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

Russian scientists find 'most powerful' ever methane seep in Arctic Ocean
Russian scientists in the Arctic Ocean said they have discovered the most powerful methane gas fountain ever recorded, highlighting the danger of this greenhouse gas accelerating climate change or causing an oil or gas spill as it erupts from thawing permafrost.
Bennett Island, Russia
The Telegraph

Outbreak of tree-killing, allergy-inducing moths
An infestation of tussock moths, which have the ability to quickly kill healthy Douglas fir trees, is on the move in British Columbia and the Ministry of Forests says it has now been found further north than ever before.
Wycotte Flat, British Columbia, Canada
CBC

Humpback whale spotted in River Thames found dead
It was hoped the whale would find its way out without help, as it did not initially appear to be in any distress.
Greenhithe, England, United Kingdom
Sky News

Tick, tock: Finland's ticks still thirst for blood
The incidence of ticks at all of Turku University’s research sites in Turku as well as in Helsinki has risen over the past 20 years, and they can still active into the fall, even after periods of freezing weather. Southwestern Finland and Uusimaa have reported 29 cases of tick-borne encephalitis and some 1,500 people have contracted Lyme disease, an illness caused by ticks carrying Borrelia burgdorferi.
Turku, Southwest Finland, Finland
Yle Uutiset

Humpback (Megaptera novaeangliae) Whale in the River Thames, off Rainham
Erith, England, United Kingdom
Twitter

Nepal is reeling from an unprecedented dengue outbreak
As climate change opens new regions to mosquitoes, Nepal suffers an outbreak of the painful viral disease that has sickened more than 9,000 people.
Nepal
Science News

Heavy rain causes flooding, mudslides in Juneau
Areas of the Southeast Alaska city “received between 3 and 7 inches of rain” in 24 hours over the weekend. The sodden ground caused mudslides in some areas, and wrecked roads and ditches around John Street and Peters Lane in Douglas.
Juneau, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Power restored to 5,500 people after a month's worth of snow hits southern Yukon
Marsh Lake was the hardest hit, but power was out 'all over,' said Jay Massie, manager of ATCO Electric Yukon, 'from Teslin to Tagish, Carcross out to Deep Creek and west towards Haines Junction.'
Marsh Lake, Yukon, Canada
CBC

Schools of California Anchovy (Engraulis mordax)
Ross Bay, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Late Budding Alder Tree (genus Alnus)
Late budding alder tree.
Chistochina, Alaska, United States

Poisonous porcupine fish arrives on Island shores — a B.C. first
Gavin Hanke reaches a gloved hand into the formaldehyde tank at the Royal British Columbia Museum very, very carefully. What emerges is a B.C. first — a poisonous spotted porcupine fish.
Jordan River, B.C. Canada
Times Colonist

Storm damages Nikiski dock
Heavy seas caused an Offshore System Kenai (OSK) earth and fill dock, with fuel lines, to collapse. The U.S. Coast Guard says about 300 gallons of diesel fuel was spilled when fuel lines were ruptured.
Nikiski, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Emaciated grizzly bears in Canada spark greater concerns over depleted salmon population
With hibernation fast approaching, a grizzly bear family is spotted searching for fish near the shores of Canada's Knight Inlet. They're emaciated, and wildlife observers worry might not make it through winter. The heartbreaking images highlight another victim of the climate crisis and the depleted salmon population.
Knight Inlet, British Columbia, Canada
CNN

Young Beaver (Castor canadensis) a Long Way from Nearest Known Beaver Pond
Nick Page shared the following observation of a young beaver north of Courtenay on Vancouver Island. There are not many beaver observations on Vancouver Island, and most are very recent, especially in this part of Vancouver Island. The closest iNaturalist observation is linked here.
Somewhere North of Courtenay

Hypothermic tropical sea turtle rescued from waters near Port Alberni
A weak and hypothermic sea turtle is recovering after being rescued near Port Alberni.It’s the fourth olive ridley sea turtle on record in B.C. waters
Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada
Times Colonist

Scarlet Honeyeaters (Myzomela sanguinolenta) Unusually Abundant in Brisbane
Sherwood Arboretum, Queensland, Australia

Ticks on Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri)
Steller's jay has one tick on each foot. The ticks may be a species that is commonly found on birds or a species that was picked up from a mammal as the bird was scavenging.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster) offshore of Vancouver
Sturgeon Bank Wildlife Management Area, British Columbia, Canada
Twitter

Warm water, not sea lice, caused massive salmon die-off
Northern Harvest Sea Farms is busy cleaning pens of dead salmon, and the province's head aquaculture vet says higher-than-average water temperatures are to blame.
Fortune Bay, Newfoundland, Canada
CBC

Wind, heavy snow cause power outages, road closures in northern Rockies
Winter storm warnings were posted for parts of western Montana, northern Idaho and northeast Washington. Snow also was forecast for areas in Wyoming, Utah, Oregon, Nevada and California.
Great Falls, Montana, United States
WIBW

88% Catch Decline of Jackass Morwong (Nemadactylus macropterus)
Southern Australia

Why do Calgarians keep seeing bobcats?
The city keeps a record of the number of reported sightings of the animals, along with other wildlife. There were three sightings in 2007, about 10 in 2015 and 27 this year.
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
The Star

Salmon shark stranded near Port Heiden at the end of an unusual summer
Along with significant seabird die-offs near Port Heiden, there have been reports of small whales and porpoises, walrus and sea otters washed up on shore.
Port Heiden, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Large Squid Caught in Chignik Bay
Unidentified squid caught by rod and reel off the beach.
Chignik, Alaska, United States

Unseasonable rains, lightning and thunder
Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico

Another pygmy killer whale stranding hits Sugar Beach
KIHEI — Called a “rare” occurrence that hasn’t happened in 40 to 50 years, the second mass stranding of pygmy killer whales at the same South Maui beach
Kīhei, Hawaii, United States
mauinews.com

Third Massachusetts resident dies of EEE, eight deaths so far this year in United States
tate health officials report that a third person has died of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) Monday, according to WCVB-TV. That makes it the worst outbreak of the disease since the 1950s according to state health officials, with three deaths total in the state, plus three non-fatal cases in neighboring Rhode Island.
Freetown, Massachusetts, United States
Newsweek

Unusually high wave caused fatal capsizing at Brora
Experienced fisherman William Sutherland was trying to return to a harbour when his boat was overturned. His 6m (20ft) boat, Anna-Marie II, was capsized at the mouth of the River Brora on 23 September 2019.
Brora, Scotland, United Kingdom
BBC News

Lorena spares Los Cabos, heads up coast of Mexico’s Baja
Hurricane Lorena spared the resort-studded twin cities of Los Cabos a direct hit and has been reduced to a tropical storm Saturday as it heads up the east coast of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula
Los Cabos, Michoacán, Mexico
Washington Post

Road breaks up in heavy rain
The road through Svínadalur, near Súlá river in Leirársveit, broke apart this morning, trapping three tourists who could not get their car out again.
Akranes, West, Iceland
RÚV

'First time I've seen a shark': Nunavut man nets shark in rare catch
"It's the first time I guess the whole town seeing a shark in real [life]," he said. "Must have been just about the whole town that come to see it." The shark is likely a salmon shark, typically found around Alaska and B.C.
Kugluktuk, Nunavut, Canada

Declining Snow and Summer Rain in the Alberni Valley
"During my childhood, Mt. Arrowsmith and surrounding peaks tended to have a fair amount of snow cover; it was into the summer months before it totally disappeared."
Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada

Winter arrives early in Värmland
Winter came to Värmland, Tuesday, with six centimetres of snow falling on higher ground.
Båstad, Skåne län, Sweden
Radio Sweden

An invasive algae is threatening the Strait of Gibraltar’s fishing grounds
Returning to port with tons of algae in their trammel nets, with hardly any fish, has become a common drama for the men fishing in Spain's Southern coast. The same “catastrophe” is also threatening the marine biodiversity of the area and piling up on beaches.
Spanish Mediterranean coast

A Svalbard reindeer died after getting tangled up in plastic waste
Staff from the governor's office responded and found two bulls entangled on the shore. One lay dead in the water, and another could not move. A third bull had managed to get loose.
Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Svalbard and Jan Mayen
Arctic Today

As Bering Sea ice melts, Alaskans, scientists and Seattle's fishing fleet witness changes on a massive scale
Instead of halibut, fisherman are increasingly catching less valuable Pacific cod, voracious bottom feeders whose numbers in recent years have exploded.
Savoonga, Alaska, United States
Seattle Times

Whitehorse fish ladder sees fewest chinook salmon since 1977
The number of chinook salmon that reached the Whitehorse fish ladder this year hit a 40-year low, and it's not clear why. Just 282 chinook passed through the fish ladder this year, compared to 690 last year. "We did see some large pre-spawn mortality die-offs in a tributary of the Yukon River — the Koyukuk in Alaska. This was for summer chum, and not chinook — but we expect that that higher water temperature also affected the chinook migrating through."
Whitehorse Fish Ladder, Yukon, Canada

Warm Summer Yields Garden Tomatoes
"To grow tomatoes you need eight hours of sunlight each day. Not a problem. But you also need 3-4 months of warm temperatures between 55 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. That's the problem."
Anchorage, Alaska
Jeff Lowenfels, Richard L Thoman Jr, Mike Brubaker

After two dry summers, lakes and wells running low
Despite recent rain, groundwater levels remain at near-record lows. Markku Rantti, head of the local village association, says some wells in the area only have about 20 cm of water at the bottom.
Kokkola, Keski-Pohjanmaa, Finland
Yle Uutiset

River Otters (Lutra canadensis) in University Lake
River otters (*Lutra canadensis*) observed in a lake that typically is home to beavers.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Unusually High Number of Horseflies (Tabanidae) and Wasps (Vespula)
Unusually high number of horseflies and wasps observed during a year with temperatures and precipitation levels above normal.
Koyuk, Alaska, United States
Sarah Yoder, Rebecca Charles, Derek Sikes

Abundance of Hemlock Looper Moths (Lambdina fiscellaria)
Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

Invasive Asian giant hornets found on Vancouver Island
Asian giant hornets are known to feed on honeybees and other large insects and are capable of destroying a beehive in a short time, according to the province.
Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
CTV News

Outbreak of hemlock looper moth hits North Shore, Metro watersheds
While there is no risk to human health, the species of moth can decimate forests
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Vancouver Sun

Winter Has Come to Russia's Arctic City of Norilsk
Summer seems like it was just yesterday.
Norilsk, Krasnoyarskiy, Russia
The Moscow Times

People flee Ethel Lake area as Yukon crews battle nearby wildfire
Eighteen people have been flown out and other residents are on evacuation alert.
Stewart Crossing, Yukon, Canada

Migratory birds still sighted as far as southern Finland
Various species can be spotted in different parts of the country till early October due to warm weather in the south.
Hanko, Uusimaa, Finland
Yle Uutiset

Spider Population May Be Increasing
The crab spider, *Misumena vatia*, is a species well-known throughout Interior, Southcentral, and Southeast Alaska. Little is known about changes in their abundance.
Klawock, Alaska

Moth population takes flight in North Vancouver
The North Shore is discovering what life is like under moth rule. Eclipses of moths have been flitting, fluttering and generally wreaking havoc around any light source over the past week.
Lynn Canyon, British Columbia, Canada
North Shore News

Brown bear filmed crossing 3km wide Avacha Bay in the Pacific Ocean
The unusual swimmer stunned fishermen who said they have never seen bears venturing so far out to sea.
Vilyuchinsk, Kamtsjatka, Russia
Siberia Times

Mass "Ballooning" Spider Event Responsible for Unusual Webs on Vegetation
Unusual webs spread across vegetation is likely related to a mass ballooning event, where spiders launched themselves in the air using the Earths magnetic charge and the wind.
St. Paul Island, Alaska, United States

62 whales die on Northeast beach
62 pilot whales swam onto the shore at Ytra Lón on the Langanes peninsula, northeast Iceland, on Friday evening. All died.
Þórshöfn, Northeast, Iceland
RÚV

State of emergency in Yakutsk as Russia’s permafrost river dries to a record low
Usually one of the most full flowing in Russia, the river tends to drop the level twice a year - but not by a catastrophic 2-2.5 meters as this year.
Yakutsk, Sakha, Russia
Siberia Times

Fears Norwegian disease has spread to dogs in Finland
Reports of symptoms such as diarrhoea and vomiting are being investigated in South Ostrobothnia.
Kristinestad, Ostrobothnia, Finland

Mystery illness kills dogs in Norway
Norwegian authorities said up to 40 dogs had fallen ill with vomiting in at least 13 towns.
Oslo, Norway
BBC News

Narcissus (Anemone narcissiflora) Blooming in Fall
*Anemone narcissiflora*, which typically blooms in June, is experiencing a second bloom in Hatcher Pass.
Hatcher Pass, Alaska

Shearwater (genus Puffinus) Bird Die-off
Eighteen dead shearwaters (genus *Puffinus*) have washed ashore at Humpy Cove. Additional birds were observed by other community members at Wide Bay and Morris Cove.
Unalaska, Alaska, United States
Chris Price, Karen Pletnikoff, Melissa Good, Kathy Kuletz, Brian Berube, Shayla Shaishnikoff, Hillary Burgess

Ocean temperature hits 78 at Scripps Pier, highest September reading on record
Scripps Oceanography says rapid heating was caused by fair, hot weather
La Jolla, California, United States
San Diego Union-Tribune

Scientists monitoring new marine heat wave off B.C. coast similar to 'the Blob'
A new marine heat wave spreading across a portion of the Pacific Ocean off the coast of British Columbia resembles the infamous "blob" that disrupted marine life five years ago.
Northeast Pacific Ocean

Rare snow-white squirrel spotted in Yukon
Steve Buyck and Elizabeth Blair were out for a drive near Stewart Crossing, Yukon, this week when they spotted what they thought was a weasel. It was actually a red squirrel — completely white.
Stewart Crossing, Yukon, Canada

Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) at St Margerats Bay
In 2016, there was a documented Brown Pelican sighting in Port Renfrew, BC, and in 2018-2019 there were five others in Victoria, BC.
St. Margerats Bay, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

50 percent more baby puffins this year
The puffling season is at its height and locals and visitors are busy helping lost baby puffins out to sea.
Vestmannaeyjar, South, Iceland
RÚV

Poor Langoustine Season Could Mean Restaurant Shortage
In a good season, Skinney’s langoustine catch can reach 250-300 tons. This summer, it was only 38.
Höfn, East, Iceland
Iceland Review

Svalbard is now experiencing unusually large amounts of ice
The Meteorological Institute (MET) is currently registering an unusual phenomenon around Svalbard, unusually large amounts of sea ice.
Nordaustlandet, Svalbard
abc nyheter

Record late heat in Lapland as dry summer draws to close
August 29th was the latest date ever recorded for an over-25-degree day in Finnish Lapland.
Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland

Getting help from Sweden and Denmark for coping with the rains in Fredrikstad
Nearly 1,000 water damages have been reported following the heavy rainfall night to Sunday.
Fredrikstad, Østfold, Norway
NRK

Hurricane Dorian has smashed all sorts of intensity records in the Atlantic Ocean - The Washington Post
Dorian has risen to the top of the charts among the most powerful hurricanes ever observed in the Atlantic Ocean.
Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas
Washington Post

Low water supply in two Kenai Peninsula communities prompts disaster declaration
Little rainfall during this year’s warm, dry summer left Seldovia and Nanwalek scrambling to conserve water.
Seldovia, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

New rainfall record for August in Bergen
The summer rain broke a hundred-year-old record.
Bergen, Hordaland, Norway
NRK

E16 closed after landslide
Heavy rainfall in western Norway resulted in floods, raids, evacuations and several road closures. At E16, 19 people were trapped as both sides of the tunnel collapsed.
Voss, Hordaland, Norway
NRK
Even Norheim Johansen, Valentina Baisotti, Silje Thalberg

Chignik Lagoon on the Alaska Peninsula runs out of stored water
As of Tuesday, the wells at Chignik Lagoon, population 150, are completely dry.
Chignik Lagoon, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Blue-green algae advisory in effect for Prior Lake on Vancouver Island
A blue-green algae advisory is in effect for Prior Lake in Thetis Lake Regional Park after the toxic blooms were spotted in the water.
Prior Lake, British Columbia, Canada

Couples evacuated after landslides and fumes in Kvam
Inge Hamre and Marta Apelthun Hamre had to evacuate by boat as heavy rainfall turned their garden into a river.
Norheimsund, Hordaland, Norway
Even Norheim Johansen, Ole Kollstrøm Heilevang

Slender armorhead (Pentaceros wheeleri) caught in purse seine
Juveniles and sub adults live and migrate in open water at shallow to moderate depths. They move to the bottom as adults when they settle around sea mounts in the North Pacific.
Chignik Lake, Alaska, United States
Melissa Good, Tom Okey, Amy Holman, Andrés López, Edgar Smith

Latest Research From Chukchi Sea Finds More Warm Water, Harmful Algal Blooms
During their three weeks aboard the Healy, Bob Pickart and his team observed some Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs). One was near Point Hope.
Near Point Hope, Alaska
KNOM Radio Mission

Heavy lightning and thunder created havoc in Eastern Norway
Several trains have been delayed and canceled due to the storm.
Oslo, Norway
Anja Strønen, Hilde Nilsson Ridola, Anette Holth Hansen, Victoria Wilden, Henriette Morth, Kaja Staude Mikalsen

Nanwalek is rapidly running out of water
A Kenai Peninsula village is rapidly running out of water. Low snowpack and little rainfall has led Nanwalek to declare a water emergency.
Nanwalek, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Lightning strikes Alaska Airlines jets in Southeast
Alaska Airlines said flights 64 and 65 had lightning strikes from storms that moved through the northern Panhandle and also knocked out power in Juneau.
Juneau, Alaska, United States

Detectan presencia del 'Pez Diablo' en Sinaloa; una amenaza para la pesca y los ecosistemas
They detect the presence of the 'Devil Fish' in Sinaloa; a threat to fishing and ecosystems
Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico
News

Lake water to be pumped into B.C. river due to severe drought
A Vancouver Island watershed is experiencing such a severe drought the town of Lake Cowichan says it will start using pumps to keep the local river flowing.
Lake Cowichan, British Columbia, Canada

Invasive salmon return to Scottish rivers
Pink salmon are native to the Pacific Ocean. From stocking programs in Russia in the 1960s they have spread to Northern Europe, and in 2017 male and female pink salmon were spotted in the River Ness in the Highlands of Scotland. And now, two years later, camera images suggest that their spawn has returned.
River Ness, Scotland, United Kingdom
BBC News

Water shortage looms in Chignik Lagoon
The water well is dry due to a lack of rain, and the village’s distribution system is damaged. As of Thursday, residents had only 5,000 gallons of drinkable water left.
Chignik Lagoon, Alaska, United States

Squamish volunteers opening up man-made dams stopping pink salmon
Don’t treat the river like a personal bathtub. It’s a message Squamish conservationists are putting forward after they found man-made dams blocking pink salmon from their spawning grounds.
Stawamus River, British Columbia. Canada
Squamish Chief

Blacksmith (Chromis punctipinnis) Newly Abundant in Central California
"In the midfield of my dive this school of blacksmith suddenly appeared. They were hiding from cormorants that dove into the water."
Edward F. Ricketts State Marine Conservation Area, California, United States

Hail storms cause 'doomsday' floods in Madrid as cars swept away by huge rapids and vineyards destroyed
La tormenta se ve en el eco del radar que mostrado antes de este tweet … la fuerte tromba caída en el sureste de #Madrid nos deja las primeras imágenes captadas en las calles de #Arganda @PadelKass donde el cielo se ha desplomado en pocos minutos … wow! #lluvia #Tormenta pic.twitter.com/ELI1LFB4sq — Mario Picazo (@picazomario) …
Arganda, Madrid, Spain
Olive Press News Spain

Marine Mammal Strandings at 2nd Cape
A variety of stranded marine mammals were observed in the Port Heiden area between August 17 and 26th.
Near Port Heiden
Kathy Burek Huntington, Hillary Burgess, Kris Holderied, Joel Garlich-Miller, Barbara Mahoney, Melissa Good, Gay Sheffield, Jonathan Snyder, Bruce Wright, Kathy Kuletz, Gabe Dunham, Dean Stockwell, Jaclyn Christensen

Lake Change in Sanak
Most of the dry lakes and streams were on the south side of the island. I am thinking this is one of many lakes that cattle use for drinking.
Sanak Island

Late Bloomers - Highbush Cranberry (Viburnum edule) Blooming Late August
During a summer of unusually warm temperatures, highbush cranberries (*Viburnum edule*) are blooming, using buds that would have normally bloomed next spring.
College, Alaska, United States

Port Heiden fights 10-acre blaze
The 450-acre Offal Beach Fire is burning for the fifth consecutive day about 11 miles northeast of Port Heiden.
Port Heiden, Alaska, United States
KDLG

Volunteers remain hopeful, as Levelock Fire reaches 5 percent containment
The Bristol Bay Times - Serving Dillingham, Naknek, King Salmon and Southwest villages
Levelock, Alaska, United States
Bristol Bay Times

Heavy rains spur flooding, snarl transportion
Helsinki usually gets 70-80 millimetres of rain during August. Friday morning alone brought 56 mm of water to Kaisaniemi Park, where the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) has a weather station.
Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland

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

Lightning kills 5, injures more than 100 in popular tourist area on Poland-Slovakia border
Five people, including two children, were killed in a thunderstorm in the Tatra Mountains on the Poland-Slovakia border on Thursday.
Wielki Giewont, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland

Wind storm beaches boats, causes power outage
A wind storm last weekend toppled a tree on Beach Road and broke lines on boats in Letnikof Cove, sending one boat owner into the frigid and wavy
Haines, Alaska, United States
Chilkat Valley News

Rapid release of water from glacier-dammed lake prompts Kenai flood advisory
The National Weather Service has issued a flood advisory for Kenai Lake and the Kenai River near Cooper Landing.
Cooper Landing, Alaska, United States

Mosquitoes in Flagstaff test positive for West Nile virus
Coconino County Health and Human Services (CCHHS) officials found mosquitoes that tested positive for West Nile virus (WNV) in an area south of Lake Mary Road in Flagstaff. This is the first positive WNV in mosquitoes in Coconino County this year.  No human cases have been reported in Coconino County since 2010 when two human cases were identified.
Flagstaff, Arizona, United States
Arizona Emergency Information Network

Pacific Pomfret (Brama japonica) Caught in Southeast Alaska
Although native to southern Alaskan waters, Pacific pomfret (*Brama japonica*) are not often caught by salmon fishers.
Cross Sound
Tom Okey, Richard L Thoman Jr, Justin Bate, Jason Gasper

Florida panthers and bobcats are stumbling or can’t walk and scientists suspect it could be poison
Researchers are asking the public for help in identifying a condition that has left endangered panthers in Florida with neurological damage.
Utopia, Florida, United States
Washington Post

Hawaiian Petrel (Pterodroma sandwichensis) off Haida Gwaii
This is the first photographed in BC and only the 5th ever recorded in the province.
Northwest of Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, Canada
Rare Bird Alert

City Implements Water Conservation Measures
Persistent high pressure over the Gulf of Alaska and Bristol Bay has kept most storms well away from the lower Kenai Peninsula. At Homer, total rainfall June 1-August 16 was only 53% of normal, making this the driest since 2004. The City of Seldovia has issued a "City Water Conservation Notice" on August 20th. The notice doesn't ban any specific water use but requests residents make an effort to use less water by minimizing watering lawns and washing cars and to take shorter showers.
Seldovia, Alaska, United States
John Warren, Brian Berube, Don Green, Michael Opheim , Richard L Thoman Jr, Edward "Ted" Smith, Stephen Payton

'Way too close’: Kayakers encounter calving glacier in Southcentral Alaska
“It was a beautiful event that we were lucky to have survived,” Andrew Hooper said.
Spencer Glacier

Dead Salmon Shark (Lamna ditropis) Near 2nd Cape
It is unusual to find a dead shark. And it occurred at a time when there were many other standings of marine mammals and birds.
Port Heiden, Alaska, United States
Bruce Wright, Kathy Burek Huntington, Jaclyn Christensen, Melissa Good

Erosion and Weird Growth on Tundra
An unidentified fungus is growing along the eroding coastal bank.
Kotlik, Alaska, United States

Algae Observed in Satellite Image - Could This Be Related to Shearwater Die-offs?
This region in the Bering Sea began to change color in early July, during roughly the same period when dead shearwaters began being reported by LEO members in coastal communities. Ocean experts suspect it's a non-toxic coccolithophore bloom. Interestingly, these kinds of blooms have occurred before in conjunction with shearwater die-offs. But this may be circumstantial.
Bering Sea
Dean Stockwell, Kathy Kuletz, Richard L Thoman Jr, Amy Holman, Sarah Schoen, Mike Brubaker, Kris Holderied, Hillary Burgess

Record heat has Susitna Valley silver salmon in hot - and low - water
Two popular rivers are being closed to fishing because almost no cohos are making it upstream.
Willow, Alaska, United States

Drought Causes Water Emergency
"Nanwalek was in an emergency drought, we had to have water flown in for 60 households."
Nanwalek, Alaska, United States
Priscilla Evans, Michael Opheim , Brian Berube, John Warren, Richard L Thoman Jr

Wildfire Smoke Affecting Ability to Dry Fish
"The fish was easy to mold on the drying rack because the hot summer sun was not coming through the smoke."
Nuiqsut, Alaska, United States
Rosemary Ahtuangaruak, Raphaela Stimmelmayr, Alison York

Pack of brown bears reported in Magadan region
Bears in the Far East of Russia have become extremely aggressive searching for food. Experts say the number of bear attacks on humans this year is 'unprecedented.'
Takhtoyamsk, Magadan Oblast, Russia
Siberian Times

Laurel wilt in camphor (Cinnamomum camphora) tree?
"Camphor Trees typically seem healthy in this region and are invasive. Massive simultaneous failure of most branches seems unusual."
North Sarasota, Florida, United States
Jeffrey Eickwort, Jono Miller, Jessie Moan

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

'It looks like Christmas': Northeastern B.C. gets August snow dump
Residents in northeastern B.C. got quite the surprise over the weekend in the form of a large snowfall. While it's not entirely uncommon for towns in higher elevations to receive snow in August, getting a big dump is very unusual, said CBC meteorologist Brett Soderholm.
Buffalo Inn, Pink Mountain, BC, Canada
CBC News

Wildfire along Parks Highway burns at least 50 structures
The highway remained closed north of Willow after the fire jumped the road Sunday, authorities said. The fire started Saturday afternoon when wind blew a tree onto a power line.
Willow, Alaska, United States

Wasilla store contends with ‘large-scale’ rodent problem
Fred Meyer is employing an aggressive pest-control plan after customers spotted mice in the store through Southcentral Alaska’s unusually warm summer.
Wasilla, Alaska, United States

Fish Found in Stream Where There Are Usually No Fish
Fish in a local pond may have been washed to their new location during a recent severe rain event.
Quinhagak, Alaska, United States

Guadalupe Murrelet (Synthliboramphus hypoleucus) off Tofino
Multiple passengers on board were able to view and photograph the bird. This is the 3rd record for the province of BC.
Southwest of Tofino, BC, Canada
Rare Bird Alert
Mike Toochin, Melissa Hafting and Ilya Povalyaev

Sargassum hits Belize hard
For the fifth consecutive year, influxes of sargassum seaweed have begun piling up on beachfronts in major tourist destinations in Belize.
Placencia, Stann Creek, Belize
Breaking Belize News

Dozens of dead seabirds found on Kivalina coast
About 20 to 30 medium-sized birds with black backs and white bellies were found spaced out along the entire beach of the island.
Kivalina, Alaska, United States
Arctic Sounder

Haines water department works to keep water flowing from Lily Lake amid drought
The main water line comes from Lily Lake through 10,000 feet of line. According to Supervisor Dennis Durr, “We’re making 130 gallons a minute right now. Normally this time of year we should be making at least 250 gallons a minute. We’re not keeping up right now, but we are making water. That’s good. That’s keeping us in the ball game here.”
Haines, Alaska, United States

Anglers allowed to catch chinook salmon in southwestern Yukon
Recreational anglers on the Tatshenshini River are now allowed to catch one fish and have one in their possession. Last year, they were only allowed to catch and release the fish.
Mosquito Lake, Alaska, United States

Whitehorse fish ladder sees delayed start to Chinook run
The Whitehorse fish ladder is seeing a slower start to the season than usual, with fewer fish than average having passed through at this point compared to previous years.
Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
Yukon News

Dead Sooty Shearwaters (Ardenna grisea)
This is the 6th observation on this topic received in LEO Network from Southwest Alaska since July 22, 2019.
Quinhagak, Alaska, United States
Jennifer Hooper, Hillary Burgess, Brian Lefferts, Alyssa Gustafson, Kathy Kuletz, Erica Lujan

Large icebergs are rare in Portage Lake nowadays. This week there are two new ‘shooters.'
“When I first started six years ago, icebergs like this were more common,” says a tour boat captain on the lake near Anchorage.
Whittier, Alaska, United States

River Otters (Lutra canadensis) on Bike Trail
River otters observed within Anchorage city limits.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

2019 to be ‘worst-ever year’ for wildfires in Siberia and ‘only rain can now extinguish flames’
Some 5.4 million hectares of land are ablaze across Russia, mostly in Siberia and the country's far east. Water sprayed by planes to fight the fires is ‘now as expensive as Champagne’.
Siberian Times

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