The 81-foot tender F/V Pavlof sank Thursday morning while moored in Haines Harbor, prompting an oil-containment response and salvage efforts. Harbor staff, divers, and local vessels worked through low tide to free the vessel and limit contamination.
Norway faces widespread yellow alerts for strong winds and icy roads after a sudden thaw, with the worst conditions in Lofoten, Vesterålen and Finnmark. Bus, ferry, fast boat and some flight services are disrupted; schools closed in parts of Nordland.
Two separate fuel spills occurred at the Kangaatsiaq power plant within a week, releasing an estimated total of up to 27,000 liters into the building, surrounding ground, and the sea. Authorities say the extent of the marine spill is unknown and could not be contained due to wind, waves, darkness, and lack of equipment.
A salmon farm manager in Finnmark urges fishermen to report pearl necklace siphonophore (jellyfish) sightings after blooms caused skin and eye injuries and breathing problems in farmed salmon near Øksfjord/Hammerfest.
The invasive carpet sea squirt (filtsjöpung), known as “sea vomit,” is rapidly spreading across the seafloor in Kosterhavet National Park, smothering organisms beneath it. Authorities say budget cuts have hampered monitoring and control, but they are now examining ways to slow the outbreak.
Strong winds and freezing temperatures in the Yenisei Gulf of the Kara Sea created overlapping, scale-like sea-ice patterns known locally as 'dragon scales.' Photos were shared by the first mate of the nuclear icebreaker Ural.
About 4,000 liters of diesel leaked from the grounded landing craft M/S Sørøysund near Fjelldal in Tjeldsund. Emergency crews are pumping fuel off the vessel and have deployed absorbent booms; authorities do not currently fear major impacts to wildlife.
A 21-year-old humpback whale, identified as Polyphemus, was found dead near Lasqueti Island, the second confirmed humpback death in B.C.’s coastal waters in just over two weeks. Cause of death is unknown; DFO and MERS urge caution to mariners to reduce vessel-strike risks.
Two men fell through thin ice near Kotzebue, resulting in one death and one missing person, prompting warnings from local authorities about unsafe ice conditions.
The Metlakatla Indian Community, which has been at the forefront in the effort to control the invaders, has trapped more than 40,000 of them this year.
A rare Haliphron atlanticus (seven-arm octopus) was caught by shrimp fishers in western Skagerrak at about 200 m depth and sent to the Tjärnö Marine Laboratory for study.
Exceptionally large cod catches off Loppa and Hasvik, Finnmark, are allowing many small and mid-size boats to fill their quotas within days, and a record year in turnover is expected. Local leaders say boats from across Norway have flocked to the area, with landings markedly higher than last year.
A harmful plankton bloom and poor water conditions caused large mortalities at three Cermaq salmon farms in northern Clayoquot Sound near Tofino, with up to 185,000 fish lost at one site. DFO says disease was ruled out; critics warn the die-off could affect wild salmon and the marine environment.
Thick, continuous ice up to 30–40 cm hindered docking of the cargo ship FESCO Moneron at the Port of Anadyr, with successful mooring only on a second attempt. Ice navigation has been declared since October 18, restricting entry to vessels of at least Ice 2 class.
A 4-year-old humpback whale named Wisp washed up on Keats Island, B.C., after a suspected collision with a tour vessel, prompting advocates to call for stronger protections and safer boating practices. Authorities and locals are urging measures to reduce ship strikes in the area.
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