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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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As climate change and high costs plague Alaska's fisheries, fewer young people take up the trade
As climate change and high costs impact Alaska's fisheries, fewer young people are entering the trade, posing challenges for the industry's future.
Alaska, United States
CBC

Methane beneath the Greenland ice sheet to intensify climate warming, scientists warn. A unique project to access the ice-sheet bed hopes to expose the scale of the danger
Scientists warn that methane trapped beneath the Greenland ice sheet could intensify climate warming as the ice melts, releasing the potent greenhouse gas into the atmosphere at accelerating rates.
ArcticToday

Research team reveals new results of bottom sediments and subsea permafrost temperatures in the Russian Arctic shelf
A research team has discovered that bottom sediment temperatures in the Russian Arctic shelf vary across different regions, with the Kara Sea having higher temperatures due to warm currents and large Siberian rivers, and the Laptev Sea and East Siberian Sea having the lowest temperatures and thicker subsea permafrost, which is important for understanding the degradation of permafrost and methane emissions in the region.
Kara Sea
Phys.org

Road damage after rain
Evacuations due to the risk of landslides were lifted at Seyðisfjörður this morning. Rain in Neskaupstaður yesterday was on a once-in-a-century scale. Some roads have been badly damaged.
Neskaupstaður, East, Iceland
RÚV

High levels of 'forever chemicals' found in Swedish crayfish
Swedish crayfish sold in stores have been found to contain high levels of PFAS chemicals, with four out of seven packages exceeding the safety limit set by EU law, according to the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation.
Björkvik, Västerbotten, Sweden
Sveriges Radio

Slithering their way in: Common garter snakes are no longer a rarity in southwestern Newfoundland
Common garter snakes are no longer rare in southwestern Newfoundland, and researchers are conducting genetic work to determine their origin.
Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Saltwire

Southeast Alaska harvest data shows moose moving to new areas
Moose in Southeast Alaska are being harvested in new areas, indicating a potential expansion of their population and distribution.
Petersburg, Alaska, United States
KTOO

All animals to be culled at fur farms with bird flu infections
Last month the Finnish Food Authority ordered all minks to be put down at fur farms with diagnosed avian influenza infections. Now the order has been expanded to cover all animals at such farms. The agency’s latest order affects approximately 115,000 animals, including 109,000 foxes.
Ostrobothnia Province, Finland
News
Sarah Yoder, Kimberlee Beckmen, Bob Gerlach

Hoonah gives residents bear-resistant trash cans but most of Southeast Alaska can’t afford them
Hoonah, Alaska is providing residents with free bear-resistant trash bins to address the problem of bears getting into trash, but most towns in Southeast Alaska cannot afford them, leading to conflicts between bears and humans.
Hoonah, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Bans on Swedish meat imports following swine fever outbreak
Countries including South Korea, Japan, Australia, and the Phillipines have halted imports of Swedish pork following the recent discovery of African swine fever. 7 dead wild boars have now been confirmed infected.
Sweden

Efforts underway to save salmon trapped in B.C. lake due to drought
More than 80 per cent of B.C.'s water basins are experiencing level 4 or 5 drought conditions, with salmon in many parts of the province struggling to make it to their spawning grounds.
Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada
CBC

Hunters concerned there are too few moose in the Swedish forests
The number of moose in Swedish forests has decreased by a third in the past decade, leading hunters to worry about the future of the annual moose hunt and calling for lower hunting quotas to stabilize the population.
Sweden
Sveriges Radio

Teller may move to higher ground
Teller is considering moving to a new subdivision site to avoid flood zones and eventually connect to water and sewer systems, with the project estimated to be completed by summer 2025.
Teller, Alaska, United States
The Nome Nugget

A new e-waste program is recycling tons of batteries from rural Alaska
A new e-waste program in rural Alaska collected and recycled over 145,000 pounds of lead-acid batteries from 45 communities, addressing the challenge of hazardous waste disposal in remote areas.
Alaska, United States
KTOO

Can I safely eat the strawberries I picked?
"I am concerned about high levels of PFAS contamination in the drinking water?"
Cold Bay, Alaska, United States
Nadine Kochuten, Sarah Yoder, Brian Berube, Christy McDonald, Karen Pletnikoff, Bailey Richards

Retreating sea ice in Arctic affecting zooplankton behaviour
“Particularly when it comes to the topmost 20 metres of the water column, just below the sea ice, there was no available data on the zooplankton,” Hauke Flores, a researcher from the  Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI),said in a statement. “But it’s precisely this hard-to-reach area that’s most interesting,
ArcticToday

After a disaster like Juneau’s August flood, mental health can be a neglected part of the recovery
August flooding in Juneau has resulted in severe damage to private homes. After such events physical damage to buildings and homes are obvious. What do the experts say about mental health challenges after events such as the Mendenhall Glacier event?
Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Alaska watches, nervously, as Ukraine war pushes more Russian oil through Bering Strait
While the ships are free to pass through the Bering Strait, its 55-mile width means that any spills would be likely to drift toward Alaska communities.
Nome, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

This famous Rocky Mountain glacier is dying, say scientists, warning us of what’s to come
Scientists have tracked the fate of the Peyto Glacier in the Rocky Mountains for decades as a global reference point. It’s disappearing faster than expected, which is a warning sign for communities downstream that depend on its water.
Banff, Alberta, Canada

Southeast commercial red and blue king crab fishery remains closed for upcoming season
The Southeast Alaska commercial red and blue king crab fishery will remain closed for the upcoming season due to low stock numbers, although some areas have shown signs of rebounding, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
Juneau, Alaska, United States
Alaska's News Source

Sitka’s tourism boom has brought a staggering increase in cigarette butts
Sitka's tourism boom has led to a significant increase in cigarette butt litter, prompting a monthly cleanup effort and concerns about the environmental impact of the litter.
Sitka, Alaska, United States

Severe Vibrio vulnificus Infections in the United States Associated with Warming Coastal Waters
Severe Vibrio vulnificus infections in the United States are associated with warming coastal waters, with an increase in infections in the Eastern United States and an expanded geographic range.
United States
CDC - Health Alert Network (HAN) - 00497 |

Sinking Permafrost Sinks Pipelines In Russia And Canada
Melting permafrost will increase the maintenance costs for critical infrastructure by $15.5 billion by mid-century but unable to prevent some $21.6 billion in damages. Nearly 70% of current infrastructure located on permafrost is at risk, including major oil and gas fields, pipelines, and mines.
Forbes

Pretty but pesky: Alaskans wage war on invasive plants
A "weed smackdown" at an Anchorage park is part of a long-running campaign to stop the spread of plants that are harming the natural ecosystem.
Alaska, United States

More than 25 tons of garbage were removed by volunteers of the Clean Arctic project in the north of Chukotka
Volunteers of the Clean Arctic project in the north of Chukotka, Russia, have removed more than 25 tons of garbage. The project aims to clean up the Arctic region and protect its fragile ecosystem. The volunteers have been working tirelessly to collect and dispose of waste, including plastic, metal, and other debris. The efforts have been successful in reducing pollution and preserving the natural beauty of the area. The project has received support from local communities and organizations, and it continues to make a positive impact on the environment.
Billings, Russia

The Hokksund family has water in their living room for the second time – probably won't be able to move home until next year
The Hokksund family in Drammen, Norway, has experienced flooding in their living room for the second time and may not be able to return home until next year due to ongoing flooding in the area.
Drammen, Buskerud, Norway
NRK

Bjørn Ole (13) was sucked into pipes in the floodwaters
– Han har hatt helt utrolig flaks, sier mor Cecilie etter at sønnen ble dratt gjennom et over 200 meter langt rør med flomvann.
Knapstad, Viken, Norway
NRK

N.W.T. fires have released 97 megatonnes of carbon, says European agency — 277 times what its people emit
Wildfires in the N.W.T have emitted 97 megatonnes of carbon into the air so far this year according to the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service. That's 277 times more than what was caused by humans in the territory back in 2021.
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada
CBC

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