LEO Network

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

Observations

Crews work to contain fuel spill after tugboat runs aground north of Sitka
The grounding ruptured one of the tug’s fuel tanks, which can hold around 13,000 gallons of diesel fuel.
Sitka, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Oiled ducks euthanised
A vet this weekend euthanised a majority of the eider ducks being looked after in Suðureyri, the Westfjords, after over 9,000 litres of oil spilled into the sea from a tank owned by the Orkubú Vestfjarða energy company. The leak killed at least a hundred birds, but dozens more were rescued.
Suðureyri, Westfjords, Iceland
RÚV

Hooper Bay working to contain sewage spill that is threatening important subsistence location
The spill followed a sudden rise in warm temperatures in recent days. Hooper Bay Mayor Sandra Hill said that the thaw and rain had melted the previously frozen land surrounding the sewage lagoon, causing a wall of the lagoon to cave.
Hooper Bay, Alaska, United States
KYUK

State leader calls for shutdown of Red Hill fuel facility as Navy grapples with tainted water system
A state leader urges the closure of the Red Hill fuel facility amid concerns over aging infrastructure and potential leaks, despite Navy assurances of the tanks' integrity.
Honolulu, Hawaii, United States

Frac-out of Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project drilling under Fraser River
This happened about 250 m from the shore of the Fraser River in a creek at Colony Farms.
Port Moody, British Columbia, Canada

Oil spill reaches Laguna Beach, threatens Crystal Cove in Newport Beach as cleanup efforts intensify
The oil likely will continue to encroach on Orange County beaches for the next few days, officials said.
Los Angeles Times

Only two flamingos sighted on Sidi Boughaba Lake
On a hiking trip, observer sees a lone pair of Flamingos at Sidi Boughaba Lake National Park. This was not expected from a sociable bird species that travel in large flocks.
Kenitra, Gharb-Chrarda-Beni Hssen, Morocco
David Oswald, Chyna Williams, Salma Sayeh

Sunken scallop boat off Kodiak remains pollution hazard decades later
The sunken scallop boat, Saint Patrick, remains a pollution hazard off the coast of Kodiak, Alaska, decades after sinking in 1989, bringing up memories of a devastating fishing disaster in 1981 that claimed nine lives.
Womens Bay, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Fears oil ship will fall apart
Despite extensive and expensive work last summer to prevent further oil leaks from the Second World War shipwreck El Grillo, in Seyðisfjörður, oil is still leaking into the sea. It is thought the wreck still contains some 10-15 tonnes of oil.
Seyðisfjörður, East, Iceland
RÚV

Rapid Erosion Exposes Old Landfill
Unusual high water all summer in Noatak, causing massive erosion towards the airport and old buried landfill, exposing old trash into the river.
Noatak, Alaska, United States
Max Neale, Paul Walton, David Beveridge, Jeffrey Luther, John Monville, Jacquelyn Overbeck, Crane Johnson, Joy Britt, Chris Dankmeyer, Richard L Thoman Jr

The Norwegian Environment Agency is concerned about phosphorus in the mountain Lake Gjende
There are high levels of phosphorus in Gjende, which is located 984 meters above sea level, at the foot of the country's most popular mountain ridge, Besseggen. Phosphorus from the deposition of mud from melting glaciers affect the plankton in the lake. Scientist note that in the stomachs of the thin fish there is little zooplankton.
Gjende, Jotunheimen, Norway
NRK
Dag Kessel, Even Lusæter, Lars Erik Skrefsrud, Eilin Spolén Juva

Coast Guard responds to tar-like substance spill on Utqiagvik beach
Officials are still examining the substance in a lab to determine what it is, but DEC suspects it’s black tar or asphalt.
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States
KTOO
Wesley Early, Alaska's Energy Desk - Kotzebue

Survey Of Ocean Floor Between Los Angeles, Catalina Island Finds 27,000 Suspected Barrels Of DDT
Scientists have confirmed the existence of a DDT dump site in the waters off the coast of Southern California, and it’s even bigger than they had anticipated.
Southern Coast of California
MSN

Carbon dioxide spikes to critical record, halfway to doubling preindustrial levels
The concentration of the heat-trapping gas topped 420 parts per million, while the planet has warmed more than two degrees. This is the highest daily average concentration to be recorded. Data was collected at the Mauna Loa Observatory on the Big Island of Hawaii.
Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii
Washington Post

'20-Foot Wall of Water' Could Be Unleashed if Florida Phosphate Pond Collapses, Official Warns
Florida's governor has declared a state of emergency after a significant leak at a large storage pond of wastewater threatened to flood roads and burst a system that stores polluted waters.
Piney Point, Florida, United States
The Weather Channel

On par with the BP Oil spill: Tons of sediment invade Kalamazoo River after dam drawdown
Sediment that could fill the volume of 112 Olympic-sized pools has been flooding into the Kalamazoo River for over a year. IT's decimating habitats and causing a serious potential for devastating flooding.
Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States
WXMI

Blue Russian Dogs Spotted Near Abandoned Factory
A pack of stray blue dogs, likely covered in chemical waste, was spotted on the road near the Russian town of Dzerzhinsk. The dogs may have been exposed to chemicals at a nearby abandoned factory that produced plexiglass and hydrocyanic acid, giving their fur the eye-catching blue color.
Dzerzhinsk, Nizjnij Novgorod, Russia
The Moscow Times

Goldfish invasion of Hamilton Harbour
Pet fish dumped in local waterways have become the scourge of Hamilton’s marshes and harbour
Hamilton Harbour, Ontario, Canada
Macleans.ca

N.W.T. waters return to normal after record concentrations of metals found in summer
After a summer that saw high water levels and even higher concentrations of metal in two N.W.T. rivers, water testing is showing a return to normal, and a limited impact on local wildlife.
Hay River, Northwest Territories, Canada
CBC

Eco disaster at Kamchatka peninsula with mass death of sea animals at precious Pacific beach
Khalaktyrsky Beach near Petropavlovsk is littered with hundreds of dead sea animals, from deep-sea Giant Pacific octopuses, to seals, sea urchins, stars, crabs and fish. Surfers were the first to raise alarm after problems with eyesight, fevers and throat aches.
Khalaktyrsky Beach
Siberian Times

No treasure found under the rainbow: The soil is full of plastic garbage
In the pictures, Måøya looks like a pristine natural gem on the coast of Trøndelag. But when scientists and adolescents started digging into the soil, they got shock.
Måøya, Frøya, Sør-Trøndelag, Norway
NRK
Solvår Flatås, Stein Lorentzen, Morten Andersen

Barrels with unknown substance were found on the lake shore in the Leningrad Region
Specialists of Rospotrebnadzor in the Leningrad Region are checking 12 barrels with unknown substance near Lake Voloyarvi.
Saint Petersburg, St.-Petersburg, Russia
Russian newspaper

Saving Our Seals - 28 sea mammals rescued after becoming trapped in plastic junk
This was a first expedition by volunteers and activists to rescue seals trapped in plastic rubbish on the island, a breeding ground in the Sea of Okhotsk, off Sakhalin.
Siberia Times

Fuel spill on the Ambarna River in Norilsk
The spill of the fuel-water mixture occurred on the Ambarnaya River in Norilsk during the clean up from the consequences of the accident at the TPP-3.
Норильск, Krasnoyarskiy, Russia
RT

Blocked storm sewer eliminates effects of the oil spill
Experts found an airlock in the sewer, which was clogged with garbage and contaminated with oil products.
Сургут, Khanty-Mansiyskiy Avtonomnyy Okrug, Russia
RT

Oil spill in The Komi Republic
In the Usin district of the Komi Republic in Russia, there was an oil spill due to the damage to the pressure pipeline.
Komi, Russia
RT

The volume of the fuel spilled in Taimyr has more than doubled
The volume of spilled aviation fuel near the village of Tukhard in the Krasnoyarsk region has more than doubled, to 44.5 tons, the press service reported.
Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia
Radio Sputnik

Nordics detect elevated radiation levels around Baltic
Finland says the low concentrations of radioactive material found in air samples pose no danger.
Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland
Yle Uutiset

Pollution of Chernavka River recorded in Khimki
According to preliminary data, the source of pollution is the storm sewer collector operated by the Khimvodostok Municipal Unitary Enterprise.
Химки, Moscow, Russia

Thousands of gallons of heating oil spill in Shungnak
The Arctic Sounder - Serving the Northwest Arctic and the North Slope
Shungnak, Alaska, United States
Arctic Sounder

Record-breaking heatwave in Siberia
A prolonged heatwave in Siberia is “undoubtedly alarming”, climate scientists have said. The freak temperatures have been linked to wildfires, a huge oil spill and a plague of tree-eating moths.
Siberia, Russian Federation
the Guardian

Oily substance found near Savoonga remains a mystery
About a month ago, residents of St. Lawrence Island found a patch of oily, white goo on the beach, along with some dead sea birds covered in the substance.
Savoonga, Alaska, United States
The Nome Nugget

Next ‘stop’ Kara Sea in the Arctic Ocean?
Toxic fuel from 21,000 ton leak reaches pristine lake, bypassing floating booms, as rivers of diesel pollution cover-up is exposed.
Norilsk, Krasnoyarskiy, Russia
Siberia Times

State of emergency in Norilsk after 20,000 tons of diesel leaks into Arctic river system
The exact reason of the leak is yet to be established, but a statement from Norilsk Nickel company, which operates the site suggests it could have been caused - worryingly - by collapsing permafrost.
Norilsk, Krasnoyarskiy, Russia
Siberia Times

Mary River Mine's iron ore dust concerns local hunters in Nunavut | CBC News
Hunters in Pond Inlet, Nunavut, say that iron ore dust from the Mary River Mine is discolouring the land around Milne Inlet, deterring animals and making it hard to get clean water when people are camping.
Pond Inlet, Nunavut, Canada
CBC

Oil spill alert received
The Icelandic coastguard coordination centre yesterday received a red oil pollution warning from the European Maritime Safety Agency. The warning was accompanied by a satellite image showing an oil slick some 50 nautical miles southwest of the Reykjanes peninsula.
RÚV

Oily water continues to ooze into Port Valdez as snow on the ground complicates response
The source of the spill, a drain area about a quarter-mile uphill from the coastline, was stopped on Monday, authorities reported. And oil on the water has been contained to a site near a small boat harbor at the terminal where tankers load up with oil.
Valdez, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Alyeska Pipeline cleaning up oil spill at Valdez Marine Terminal
Alyeska Pipeline Service Company says that as of Tuesday morning, roughly 326 barrels — 13,692 gallons — of oily water have been recovered at the Valdez Marine Terminal.
Valdez, Alaska, United States

Mystery oil coating Westman Islands seabirds
Several dozen oil-covered seabirds have been discovered on the Vestmannaeyjar archipelago in recent days and weeks. The environment agency website states that most of the birds were found around the harbour on Heimaey and on Klauf beach. Oiled birds were first noticed as long ago as the start of this year.
Vestmannaeyjar, South, Iceland

The day the world’s most polluted city was in Siberia
The locals call it Black Sky, a combination of weather conditions and the exhaust from dozens of factories in this industrial city on the Yenisei river.
Krasnoyarsk, Krasnoyarskiy, Russia

At least 35 killed and 17 missing after Typhoon Hagibis tears through country, flooding rivers and submerging cities
In the aftermath of the largest typhoon to hit Japan in decades, the nation on Sunday was still assessing the scope of the damage caused by the massive storm.
Japan
The Japan Times

Alberta’s bull trout listed as threatened and its ecosystem is in jeopardy
Bull trout, which are technically char, mostly inhabit cold and pristine snow-melt-fed waters. Changes in water quality and temperatures challenge the future for this species in Alberta.
Alberta
thestar.com

Kuskokwim River erosion threatens diesel-filled fuel tanks in Napakiak
The school district plans to transport fuel from a group of 10 tanks into three new tanks expected to be placed in the Napakiak school parking lot further inland.
Napakiak, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Short-tailed Shearwaters (Ardenna tenuirostris) Found on Chukchi Sea Beach
More than 50 birds and a seal were found along the shoreline.
Kivalina, Alaska, United States
Kathy Kuletz, Janet Mitchell, Gay Sheffield, Hillary Burgess

The Salish Sea’s orcas are late for their annual summer visit, the latest sign something is wrong
Researchers say their absence is a stark reminder that the orcas are slowly starving to death because there is not enough Chinook salmon to sustain them.
Salish Sea
The Star

Dead Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens)
This walrus was found by a local fisherman and reported by LEO Network to the US Fish and Wildlife Walrus Hotline. The carcass is thought to be too old for necropsy or sample collection.
St. Michael, Alaska, United States
Louisa Castrodale, Mellisa Heflin, Anahma Shannon, Joel Garlich-Miller, Jonathan Snyder, Barbara Mahoney, Racheal Lee, Gay Sheffield, Michelle Snowball

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

Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) regurgitation full of plastic found in Unalaska
Regurgitation from a bald eagle contains plastic pieces.
Unalaska, Alaska, United States
Melissa Good, Anna-Katri Kulmala, Veronica Padula

Record Temps in Goldstream
Warm temperatures are rapidly melting snow and creating ice, which creates difficult conditions for dog mushers. Migratory birds are arriving early, and a mosquito emerged months early. Small owls dead around the Goldstream Valley that looked unusually thin.
Fairbanks, Alaska, United States

Marine Tar (Oil Residue) On Beaches
The western coast line of India is prone to oil pollution. Marine tar deposition is heaviest during early monsoons or monsoons months.
Arambol, Goa, India

Residents of Smog-Hit Russian Town Sue Over Health Complications
Locals blamed a mining company for attempting to hide what they called an 'ecological tragedy.'
Sibay, Bashkortostan, Russia
The Moscow Times

Ash turns Siberia snow black triggering acute pollution concerns from locals
Blame for pollution is focused on failure of coal plant to filter emissions.
Прокопьевский, Кемеровская область, Russia

State investigates Prudhoe Bay wells after a second North Slope well ‘jacked up’ and leaked oil and gas
The incident appears similar to an oil and gas release in 2017 blamed on thawing permafrost and hot production fluids.
Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Delhi air pollution surges to emergency levels
Air quality index at 12 times US government-recommended level and visibility low
Delhi, NCT, India
the Guardian

Beached whale had 115 plastic cups in its stomach
A dead whale that washed ashore in eastern Indonesia had a large lump of plastic waste in its stomach, including drinking cups and flip-flops, a park official said Tuesday, causing concern among environmentalists and government officials in one of the world's largest plastic polluting countries.
Wakatobi, Sulawesi Tenggara, Indonesia
CTVNews

Caribbean swamped by seaweed that smells like rotten eggs
From Belize to Barbados, tourist beaches have been swamped by huge tides of foul-smelling sargassum – and climate change could make the problem worse
Ambergris Caye, Belize, Belize
the Guardian

Rough seas hamper containment and recovery operations at White Rose oilfield
Husky Energy was still working as of deadline to address a sizable offshore oil spill that occurred Friday, but rough seas on Saturday and into Sunday afternoon continued to prevent containment and recovery of approximately 250,000 liters of oil despite the arrival of a recovery team Sunday afternoon.
White Rose Oilfield
The Telegram

Herring (Clupea pallasii) in Harbor Seal (Phoca vitulina) stomach
Odd time of year for seals to be eating herring.
Haines, Alaska, United States

Red tide has contributed to the deaths of nearly 190 Florida manatees, FWC says
Red tide has contributed to or is suspected in the deaths of nearly 190 manatees so far this year.
Florida, United States
WFTS

Missing Bull Kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana) Bed
Large bull kelp (*Nereocystis luetkeana*) bed near the 1st channel marker, which used to attract sea otters, has disappeared.
Larsen Bay, Alaska, United States
David Harmes, Joy Britt, Mandy Lindeberg

Seabirds found with more than 250 pieces of plastic lodged in their stomachs
Scientists examining the devastating impact plastics are having on the world's oceans have identified seabirds with more than 250 man made objects lodged in their stomachs.
The Telegraph

Tons Of Dead Fish Washing Ashore On Florida Beaches
Southwest Florida is reeling from a toxic algae bloom called red tide. Hundreds of tons of dead fish are washing up on beaches.
Bradenton, Florida, United States
NPR.org

High Concentrations of PCB in blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) sample
High concentrations of Polychlorinated Biphenyls found in blue mussels.
Dutch Harbor, Alaska, United States

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

Bad weather blocks cleanup of oil spill in fragile waters near Kodiak
An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Kodiak flew over the area of an oil spill in Shuyak Strait on Wednesday afternoon, but weather continued to hamper response efforts, the Coast Guard said.
Shuyak Strait, Alaska, United States

Researchers find high levels of microplastics on Norway’s Arctic coast
Eastern Finnmark, on the coast of the Barents Sea has always proved to be the cleanest of all areas of testing in the North Atlantic. But not so any more.
Hasvik, Finnmark Fylke, Norway
Arctic Today

Hundreds of dead blackfish found in waters near Bethel
Smart started finding dead fish in his trap near Dull Lake about two or three weeks ago. Now there are hundreds and hundreds of them.Some local officials suspect water pollution killed the fish, but state officials offered an alternative explanation. According to the Fish and Game representative a local fisherman forgot to check a blackfish trap and may have dumped the dead fish in Dull Lake.
Bethel, Alaska, United States

How debris from rockets launched far away is a risk to Inuit food security
The North Water Polynya, between Nunavut and Greenland, is one of the Arctic’s most biologically productive areas — and an important part of the food supply for nearby Inuit communities.
Pikialasorsuaq North Water, North Baffin Bay
Arctic Today
Tiff-Annie Kenny, University of Ottawa, Tad Lemieux, Carleton University

Cleanup indicates Valdez spill bigger than initially thought
According to Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, approximately 400 gallons of an oily water mix had been recovered from the Port of Valdez as of Saturday night.
Valdez, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media
Elizabeth Harball, Alaska's Energy Desk - Anchorage

Simla had probably been stuck here for a couple of days: Shows the dangers of littering along the fjord
Reindeer stuck in local trash. Blue markings can also be seen on body. Mayor Frank M. Ingilæ and his two dogs came to the rescue for this fight Wednesday.
Torhop, Tana kommune, Troms and Finnmark County, Norway
iFinnmark

DEC looks into whether drums in village's drinking water lake pose any hazards
State and North Slope Borough officials say Point Lay’s drinking water lake was wiped out by the nearby Kokolik River, which flooded and eroded the lake banks.
Point Lay, Alaska, United States

Stinking mats of seaweed piling up on Caribbean beaches
Some tourists have canceled summer trips and lawmakers on Tobago have termed the sargassum invasion a “natural disaster.”
Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Miami Herald

Sheen on Water in Shishmaref
Photos and observations of the sheen thought to be caused by a fuel leak in the village of Shishmaref.
Shishmaref, Alaska, United States

Central Welland River Fish Kill
Common carp (*Cyprinus carpio*) and channel catfish (*Ictalurus punctatus*) die from low dissolved oxygen and ammonia that are the result of an over-application of biosolids.
Welland, Ontario, Canada

Sunken Vessel Spill
Sunken vessel leads to petroleum spill.
Nome, Alaska, United States

3,000 dolphins found dead on the coast of Peru
According to a report from Peru 21, local fishermen in Lambayeque, north Peru, were first to notice the inexplicable rise in dead dolphin appearing on shore -- averaging roughly 30 per day.
Peru
TreeHugger

Powerful Quake and Tsunami Devastate Northern Japan
Japan was filled with scenes of desperation a day after an 8.9-magnitude quake, as survivors called for help and rescuers looked for people buried in rubble.
Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
The New York Times

Dead penguins and oil covered found on Uruguayan beaches
Dozens of dead penguins and others alive but with traces of oil appeared over the weekend along the east of Uruguay according to a marine life conservation non government organization.
El Delta del Río de la Plata
MercoPress

Fisherfolk raise concern over Manila Bay’s ‘discoloration’
Social media went abuzz the past few days after some parts of Manila Bay turned turquoise.
Manila, Philippines

Historical fuel spill likely source of Iqaluit drinking water contamination, city official says
An Iqaluit city official told CBC News that a historical underground fuel spill found near the water treatment plant could explain why the city had to declare an emergency due to fuel-contaminated drinking water.
Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada
CBC

Hours of work to clean a single swan after Marco Polo oil spill
50 cubic metres of oil is estimated to have been released into the Baltic Sea, after a passenger ferry ran aground just off the coast of Blekinge in south-eastern ...
Karlskrona, Blekinge, Sweden

A once-popular Anchorage mall has become an illegal dumping ground
The Northway Mall in northeast Anchorage sits almost totally empty. That’s led to people dumping loads of trash, furniture, appliances and industrial waste all over the property.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Support

Observation Template