LEO Network

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

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
Anchorage Daily News

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

Mottled Sea Star (Evasterias troscheli) Die-off Juneau
Approximately 700 dead mottled sea stars (*Evasterias troscheli*) found with appendages intact, which indicate that mortality event may be related to stormy weather.
DuPont beach Juneau, Alaska, United States

Lots of Female King Crabs (Paralithodes camtschaticus)
Large number of Red King Crabs (*Paralithodes camtschaticus*) found on the beach during an extreme low tide. According to fisheries researchers, crabs move to shallow water to hatch and release eggs.
Juneau, Alaska, United States

Chilean scientists discover mass die-off of krill in Antarctica
The scientific literature indicates that, in general, crustacean wash ashore due to hypoxia (low oxygen) or to phenomena such as excess sediment in suspension and changes in water temperature.
Antarctica
Fish Information & Services

A jellyfish ‘epidemic’ has Australian scientists wondering if climate change is to be blamed
More than 13,000 stings were recorded in Queensland alone last week, with more than 2,500 people seeking treatment over the weekend, according to rescue organizations.
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
BostonGlobe.com

Thousands of Queensland beachgoers stung by swarm of jellyfish
Surf Life Saving Queensland said a “whopping” 3,595 people were stung by jellyfish, forcing the closure of popular swimming spots across the northern state. Lifeguards said the invasion was caused by unusually strong north-easterly winds.
Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
The Independent

Shellfish washed up on P.E.I. beach by 'ripper' of a storm
Thousands of lobsters, clams, quahogs and crabs have washed up on the shore at Robinson's Island, a consequence of no sea ice and big waves.
Robinsons Island, Prince Edward Island, Canada
CBC News

Dangerously high levels of Red Tide found in bivalve shellfish on B.C. coast
The threshold for closure is set at 80 parts per million, but concentration in those areas were found to be as high as 1,300 parts per million.The warning applies to oysters, clams, scallops, mussels and geoduck.
Sechelt, British Columbia, Canada
Global News

Sea Nettle Jellyfish (Chrysaora melanaster) are Landing
Sea Nettle (*Chrysaora melanaster*) jellyfish washed up on the beach.

Unusual Squid Found on Shoreline
Squid are becoming more common on the shoreline over the past few years.
Aleksandrovsk, Alaska, United States

Officials warn of potentially lethal levels of biotoxin in Bellingham Bay mussels
The Whatcom County Health Department is warning residents that PSP a common biotoxin is now at potentially lethal levels in mussels harvested in Bellingham Bay.
Bellingham, Washington, United States
Longview Daily News

Investigating threats from invasive species in the Aleutians Islands
The results of the Plate Watch program only indicated one invasive species in the area, Caprella mutica, otherwise known as the Japanese skeleton shrimp.
Unalaska, Alaska, United States
Alaska Sea Grant

Warmer Arctic waters attract surprising visitors: clams, fish and whales
Ice in the north Bering Sea is diminishing, researchers aboard a Coast Guard ship report.
Washington Post

Angry Canadian crabs invade coast of Maine
While their main target appears to be the region's soft-shell clam population, they're also munching through acres of eelgrass, a native flowering plant that shelters and nourishes life under the sea.
Coastal Maine, United States
Mother Nature Network

Mass die-off of clams fouls Revere Beach
The Division of Marine Fisheries is analyzing the clams and expects to have preliminary results in the coming days that might point to a cause.
Revere, Massachusetts, United States
The Boston Globe

Shellfish Warning
Crescent City, California, United States

Gulf of Maine Water Temperatures Soar Near Record Highs After Ocean 'Heat Wave'
NOAA and NASA satellites measured an average sea-surface temperature of 68.93 degrees Fahrenheit in the Gulf of Maine on Aug. 8, only 0.05 degrees below the all-time record high of 68.98 set in 2012. It is the epicenter of the U.S. lobster fishing industry, an important feeding ground for rare North Atlantic right whales .
Gulf of Maine
The Weather Channel

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

Opioids, antibiotics found in mussels in the Puget Sound
Shellfish in the Puget Sound tested positive for the prescription opioid oxycodone, and this was not the only drug found by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Elliott Bay, Washington, United States
CNN

Rare Glass Sponge Reef Smothered By Fish Farm Waste
Underwater camera captured ‘a wasteland, covered in brown sediment.’
Cecil Island Fish Farm, British Columbia, Canada
The Tyee

Lobster Stocks Decline, Fishing Ban Considered
Lobster stocks around Iceland’s coast are so low a fishing ban is not out of the question.
Grundarfjordur, West, Iceland
Iceland Review

Curious by Nature: What’s bubbling in front of Jon Reiswig’s home?
For a few decades now, retired surgeon Jon Reiswig has lived with a perplexing oddity: the water in front of his North Douglas home constantly bubbles.
Juneau Empire

In new cautionary approach, Maine shellfish areas will be closed at first sign of toxins
Previously, regulators monitored the presence of certain toxins and shut down fishing when they exceeded safe limits.
Boothbay, Maine, United States
Press Herald

‘Bachelor herds’ of walrus gather near Port Heiden, where they haven’t been seen in decades
The herds are increasingly moving around in Bristol Bay, perhaps seeking new feeding grounds, a biologist said.
Port Heiden, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Bivalves recently cracked by sea otters (Enhydra lutris) indicating re-occupation
We discovered numerous large marine bivalve shells (and two chiton shells) that had been cracked recently by sea otters. Ocean View Beach is around the southern extent of Vancouver Island and back again north in the Strait of Georgia. The present observation is evidence of sea otters traveling into the Strait of Georgia.
Island View Beach, British Columbia, Canada
Tom Okey, Theo Okolowicz, Phoebe Okey-Dobie

Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) Haul-out On Port Heiden Beach
Walrus in Bristol Bay and Port Heiden are not uncommon in summer. The fact they are present in April is unusual and residents believe factors such as the lack of sea ice, lack of food and warming ocean temperatures may be the reason.
Port Heiden, Alaska, United States
Jaclyn Christensen, Erica Lujan, Moses Tcheripanoff

Abnormally large basking shark groups spotted off Canada’s east coast
Coastal northwest Atlantic Ocean
Global News

As Alaskan Waters Warm, Market Squid Move North
Opalescents, also known as market squid, are showing up in waters previously considered too cold for them, and fishermen are paying attention.
Petersburg, Alaska, United States
Undark

"Perfect Storm" Has North Coast Marine Ecosystem Reeling, Abalone in Crisis
In just a few short years, the Northern California waters stretching from Sonoma to Southern Humboldt have undergone a dramatic transformation, with stretches stripped bare of their once varied marine life in a phenomenon known as "urchin barren."
North Coast Journal

Shrimp Found While Collecting Badarkies
I have never found live shrimp before in King Cove while subsisting for Chiton's not sure if it is unusual or significant.
King Cove, Alaska, United States

Mushroom ascidian (Distaplia occidentalis) Found on Beach
It's about the size of a dinner plate and has a rubbery texture, was told it’s a sea cucumber but I’m not sure.
Port Heiden, Alaska, United States
Tom Okey, Tammy Davis, Erica Lujan, Scott Anderson

Video: The oceans are changing. Can crabs adapt?
At a lab in Kodiak, researchers are working to understand whether crabs can adapt to ocean acidification.
Kodiak, Alaska, United States
KTOO
Eric Keto and Rachel Waldholz, Alaska's Energy Desk

Video: The oceans are changing. Can crabs adapt?
Ocean acidification threatens some of Alaska’s most lucrative crab fisheries. But there’s one ray of hope: it’s possible that crabs might be able to adapt to the changing oceans. The big question scientists are researching at Bob Foy’s lab in Kodiak is – will they have enough time?
Shelikof Strait, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media
Eric Keto, Alaska's Energy Desk - Anchorage

It’s Maine Shrimp Season, Without the Shrimp
As the state’s shrimp fishery is closed for a fifth year, scientists blame climate change, shrimpers fret and locals mourn a beloved treat.
Port Clyde, Maine, United States
New York Times

How Global Warming Fueled Five Extreme Weather Events
Scientists analyzed 27 extreme weather events from 2016 and found that global warming was a “significant driver” for most of them. We look at five cases.
The New York Times

Sea life beneath Antarctic ice shelf is changing, and warming may be why
In dives to the seafloor, scientists have noticed big differences in only a few years.
McMurdo Station, Antarctica
Washington Post

Coral Found Following November Storm
Red coral observed near Port Heiden along the Bering Sea coast.

As Oceans Warm, the World’s Kelp Forests Begin to Disappear
Tasmania, Australia
Yale Environment 360

Shellfish off coast of Sweden produce vast amounts of methane, researchers say
On a more helpful note, fish farts also are giving researchers and managers clues about fish distributions.
Tampa, Florida, United States
Alaska Dispatch News

Dozens Of Octopuses Are Walking Up Onto Shore For No Apparent Reason
There was no evidence of physical harm to the eight-legged creatures, but there was still plenty of concern as to why they were all abandoning their regular ocean home.
Wales, United Kingdom
The Rainforest Site Blog

Octopus invasion on Welsh beach blamed on effects of recent storms
An incredibly rare octopus invasion may have been caused by recent storms. Storm Ophelia, quickly followed by Storm Brian caused huge waves and storm surges as gusts of up to 80 mph hit the Welsh coast.
New Quay, Wales, United Kingdom
The Telegraph

A 'monster' discovery: Tiny translucent crustacean a 1st in Canada's Arctic
What has eight hairy legs, one eye, no mouth and haunts the frigid waters below the frozen ocean? A speck of a creature you'd never know exists in Canada's Arctic, were it not for one researcher's accidental discovery off the shores of Cambridge Bay, Nunavut.
Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada
CBC News

Stinger jellyfish swarms wipe out farmed salmon in west of Ireland
Killary Harbour, Ireland
The Irish Times

The biggest ever invasion of potentially fatal jellyfish-like creatures ever recorded in the UK thought to have been brought there by recent hurricanes
An invasion of potentially fatal jellyfish-like creatures on Britain's shores is the biggest ever recorded in the UK. The P...
United Kingdom

Slugs plague Dillingham gardeners
Dillingham gardeners say that an uptick in slimy pests in recent years is making growing greens more difficult.
Dillingham, Alaska, United States
KDLG Dillingham

Common Rock Crab Spreads Quickly Across Icelandic Shores
The Common Rock Crab has begun to grow rapidly in number around Icelandic shores. It was first seen in Hvalfjörður, West Iceland, in the year 2006. This summer, it has reached Eyjafjörður in North Iceland.
Hrisey, Iceland
Iceland Review

Record numbers of Portuguese man o' war wash up on Cornish coast
Record numbers of the potentially-fatal Portuguese man o' war have washed up on the Cornish coast, according to conservationists.
Perranporth, England, United Kingdom
BelfastTelegraph.co.uk

Day of reckoning for marine invaders
For centuries, marine species have moved around either by hitching ride on the hulls of ships or as stowaways in ballast water. In many instances, species have been deliberately introduced for aquaculture or other commercial purposes.
United Kingdom
Phys.org

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
Alaska Public Media

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

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

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

Ghost fishing: Lost pots are a crab killer
Douglas Indian Association catalogs marine debris at the bottom of Gastineau Channel | Though it sounds like the subtitle to a Pirates of the Caribbean movie, ghost fishing is a real phenomenon. It's going on right now in Gastineau Channel.
Juneau Empire

Sea Otters (Enhydra lutris) Hauling Out with Seals
Sea otter population growth not seen in recent history and shellfish harvest have been dropping.

Overfishing is killing climate-resistant coral found in Mozambique
Quirimbas National Park, Mozambique
Mail Online

38 million pieces of plastic waste found on uninhabited South Pacific island
Henderson Island
the Guardian

Extraordinary levels of pollutants found in 10km deep Mariana trench
Mariana Trench
the Guardian

Sea star populations in Kachemak Bay annihilated by wasting disease
Sea star wasting disease, a type of densovirus, reduced the count of sea stars in Kachemak Bay from 180 last spring to a measly five this year.
Seldovia Village, Alaska, United States
Alaska Dispatch News

When Alaska shellfish turns deadly
No one really knows why algae put so much effort into making poisons. Alexandrium makes saxitoxin, and causes PSP. Another algae called Pseudo-nitzschia produces domoic acid, the source of amnesiac shellfish poisoning.
Seldovia, Alaska, United States
Alaska Dispatch News

Two-Spot Keyhole Limpet (Fissurellidea bimaculata)
A limpet not seen in the area before.
Sitka, Alaska, United States

Two dead squid in two weeks: Coincidence?
The novelty of seeing a jumbo squid in Unalaska is not wearing off: a second one washed ashore Monday night.
Unalaska, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media
Zoë Sobel, Alaska's Energy Desk - Unalaska

Researchers identify widespread parasite in Alaska scallops
The prevalence of "weak meats" syndrome in 2014, 2015 meant that somewhere on the order of half of all scallops shucked couldn’t be marketed. That was much higher than the fleet had ever seen before.
Kamishak Bay, Alaska, United States
Peninsula Clarion

Hurghada Coast Degradation
Coral degradation, fish species decline and an increase in jellyfish population.
Hurghada, Red Sea, Egypt

At-risk countries worry what 'America first' means for climate change
Bairiki Village, Gilbert Islands, Kiribati
Public Radio International

Unalaska receives surprise visitor from the deep
What has eight arms, two tentacles and washed ashore on a beach in Unalaska Monday night? A more than six-foot long squid.
Unalaska, Alaska, United States
Zoë Sobel, Alaska's Energy Desk - Unalaska

Two Robust Clubhook Squid (Onykia robusta) Wash Ashore
Both squid were of the genus/species Onykia robusta, previously known as Moroteuthis robusta, and commonly known as the robust clubhook squid.

Great Barrier Reef hit by severe coral bleaching — study
Cairns, Queensland, Australia
NBC News

Reef restoration underway to restore native oyster populations
Victoria's biggest-ever reef restoration project is underway, in attempt to restore the once abundant populations of native oysters in Port Philip Bay.
ABC News

When Globalization Brings Brain-Invading Worms
The parasite that causes rat lungworm disease is now endemic in the southeastern United States, and it’s expected to spread northward.
Hilo, Hawaii, United States
The Atlantic

Paralytic shellfish toxin found in mollusks at Auke Bay
Researchers with Southeast Alaska Tribal Ocean Research found high levels of Paralytic Shellfish Toxin in a population of mollusks at Auke Recreation Area in Juneau on Friday.
JuneauEmpire.com

How the Great Barrier Reef is responding to global warming. (Hint: not well)
Global warming has likely caused permanent damage to the world's largest coral reef, according to a new report in the journal Nature.
Townsville, Queensland, Australia
latimes.com

Yukon species list shows climate change in action
A big emphasis in the last few years has been updating and adding to the list of species known to occur in the Yukon.
This past year, a whopping 1,973 species of plants, insects and animals have been added.
Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada

Unusual Depressions in Lummi Tideflats
Marietta, Washington, United States
Tom Okey, Jeramiah Wallace, Sichangu Lee

Amazon Deforestation, Once Tamed, Comes Roaring Back
"A decade after the “Save the Rainforest” movement captured the world’s imagination, Cargill and other food giants are pushing deeper into the wilderness."
Coari, Amazonas, Brazil
HIROKO TABUCHI, CLAIRE RIGBY and JEREMY WHITE

Manila Clam (Venerupis philippinarum) Die-Off
Manila Clam (*Venerupis philippinarum*) Die-off observed - possibly related to freezing temperatures.
Lummi Bay, Bellingham, Washington (Lummi Nation), United States

After die-off, sea stars face uncertain future
Sea star wasting syndrome was first documented in Kachemak Bay in 2014, but it wasn’t until last summer that the mysterious infection began killing sea stars in large numbers.
Homer, Alaska, United States
KBBI

Logging Crew Mobilizes Near Irreplaceable Wetland, Slated for Site C Flooding
Watson Slough, Peace River region
DeSmog Canada

Thousands of Dead Red Rock Crabs (Cancer productus) on Beach
Denman Island, British Columbia, Canada

Sea Angel (Clione limacina) Bloom in December
Sea angel (Clione limacina) observed during mid December near Stika, Alaska.
Nahku Bay, Alaska, United States

Kachemak Bay has seen massive die-offs of sea stars and other species. What’s going on?
Kachemak Bay has witnessed massive die-offs of sea stars, murres and razor clams. Whats going on?
Seldovia Village, Alaska, United States

Marine Mussels Clean of PSP Toxins
Klamath, California, United States

Dungeness crab (Metacarcinus magister) vulnerable to domoic acid contamination
Warning: (2016-11-07) Recreational anglers should avoid consuming the viscera (internal organs, also known as “butter” or “guts”) of dungeness crab
Klamath, California, United States

Black Slugs Invade Whittier
“They’ve been in Cordova for over 30 years. They’re just starting to be reported and sighted in other places. We have confirmed sightings in Whittier, in Girdwood, in Chenega Bay, in Eshamy Bay and one of the hatcheries out in the sound has reported them.”
Whittier, Alaska, United States
Glacier City Gazette

Seafood's new normal: An ecosystem at risk
Special report: A huge disruption to California's coastal ecosystem is under way after several years of unusually warm ocean conditions and drought.
Northern California Coastal Areas
The San Francisco Chronicle

Plumose anemones (Metridium spp.) detaching from rocks
Bowyer Island, Howe Sound, British Columbia, Canada

European Black Slug
Tenakee Springs, Alaska, United States

Are Ocean Conditions Right for Vibrio parahaemolyticus?
Resident becomes sick after consuming oysters and wonders what is being done to prevent future outbreaks of *V parahaemolyticus*, this new climate related illness in Alaska.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Mike Brubaker, Soumik Basu, Santina Gay, James Berner

Abundant Jellyfish Disrupt Commercial Salmon Fishery
Purse seiner crew scrambles to shovel the huge bycatch of Northern sea nettle jelly fish (*Chrysaora melanaster*) overboard.
Sand Point, 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

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

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

Thousands of Velella (by-the-wind sailors) Washed Up In Southeast AK

West Coast Harmful Algal Bloom
Over the past few months, a massive toxic bloom of the marine diatom *Pseudo-nitzschia*, stretching from central California to the Alaska Peninsula, has resulted in significant impacts to coastal resources and marine life. NOAA has been working closely with federal, state, tribal, academic, and other partners to respond to this unprecedented harmful algal bloom (HAB).
Pacific Ocean, Northern to East Coasts
National Ocean Service (NOAA)

Marine Mussels Clean of PSP (Toxins)
Declining after years elevated.

Sand Point's Unsafe PSP Toxin Levels
Unusually high PSP toxin levels making shellfish unsafe to eat.

Sea Pens (Pennatulacea), Peanut Worms (Sipuncula) and Sea Cucumbers (P. californicu)
Interesting Marine Invertebrates
Yakutat, Alaska, United States

Dead Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris) and Starfish (Phylum: Echinodermata)
Dead sea otter and star fish
Prince of Wales Islands, Alaska, United States

Blue Sail (Velella) Jellyfish
Blue Sail Jellyfish

Crayfish invade Kodiak waters
Alex Hughes is a Fish and Game technician who volunteers with KSWCD. He said based on their studies at the Buskin river, crayfish are successfully breeding. Crayfish are originally from the Pacific Northwest and as with many invasive species, it’s anyone’s guess how they got to Kodiak.
Kodiak, Alaska, United States
KTOO

Unusual Mussel (Mytilus californianus) Species
Unusual Mussel Species

Arribo de langostas en la playa de Puerto de Progreso, Yucatán
Chelem, Yucatán, Mexico

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

Velella en Isla San Martín

The Blob: Why warmer oceans are a big concern
Warm water threatens marine habitats off the coast of BC
Northeast Pacific Ocean
Sooke News Mirror

The warm ‘blob’ in Canada’s Pacific Ocean
Last year, 2014, was the hottest year ever recorded on Earth. Unlike other worldwide problems from which Canadians might feel relatively safe and isolated, but Canada is actually ground zero of global climate.
Gulf of Alaska / Northeast Pacific
Times Colonist

High PSP in Clams
High PSP in clams - Sand Point, Alaska, USA

High PSP in Clams
High PSP level in Sand Point, Alaska

Victoria Harbour 2: Contaminants in Sediment and Mussels
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Early earthworm
Earthworm found while cleaning yard
Haines, Alaska, USA

PSP High in Clams
The paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) results for Sand Point, Alaska (butter clams collected 1/5/2015) had PSP toxin levels of 112 micrograms/100 grams.

High PSP in Clams
High PSP in clams

Lions Mane Jellyfish Sighting
11-20-14 Unusual jellyfish - Togiak, Alaska, USA
Togiak, Alaska, Unites States
Kristin Cieciel, Aeshia Upton, Brian Abraham

Jellyfish Bloom
11-14-14 Jellyfish bloom Haines, Alaska, USA
Haines, Alaska, United States

Mollusks in Moose (Alces alces) Gut
11-29-14 Mollusks in moose gut - Egegik, Alaska, USA
Egegik, Alaska, United States

Unusual species in Alaska waters indicate parts of Pacific warming dramatically
Hinchenbrook Entrance, Alaska

Amber Snail
These ladies found a snail that they had never seen before and brought them.

Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris) Sighted at Possession Point, Southern Vancouver Islan
Sooke, British Columbia, Canada

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

Spawning Marine Worms
Spawning marine Pileworms observed along shoreline.
Nikolski, Alaska, United States

High PSP Levels in Clams
4-30-14 High PSP levels in clams - King Cove, Alaska, USA
King Cove, Alaska, United States

Ocean acidity wipes out 10 million scallops near Qualicum Beach
Ten million scallops that have died in the waters near Qualicum Beach due to rising ocean acidity are the latest victims in a series of marine die-offs that have plagued the West Coast for 10 years. . .
Island Scallops Ltd., Vancouver Island, Canada
Times Colonist

Evidence of Sea Star Wasting Disease
Laguna Beach, California, United States

High PSP Levels in Clams
High PSP levels in clams near the end of the Aleutian Peninsula, Alaska.

Persistent High PSP Levels
Persistently high levels of PSP recorded in the Shumagin Islands.

High PSP levels in clams
11-7-13 High PSP levels in clams - King Cove, Alaska, USA
King Cove, Alaska, Unites States

Krill Die-off
11-1-13 Krill die-off - Metlakatla, Alaska, USA
Metlakatla, Alaska, United States

Mussel Roe Fouls Fishing Gear
Salmon and crab gear seeing an incredible increase in mussel roe and slime.
Unalakleet, Alaska, United States

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

Leopard Slug (Limax maximus)
For a couple years, Sand Point residents have observed an increasing number of the non-native leopard slug.

Poor Sea Ice - Our Sea Garden
The sea is our garden for food and other things.
Wales, Alaska, United States

PSP Levels Rising
5-1-13 PSP levels rising - Old Harbor, Alaska, USA
Old Harbor, Alaska, United States

Jumbo Flying Squid Pile Up On Calif. Beach
Rio Del Mar, California, United States
ABC News

Hundreds of Humboldt squid wash up on Aptos area beaches
Rio Del Mar, California, United States
Santa Cruz Sentinel

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

Barnacles Declining
3-9-12 Barnacles declining - Nanwalek, Alaska, USA
Nanwalek, Alaska, USA

Shell shock - thousands of Ninilchik clams wash up on beach in unusual die-off
A winter storm lashed the sandy beaches at the mouth of the Ninilchik River with ferocious waves, powerful enough to uproot thousands of razor clams.
Ninilchik, Alaska, United States
Redoubt Reporter

Squid invasion hitting Oregon coast and scientists are concerned, but could there be a silver lining?
Newport, Oregon, United States
OregonLive.com

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

The Seattle Times: Sports: Notebook: Humboldt squid make rare appearance here
Washington's outer coast
Seattle Times

Jumbo squid is captured in unfamiliar waters
Sitka, Alaska
msnbc.com

Great Barrier Reef authority confirms unprecedented sixth mass coral bleaching event
Aerial surveys show almost no reefs across a 1,200km stretch escaping the heat, prompting scientists to call for urgent action on climate crisis.
Apple News

East Cook Inlet clamming to remain closed again this summer as population still lags
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game found an unexpectedly low number of clams during final surveying, but the agency still plans to monitor them in support of perhaps opening the fishery in years to come.
Clam Gulch, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

New Zealand sea sponge populations 'dying by the millions' due to climate change
Shocking images have emerged from New Zealand showing millions of once-velvety brown sea sponges bleached bone white, the worst mass bleaching event of its type ever recorded, marine scientists say.
New Zealand
CNN

Apparent native freshwater mussel mortality event

Holy crab! Rare, weirdly colored crustaceans found in Norton Sound
The red king crab that wasn't red appeared in Nome on Fourth of July.
Nome, Alaska, United States

Invasive slug species slimes into city
The European black slug was first introduced into Alaska in the 1980s in Cordova, Slowik said. It eventually made its way to Juneau and Ketchikan, likely hitching a ride on fishing gear, and is now prevalent across Southeast. A few years ago, people started seeing the slug in Whittier and Girdwood.

New Invasive Species Detected in Alaska
Last summer while scoping for marine invasive species we found the invasive colonial tunicate, Didemnum vexillum also know as marine vomit.
ADFG News

Corals in peril at a popular Hawaiian tourist destination due to global climate change
Researchers from the Coral Reef Ecology Lab at the Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology documented the third global bleaching event as it occurred from 2014 to 2016 at the Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve (HBNP) on the island of O'ahu, Hawai'i. Their findings, published in the international journal PeerJ, show that temperature is by far the most influential factor in coral bleaching at this well-managed location where corals, fish, and all other organisms are protected.
Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, Hawaii, United States
EurekAlert!

Baby lobster numbers low off New England as waters warm
New data show the population of baby lobsters off New England is below average, raising concerns about the size of future commercial hauls of the valuable crustaceans as waters warm.
Gulf of Maine
Press Herald

Sounding the alarm about the lobster population: We must reverse the trend now
The lobster population along the Norwegian coast is much worse off than first thought. New research shows a huge decline.
Arendal, Agder, Norway
NRK

Crabbers catch fewer crab, see lower price
Summer commercial Dungeness crabbing was well below average in Lynn Canal, with fishermen hauling in an estimated 105,000 pounds this year compared
Haines, Alaska, United States
Chilkat Valley News

Christchurch beach turns pink after millions of krill left high and dry by the tide
Otago University's Marine Science Professor Steve King said the summer stranding is nothing to be alarmed about. "It's a natural cycle of the pelagic food where climate change is happening but it is mostly manifested in the warm water conditions we are seeing right now."
Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand
NZ Herald

Tropical fish follow warmer waters south, devouring kelp forests
They are brightly coloured, beautiful and hungry — tropical fish and sea urchins are thriving in southern waters warmed by climate change. But now they are devastating kelp forests already knocked around by marine heatwaves.
southern Australia
ABC News

Basking Sharks (Cetorhinus maximus) Return to Monterey Bay
Moss Landing, California, United States

Shellfish growers in Northwest’s oyster capital want ‘blitz’ against invasive green crabs
Shellfish growers in Willapa Bay in southwest Washington, the self-styled "Oyster Capital of the World," are alarmed by an invasion of potentially destructive nonnative European green crabs. Some are asking for an all-out trapping offensive to corral the invasive species.
Ocean Park, Washington, United States
opb

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