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

Alarm: Barnacles Are Growing – Environmentally Friendly Tips for Boat Owners
Barnacle larvae are proliferating in the Baltic Sea, prompting the Swedish Boat Union to warn owners to wash hulls in time to prevent hard barnacle mats and reduce environmental and fuel impacts.
Baltic Sea, Sweden
SVT Nyheter

Sea waters around UK experience record temperatures, causing dramatic changes in marine life
Sea surface temperatures around the UK have been the warmest start to the year on record, driving unusual species like bluefin tuna, octopus and mauve stinger jellyfish into British and Irish waters. Irish waters have cooled since a May marine heatwave but remain above average in the east and south.
United Kingdom and Ireland
The Irish Times

Unusual squid in Chignik Lagoon
An unusual sighting of squid in Chignik Lagoon, Alaska, highlights a pattern of increasing squid observations in unexpected locations..
Chignik Lagoon, Alaska, United States

Venomous jellyfish invading west Swedish beaches
A venomous lion’s mane jellyfish has been sighted on several west Swedish beaches between Strömstad and Malmö, delivering powerful stings that can cause breathing problems.
West Coast, Sweden
SVT Nyheter

Invasive European Green Crab found north of Ketchikan
A small but potentially environmentally threatening crab is expanding its area of influence in Alaska.
Ketchikan, Alaska, United States

KBNERR warns of potential harmful algal bloom in Kachemak Bay
The Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve detected Pseudo-nitzschia at bloom levels in Kachemak Bay starting July 4. This diatom can produce the toxin domoic acid, associated with amnesic shellfish poisoning, though toxin production is not yet confirmed. Observed bird deaths and marine mammal strandings have spurred collection of mussel samples for lab testing.
Homer, Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska, United States
Peninsula Clarion

Marine Heatwave in Norway – Extreme Sea Temperature
Sea surface temperatures off Norway have reached 22–23 °C, at least five degrees above normal, marking a marine heatwave that risks stressing marine life and intensifying extreme weather.
Trøndelag, Norway
NRK

Melting Starfish
Starfish wasting observed in Kassan for the first time in several years.
Kasaan, Alaska, United States
Krissy Dunker, Gemini , Donna Aderhold, Kris Holderied, Melissa Miner, Carol Fletcher, Sarah Yoder

Most of the red salmon were carrying worms
From the images shared, these appear to be *Philemona*, a freshwater parasite. *Philomena* is a food quality concern but is *Not* considered a human health concern. With proper preparation, the salmon is safe to eat.
Kenai, Alaska, United States
Cindy Lawrence, Lars Flora, Mike Brook, Sarah Yoder, Jayde Ferguson

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.
Nome, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Dangerous PSP toxin levels found in some Southwest Alaska clams, mussels
High levels of PSP toxins have been found in razor clams in Chignik Lagoon and blue mussels in Sand Point, Alaska, making them unsafe to eat and potentially causing paralytic shellfish poisoning, with no known cure.
Chignik, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Unidentified juvenile crab
Juvenille crab was found at a salmon set-net site. Is this a Puget Sound species that has now been found on the Alaska Peninsula?
Orzinski Bay
Tammy Davis, Karen Pletnikoff, Melissa Good, Asia Beder

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.
Nome, Alaska, United States
KNOM Radio Mission

Evidence of invasive crab that could wreak havoc on Alaska fisheries found near Metlakatla
The European Green Crab are a threat to ecosystems and commercial fisheries. They uproot eelgrass beds in search of food, which serve as habitat for herring and salmon.
Metlakatla, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Sudden lake draining event
"The event occurred on June 29th, on our native allotment near Kotzebue (Illivak). We left home in the morning and when we came back around 8:00 PM in the evening the whole lake had drained! It looked like it was blown up with dynamite."
Kotzebue, Alaska, United States
Ken Tape, Richard L Thoman Jr, Gemini , Guido Grosse, Susan Tessier, Benjamin Jones, Anna Liljedahl , Vladimir Romanovsky, Jacqualine Schaeffer, Joanna Barton, Ingmar Nitze, Bruce Forbes

Volunteers confront an invasion of black slugs near Whittier
Volunteers at the Whittier Slug-Out learned about Alaska’s invasive species and helped mitigate European black slugs near a popular cove on Prince William Sound.
Whittier, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Decaying Sea Cucumbers
I have photos of four different sea cucumbers decaying, but my friend claims to have observed around 10 dead sea cucumbers.
Saxman, Alaska, United States
Jesse Endert, Gary Freitag, Mandy Lindeberg

Sea cucumber die-off near Vancouver Island
When Kathleen Reed descended for her usual weekly dive off the coast of Nanaimo, B.C., last Saturday she was shocked by how many dead sea cucumbers she saw. Experts and harvesters fear that sea cucumbers are being hit by an illness similar to sea star wasting disease.
Dolphin Beach, British Columbia, Canada
CBC

Not seeing as many earthworms after rain events
"This year I walked along the same route after a rainstorm and see only one or two — sometimes none"
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Kimberly Porter, Luke Williams, Derek Sikes

He has lived for 74 years – for the first time the river is dry
Extreme drought in the west means that households with private waterworks are out of water. Elvar's dried up. "The situation is very serious," he says.
Skinlo, Breim, Vestland, Norway
NRK

Seeing some Worms in Kenai Salmon
About 10% of our catch during dip net fishing at mouth of Kenai River was harboring these worms.
Kenai River, Alaska, United States
Jayde Ferguson, Mike Brubaker, Ian Williams

Sea Life Die-Off Found on Beach
"While on a field trip for work, we stopped at the beach and you can notice hundreds of dead clams and star fish littering the beach."
Elim, Alaska, United States
Carol Oliver, Derek Sikes, Leigh Takak, Gay Sheffield, Racheal Lee

B.C.'s heat wave may be to blame for several cases of shellfish poisoning
Several people have fallen ill with food poisoning after eating shellfish in B.C. in the last 10 days, and health officials are warning that warm ocean waters might be to blame.
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
CBC

Blue mussel die-off in Skagway
"The first wave of dead mussels washed ashore on July 14th, possibly earlier but this was the first report we received. I took the pictures included in my LEO observation on July 16th, and the temperatures were only just then beginning to climb into the upper 70s and lower 80s."
Skagway, Alaska, United States
Kris Holderied, Mandy Lindeberg, Reuben Cash

European Skipper (Thymelicus lineola) in Northwest, BC
A European Skipper butterfly is observed in Northwest BC, an introduced species and one of several stressors underlying insect declines.
Smithers, British Columbia, Canada

Intertidal life after significant heat wave
In Malahat Drive in BC, an extraordinary heat wave, combined with low tides during the middle of the day resulted in the die off of possibly billions of intertidal invertebrates along the coast of British Columbia and Washington State.
Malahat Drive

Extreme heat cooks shellfish alive on Puget Sound beaches
A record-shattering heat wave June 26-28 coincided with some of the year's lowest tides on Puget Sound. The combination was lethal for millions of mussels, clams, oysters, sand dollars, barnacles, sea stars, moon snails, and other tideland creatures exposed to three afternoons of intense heat.
Anacortes, Washington, United States
KUOW

Paralytic Shellfish Toxin Advisory
The Southeast Alaska Tribal Ocean Research program found that all shellfish species in Settler's Cove and Seaport Beach in Ketchikan and Starrigavan North beach in Sitka are affected by high levels of Paralytic Shellfish Toxin, posing the risk of Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning for consumers.
Ketchikan, Alaska, United States
Southeast Tribal Ocean Research

Mystery lines on Haida Gwaii beach
I've asked quite a few of the elders here if they had ever seen and none of them said they had ever seen it, said Skidegate Chief Councillor Bill Yovanovich, who took the photos Saturday on Lina Island. They show small bits of white shells arranged into what appears to be an intentional grid pattern that stretches at least a hundred metres along the beach.
Lina Island, Haida Gwaii, Canada
Global News

Invasive grass carp caught in Chambly Basin
Scientists say the grass carp population in the Chambly Basin is probably small, but the presence of this species in any number is bad news.
Chambly, Quebec, Canada
Montreal Gazette

A person was fatally poisoned by mussels in Dutch Harbor, and now Alaska warns of high toxin levels
A person has died from paralytic shellfish poisoning after eating blue mussels and snails in the Aleutian Island community of Unalaska, state health officials confirmed Wednesday.
Unalaska, Alaska, United States
KCUB Unalaska

Thousands of blue jellyfish clog cooling system in Israeli power plant
Thousands of jellyfish clogged up a cooling system and threatened to suspend production at a power plant in Israel. Video filmed at the Electric Company power plant on Thursday shows the light blue sea creatures being swept down a chute and into a bin. The power plant, based in the coastal city of Ashkelon, about 15 miles north of the Gaza strip, uses seawater to cool its
Ashqelon, Southern District, Israel
The Independent

‘A grave concern’: European green crabs discovered on Haida Gwaii
There are many types of crabs that are green in colour, but only the European green crab has five spines on the outside of each eye. The aggressive invasive species was discovered in Skidegate Inlet; and now working group formed to decide next steps.
Skidegate 1, British Columbia, Canada
Victoria News

Jellyfish the size of dinner plates on Northeast beaches
Some beaches in the northeastern United States are dealing with more than the threat of COVID-19 this holiday weekend. They have to contend with an unwelcome visitor: the Lion's Mane jellyfish.
Scituate, Massachusetts, United States
CNN

Giant 6ft lion's mane jellyfish spotted Colwyn Bay Beach in Wales
Dom Faux, 42, and daughter Eryn were enjoying a walk on Colwyn Bay Beach, north Wales when they came across a huge lion's mane jellyfish measuring six feet across.
Colwyn Bay, Wales, United Kingdom
Mail Online

Manet invasion in the Oslo Fjord
Large menger glass jellyfish in the Oslo fjord cause problems for both beachgoers and shrimp fishermen. The whole trawl was full before it reached the bottom where the shrimp are.
Saltnes, Østfold, Norway
NRK

Picking Shellfish Yields Tingling Fingers
Is there something that would cause fingers to tingle or swell after touching the mussels and clams?

Large landslides have passed in Alta
One person was evacuated and brought to safety after the landslide at Kråkneset in Alta municipality. A total of eight buildings were swept to the sea in the 650-metre landslide. Due to a high avalanche risk, police have still not entered the area.
Kråkenes, Alta, Norway
Sofie Dege Dimmen, Ida Loise Rostad, Idun Aalbu Rasmussen, Jo Hermstad Tronsen

Sockeye salmon returns plunge in B.C., as climate change mainly to blame
Federal fisheries experts paint devastating picture of the challenges facing Pacific salmon and point to climate change as the main culprit.
Fraser River, British Columbia, Canada
Vancouver Sun

State reopens shellfish harvest
The state's Department of Environmental Services and Fish and Game announced effective Friday, Aug. 9 the ban on harvest of shellfish due to “red tide” is lifted for all species of shellfish except surf clams.The harvest closure went into effect May 9 for the Atlantic Ocean and Hampton/Seabrook Harbor in response to elevated levels of paralytic shellfish poisoning, or PSP, commonly known as red tide, detected in blue mussels collected from Hampton/Seabrook
Hampton, New Hampshire, United States
seacoastonline.com

Uncommon Squat Lobster (Munida quadrispina) Sighting
A squat lobster (*Munida quadrispina*) was pulled up in a shrimp pot placed in Prince William Sound, which is not a common event. Squat lobsters are commonly found in Southeast Alaska during ADF&G shrimp survey pots and in scallop dredge surveys near Yakutat, Kayak Island, Kachemak Bay, and Kodiak.
Surprise Cove, Alaska, United States

First 2019 paralytic shellfish poisoning case reported in Alaska
The Department of Health and Social Services reports a person experienced PSP symptoms after eating a clam harvested near Perryville on the Alaska Peninsula.
Perryville, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Krill (Thysanoessa spinifera) Found Washed Up on Beach
Krill (*Thysanoessa spinifera*) were found washed up along the beach in Dutch Harbor. Samples sent to University of Alaska Fairbanks are in the process of being tested for toxins.
Unalaska, Alaska, United States
Karen Pletnikoff, Asia Beder, Dean Stockwell, Melissa Good, Bruce Wright

Unidentified Orange Substance Found Washed Up on the Beach in Unalaska
An unidentified substance was found washed up on the Summers Bay beach. Samples were sent to University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) and are being tested.
Unalaska, Alaska, United States
Karen Pletnikoff, Dean Stockwell, Asia Beder, Melissa Good

More dead marine mammals, birds found on region’s beaches
Alaska Sea Grant agent Gay Sheffield from Nome responded to report of a dead bowhead and a dead grey whale northeast of Shishmaref near Cape Espenburg.
Shishmaref, Alaska, United States
The Nome Nugget

Add krill and mussels to the list of unusual marine deaths in Northwest Alaska
Village wildlife observers worry that the unusual warmth of oceans off Alaska is causing problems throughout the ecosystem.
Shishmaref, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Eating shellfish you’ve harvested yourself is risky - and can be deadly
In Southeast Alaska this summer, researchers have seen extremely high levels of harmful toxins in mussels and clams plucked from beaches.
Juneau, Alaska, United States

Researcher discovers mussels on California coast were cooked to death in heat wave
Massive amounts of the mussels clinging to the rocky shores and cliffs of the Bodega Marine Reserve were cooked in the June heat wave.
Bodega Bay, California, United States
SFGate

Sea Star Wasting Disease
Sea star wasting disease (SSWD) observed near King Cove
King Cove, Alaska, United States
Melissa Good, Ginger Bear, Amy Holman, Bruce Wright, Melissa Miner, Karen Pletnikoff

Dead Krill and Sea Birds, Stranded Ice Seals
A range of wildlife-related events have been occurring this month in Shishmaref and other parts of Norton Sound.
Shishmaref, Alaska, United States
Anahma Shannon, Dean Stockwell, Kathy Burek Huntington, Louisa Castrodale, Kathy Kuletz, Andrew Kakoona, Ted Meyers, Sharon Nayokpuk, Gay Sheffield, Bob Gerlach, Richard L Thoman Jr, Joel Garlich-Miller, Mike Brubaker, Amy Holman, Racheal Lee, Barbara Mahoney, Kimberlee Beckmen, 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

'Potentially lethal' toxins found in Juneau shellfish
A group that monitors shellfish toxin levels is warning Juneau residents not to consume shellfish from locations in the Auke Bay area.
Juneau, Alaska, United States
KTOO

Sea Lice Plagues Return and Threat to Wild Salmon Increases
Major sea lice epidemics have erupted on Atlantic salmon fish farms on Vancouver Island’s west coast over the last three months, according to industry, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and independent reports.
Clayquot Sound, British Columbia, Canada
The Tyee

Low Tide and No Sea Stars
We did not see a single sea star in the Kachemak-side tide pools, and boulders we visit each year all looked a little vacant, with a lot of empty, critter-free space.
Seldovia Village, Alaska, United States
Michael Opheim , Kris Holderied, Mike Brubaker

Nearly 300 Sea Turtles Dead as Red Tide Plagues Southwest Florida
Hundreds of sea turtles have washed up dead along the southwest Florida coast as an ongoing red tide event persists in the waters. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has logged 287 sea turtle deaths since the virulent algal bloom started in October, the Associated Press reported.
Southwest Florida coast, United States
EcoWatch

Almost every part of Canada’s largest national park is deteriorating
The report on Wood Buffalo National Park says industry, dams, climate change and natural cycles are sucking the lifeblood from the vast delta of northeastern Alberta's Peace and Athabasca rivers
Wood Buffalo National Park
National Post

Elevated PSP Levels in Unalaska and Sand Point
Regional monitoring program notifies shellfish harvesters of an upward trend in concentrations of PSP.

Ecosystems across Australia are collapsing under climate change
Australia has seen an unprecedented number of widespread, catastrophic transformations in response to extreme weather events.
Australia
The Conversation

Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris) Foraging in Re-occupied Soft Bottom Habitats
Rare observation of sea otter in Haro Strait, perhaps first since 2014.
Haro Strait, British Columbia, Canada

No Sea Stars on Bishop's Beach
Sea Star Wasting Disease has caused sea stars to die off since 2013. As of 2018, there are still no sea stars on Bishops Beach in Homer.
Homer, Alaska, United States

Mysterious, Brain-Like Blob Found in Lagoon
Scientists are unsure if warming temperatures are causing the bizarre invertebrates to spread.
Lost Lagoon, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

B.C.'s coastal sea star population in increasingly hot water
Biologist Jackie Hilderling says four years of decline in B.C.'s sea star population is due to climate change warming local waters and making the animals susceptible to sea star-associated densovirus.
British Columbia, Canada
CBC News

Can sea stars make a comeback in Kachemak Bay?
Sea star wasting syndrome, or disease as it has become known, hit Kachemak Bay hard in 2016, killing about 90 percent of sunflower and true star populations.
Kachemak Bay, Alaska, United States

Swarm of Jellyfish in Garðabær
A swarm of jellyfish numbering in the hundreds washed ashore in the Sjáland area of Garðabær, a town just south of Reykjavík, yesterday.
Garðabær, Capital Region, Iceland
Iceland Review

Abundant Slugs Consuming Vegetation
Abundant slugs in Dillingham acting as a stressor to garden plants.
Dillingham, Alaska, United States

New Jersey-Size Dead Zone Is Largest Ever in Gulf of Mexico
Scientists report the latest data from the Upper Gulf of Mexico, and the results aren’t good.
Northern Gulf of Mexico
National Geographic

Stinging 'floating terror' spotted in Nova Scotia waters
The colourful Portuguese man-of-war is more commonly seen in warmer waters. Their painful stings can be fatal to some.
Crystal Crescent Beach, Nova Scotia
CBC News

Weird Jelly on Tube Worms
Tube-Dwelling Worms on Seldovia Beach
Seldovia, Alaska, United States

Black Slugs (Arion ater L) Devastating Native Plants in Chugach Forest
Black slugs are impacting native plants in the Chugach Forest and may be spreading elsewhere.
McKinley Lake, Alaska, United States

Scientists find strange sea creatures in Alaska for the first time
Pyrosomes were first seen on the Oregon coast in 2014 and every year since. Recently they have been reported in Washington, BC and Alaska. These weird organisms that resemble large pink thimbles, could signal really big changes in the marine ecosystem.
Sitka, Alaska, United States
CBS News

Tiny California Sea Cucumber (Parastichopus californicus)
The smallest California cuke I have found.
Sitka, Alaska, United States

Jellied sea creatures confound scientists, fishermen on U.S. Pacific Coast
Drifting throngs of pyrosomes, jelly-like, glowing organisms native to tropical seas have invaded Pacific coastal waters from Southern California to the Gulf of Alaska this year, baffling researchers and frustrating fishing crews.
Baranof Island, Alaska, United States
Reuters

Millions of tropical sea creatures invade waters off B.C. coast
CBC News

Squid Found in Seldovia Bay
Squid are occasionally found in the area, but not very often.
Seldovia, Alaska, United States

Worm Species Found During Beluga Hunt
Several dozen worms were observed during a Beluga hunt in Norton Bay.
Norton Bay, Alaska, United States

Jellyfish Getting Bigger
Getting bigger each sighting.
Sand Point, Alaska, United States

Unusual 'Sea Butterflies' (thecosomes) On Beach
Washing ashore from Kachemak Bay
Seldovia Village, Alaska, United States

Shift of Diverse Subtidal Community to Sea Cucumber (Holothuroidea) Barrens
Oak Bay, British Columbia, Canada

Decadal shift in Lion's Mane Jellies (Cyanea capillata) on Nova Scotia's North Shore
Caribou Beach, Nova Scotia, Canada

Leopard or Giant Garden Slug (Limax maximus) Found
Leopard Slug Found
Sand Point, Alaska, United States

Extremely High PSP Levels
Extremely high PSP levels
Sand Point, Alaska, United States

Recreational Razor Clam Fishery Closed in Humboldt and Del Norte Counties
Klamath, California, United States

Black or perhapsTail-dropper Slug
Invasive Black Slug
Goodnews Bay, Alaska, United States

Starfish Wasting Disease
Near MacDonald Spit, southern end of the Kenai Peninsula.
Seldovia, Alaska, United States

Starfish Wasting Disease
A starfish that did not appear healthy.
Kake, Alaska, United States

Jellyfish Bloom
Jellyfish bloom
Toksook Bay, Alaska, United States

Ocean 'blob' brings bad fish food to B.C. waters
The so-called 'warm blob' of water in the North Pacific has brought unusual plankton, which lack the nutrients wild salmon and other marine animals count on.
Northeast Pacific Ocean

Scientists may have solved 2011’s mysterious marine die-off along the Pacific coast
Scientists first caught on to the strange event when they found thousands of purple sea urchins and other organisms dead in their laboratory tanks.
Northern Pacific Coast
Washington Post

Northern Sea Nettle Jellyfish Die-Off
Northern sea nettle jellyfish die-off

Crab larvae wash ashore
7-29-14 Crab larvae wash ashore - Port Graham, Alaska, USA
Port Graham, Alaska

Tadpole Shrimp at Swimming Hole
7-26-13 Tadpole shrimp at swimming hole
Russian Mission, Alaska, United States

Barnacle decline
7-3-12 Barnacle decline - McDonald Spit, Alaska, USA
McDonald Spit, Alaska, USA

Giant squid caught in West Seattle
Seacrest Boathouse Pier, West Seattle, Washington, United States
King 5 News

Jumbo squid invade San Diego shores, spook divers
La Jolla, California, United States
The Christian Science Monitor

Crayfish - Invaders from the Bayou
Of all of the aquatic animals that could be collected in a gillnet on the Kenai River, crawfish are some of the least likely. Why? Because they do not naturally occur in the Kenai River or any other river in Alaska. Unfortunately, crawfish have been collected from the lower Kenai River twice in the last four years, and both times they were leftovers from someone’s dinner.
Kenai, Alaska, United States
Alaska Fish and Wildlife News

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