food, Nelson said. Additionally, power outages, frequent in the villages, can make this storage method unreliable. So the search is on for creative ideas to preserve traditional ice cellars.
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States

Southeast Alaska wolves eat over 60 prey species, study finds — including sea otter
A study – now in its eighth year – has found a remarkably diverse diet among the region’s wolf population. Sea otter has become a primary source of food.
Petersburg, Alaska, United States
KTOO

Southeast Alaska wolves eat over 60 prey species, study finds — including sea otter
Southeast Alaska’s wolves tend to favor deer and moose at mealtime, but in a pinch they won’t say no to black bear – or even sea otter.
Petersburg, Alaska, United States

NASA Warns Methane Is Being Belched From Newly Formed Lakes
These lakes form because warm temperatures in the Arctic are melting the permafrost.
Fairbanks, Alaska, United States
Newsweek

As support streams in, one village still accounting for what was lost in Western Alaska storm
Golovin was hurt worse than other places in the Norton Sound region by the remnants of typhoon Merbok as it swirled up through Bering Sea last weekend. Repairing the damage is going to take time — and the clock is ticking on winter’s arrival.
Golovin, Alaska, United States

Wildfire smoke may have amplified arctic phytoplankton bloom
Smoke from a Siberian wildfire may have transported enough nitrogen to parts of the Arctic Ocean to amplify a phytoplankton bloom.
EurekAlert!

Typhoon Merbok pounded Alaska’s vulnerable coastal communities at a critical time
The powerful remnants of Typhoon Merbok pounded Alaska’s western coast on Sept. 17, 2022, pushing homes off their foundations and tearing apart protective berms as water flooded communities. Storms aren’t unusual here, but Merbok built up over unusually warm water. Its waves reached 50 feet over the Bering Sea, and its storm surge sent water levels into communities at near record highs along with near hurricane-force winds.

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