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The LEO Network is a worldwide network of observers and experts that share their observations of environmental change.
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Mosquito-borne diseases found in emus, horses in Maine
Viruses have now been found in mosquitoes or in animals around the state, prompting health officials to warn Maine residents to protect against mosquito bites. The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported positive tests for eastern equine encephalitis, or EEE, in several emu flocks and multiple horses. Also, a horse tested positive for West Nile Virus in York County.
Maine, United States
Press Herald

Drinking Water Contaminated in Borgarfjörður Eystri
Residents of Borgarfjörður Eystri have had to boil their drinking water for two weeks due to coliform bacteria in their water sources. “This has probably come about because of soil subsidence [sinking ground] in the wet land in that area,” stated Glúmur Björnsson, a geologist at utilities contractor HEF Veitur.
Bakkagerði, East, Iceland
Iceland Review

Lapland seeing high waters, unusually heavy snow
Unusually heavy rains in Lapland have caused water levels to rise near flood levels, and further rises will depend on temperatures over the next few days, with climate change being a contributing factor.
Enontekiö, Lapland, Finland
News

Outbreak of avian flu on Hopen
There have been similar, even larger outbreaks of avian flue in seabird colonies in north Norway. In some cases, the losses were dramatic and major fractions of the colonies were wiped out. In Spitsbergen, avian flu was found for the first time in 2002, but the recent outbreak on Hopen is the largest one so far.
Svalbard, Svalbard and Jan Mayen
Spitzbergen | Svalbard

Melting glaciers increase supply of electrical power in Iceland
Melting glaciers in Iceland are contributing to an increased supply of electrical power. In the past ten years, the additional supply has amounted to one medium-sized power plant.
Iceland
RÚV

Humpback whale calf found dead near Juneau was killed by a large boat, biologists say
A humpback whale calf found dead near Juneau, Alaska was killed by a large boat, according to biologists who found deep lacerations on the calf's body and pectoral fin likely caused by a propeller, highlighting the risks of vessel strikes and the need for reduced speeds and increased distance between boats and whales.
Juneau, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

19 cases of avian flu identified in Dillingham
In Dillingham, Alaska, 19 cases of avian flu have been identified in common murres, with the virus still present in wild birds and genetic testing being conducted to determine if it is a new strain or a strain circulating in North America.
Dillingham, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Gas leak off Finland – authorities point to external activity
Finnish authorities are investigating a gas leak outside of Finland, suspected to be caused by external activity, with both the security police and defense forces involved in the case.
Baltic Sea
NRK

Scientists observe chum salmon spawning in North Slope rivers
Scientists from the University of Alaska Fairbanks have observed an increase in chum salmon spawning in North Slope rivers, potentially indicating a shift in their population and a signal of climate change. Elizabeth Lindley, a Ph.D. student working on the project, says that while evidence of spawning in a new region may be a positive for salmon, the impact on important subsistence resources including Arctic char and Dolly Varden is uncertain.
Colville River, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Tribe catches coho salmon on free-flowing Elwha River, a first since dam removals
The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe catches coho salmon on the free-flowing Elwha River for the first time in over a century since the removal of dams, marking a historic moment for the tribe and the river's recovery.
Elwha River, Washington, United States
The Seattle Times

Thousands of Utah turkeys die after being infected with avian flu in Sanpete County
Thousands of turkeys in Sanpete County, Utah, have died from highly pathogenic avian influenza, leading to the quarantine and depopulation of the affected farm, with concerns about the potential impact on turkey sales during the upcoming holiday season.
Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
FOX 13 News Utah (KSTU)

Cambodia records 2nd death from H5N1 bird flu so far this year
A 50-year-old man in Cambodia has died from H5N1 bird flu, marking the second death from the virus in the country this year. Prior to his death about 50 chickens had died and were shared with neighbors to eat.
Cambodia

New disease caught in time
Canadian veterinarians identified and managed a new disease, sapovirus, in piglets before it could cause a widespread outbreak, thanks to their rapid response and collaboration.
Saskatchewan, Canada
SaskToday.ca

Amber rain warning extended for north and east of Scotland
An amber rain warning has been extended for the north and east of Scotland, causing severe flooding and travel disruptions, with the Scottish government urging people to heed travel warnings and take precautions. Some areas have seen up to a month's worth of rain in a 24-hour period resulting in heavy flooding across much of the rail network.
Dumbarton, Scotland, United Kingdom
BBC News

A landslide crushed Wrangell's municipal burn pit
“There is some concern with the stability of the cliffside there and some additional material that appears like it might be coming down also, so we have barricaded the area off,” Wetor says. “Right now things are pretty unstable there. And I think we need to give it some space and let it do its thing.”
Wrangell, Alaska, United States
KTOO

Alaska cancels snow crab harvest again due to population concerns
The snow crab harvest in Alaska has been canceled for the second year in a row due to concerns about population sustainability, but red king crab and Tanner crab will be available for commercial fishermen this season. Last year was the first time in history the U.S. snow crab fishery was closed. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game said the harvests were closed over concerns about long-term conservation and the sustainability of crab stocks.
Kodiak, Alaska, United States

Rare Bird Flu Detected in Eagle and Eider Duck
Samples taken from a white-tailed eagle found dead on a skerry near Barðaströnd in the Westfjords in mid-September tested positive for a severe bird flu virus of the strain HPAI H4N5. An eider duck that was found dead in Ólafsfjörður, West Iceland recently was infected with the same strain of bird flu virus. The strain has not been detected in Iceland before and is not common.
Barðaströnd
Iceland Review

Humpback found dead near Kodiak gets Alaska's first 2023 whale necropsy
A humpback whale found dead near Kodiak Island in Alaska undergoes the state's first whale necropsy of 2023 in an effort to determine the cause of death and understand the shrinking humpback population in the area, with initial findings suggesting the whale may have been struck by a boat.
Kodiak, Alaska, United States

2 killed in suspected grizzly bear attack in Canada's Banff National Park
Two people were killed in a suspected grizzly bear attack in Banff National Park, Canada, leading to the euthanization of the bear for public safety.
Banff, Alberta, Canada
CBC

Avian influenza death of Alaska polar bear is a global first and a sign of the virus' persistence
The highly pathogenic influenza that just claimed its first known polar bear victim continues to circulate in the world’s wild populations.
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States
Alaska Beacon

Flooding in New York: Rain Eases, but Officials Warn That Flood Risks Remain
Heavy rain caused serious flooding across the region on Friday, leading Gov. Kathy Hochul to declare a state of emergency as rising waters disrupted travel and stranded people in cars and homes.
Brooklyn, New York, United States

Permafrost slump near Alaska Highway in Yukon eats up 13 more metres of land
The slump is so close to the Alaska Highway, the Yukon government is moving the road, creating a new section that will help protect the only year-round road linking parts of the Yukon, and the U.S. state of Alaska, to the rest of the continent.
Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
CBC

Shishaldin unrest continues, as Aleutian volcano erupts
An ash cloud from Shishaldin reached an initial height of 45,000 feet, but the height is decreasing.

A year after the Merbok Storm: Impacts on Cemetery
The Merbok storm of 2022 impacted the Old Russian Cemetery in Saint Michael. This cemetery was created in the 1830s when the northernmost outpost of the Russian American Company was established in that village. People were interred in that cemetery for about 100 years. The cemetery is on a 30 foot high bluff overlooking the bay.
St. Michael, Alaska, United States
Anahma Shannon, Jacqualine Schaeffer, Tom Wolforth, Darlene Chiskok, Racheal Lee, Michelle Snowball, Max Neale, James Benzschawel

Nearly a Million Dead Fish Wash Up on Louisiana Coast, Commercial Fishing Boats to Blame
Nearly a million dead fish, including redfish and menhaden, washed ashore in southwest Louisiana due to commercial fishing boats dumping an estimated 850,000 fish from their overfilled nets, sparking calls for stricter limits on the state's commercial menhaden fishery.
Abbeville, Louisiana, United States
Outdoor Life

Graves continue to erode at historic St. Michael cemetery
Graves at the historic St. Michael cemetery in Alaska are eroding due to increased storms and erosion, prompting an archaeologist to recover exposed remains and coordinate efforts to re-bury them. Tom Wolforth’s prime mission was to appropriately handle the remains and make sure they could be reburied. He has been working closely with the tribe and the municipality to address their concerns. One concern, Martin said, was that these exposed remains could pose a risk of disease, especially if the dead had been buried during the time of the 1918 flu pandemic. But Wolforth assured them that if properly handled this shouldn’t be a problem.
St. Michael, Alaska, United States
The Nome Nugget

Images of Siglufjörður house damage emerge
There is considerable damage to a house on Aðalgatu in Siglufjörður after the roof came off in a storm last night. Ólöf Rún Erlendsdóttir, reporter, and Sölvi Andrason, cameraman, are in Siglufjörður and sent pictures of the damage.
Siglufjörður, Northeast, Iceland
RÚV

Bears raid a Krispy Kreme doughnut van in Anchorage
The van was stopped outside a convenience store on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson when the bears helped themselves to doughnut holes and other pastries.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Very Late Foliage
Autumn colors have been quite delayed this year, maybe ten days to two weeks later than "usual"
Fox, Alaska, United States

Four dead seals on beach
Four dead seals have washed up on a beach in Trinidad, California, with locals noting an unusual occurrence as they have not seen this many washed up at once in recent years.
Trinidad, California, United States

As cleanup from Lee continues, CMP says most customers should have power back
The Maine Emergency Management Agency and other state agencies were working with local safety officials on cleanup and recovery.
Portland, Maine, United States
Press Herald

Stranded luxury cruise ship MV Ocean Explorer is pulled free at high tide in Greenland
Another attempt to pull free a luxury cruise ship with 206 people that ran aground in the world’s northernmost national park has failed after trying to use the high tide.
Alpefjord, Greenland
AP News

Homeowners along the Kenai River fight rising flood waters
The Kenai River has been running high ever since two glacier dammed lakes emptied into the river over the last few days. In the Kenai Keys subdivision near Sterling, the river is lapping at the doorsteps of the hundred or so homes that line the river. Longtime resident Frank Turpin said although he’s seen worse flooding, this one is significant. The road leading into the gated subdivision is flooded in numerous places although some vehicles can still make it through. Neighbors who live on higher ground have offered their yards for people wishing to store cars or other items until the waters recede.
Sterling, Alaska, United States

Protecting roads and water infrastructure from erosion
River erosion is impacting the road and requiring the replacement of health infrastructure.
Huslia, Alaska, United States
Lucy Snyder, Jacqualine Schaeffer, Max Neale

Local Animal Rescue Group Sees Influx of Sea Lions Suffering From Potentially Fatal Bacteria Infection
A local animal rescue in Northern California warns of a surge in sea lions with a potentially fatal bacterial infection, leptospirosis, and advises dog owners to keep pets away.
Northern California, United States
Lost Coast Outpost

H5 avian influenza detected for the first time in elephant seals
NewsDesk @bactiman63 The National Agri-Food Health and Quality Service (Senasa)  confirmed new cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5 detected in marine mammals in Comodoro Rivadavia, Rada Tilly and Punta Tombo, Chubut. The agency’s National Laboratory diagnosed new samples positive for the disease, which were taken from sea lions and elephant seals found dead in the aforementioned places. Based on notification, […]
Comodoro Rivadavia, Chubut Province, Argentina
Outbreak News Today

Borough declares local disaster for Talkeetna flood damage
In less than a day, the riverbank was eroded back more than 60 feet, threatening some cabins near the river.
Talkeetna, Alaska, United States

Massive ocean sunfish spotted off Vancouver Island
Jackie Hildering was astonished by a recent photo depicting an enormous Mola mola submitted to the Marine Education Resource Society citizen science project, which is collecting data on two different species of sunfish along the Pacific Coast.
Powell River, British Columbia, Canada
Vancouver Island

Massachusetts city got nearly 10 inches of rain in 6 hours, flooding homes and eroding dams
Heavy rainfall has flooded parts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, with one city declaring a state of emergency.
Rhode Island and Massachusetts, United States
AP News

Thousands are feared dead and thousands more are missing in flood-ravaged eastern Libya
Emergency workers uncovered more than 1,500 bodies in the wreckage of Libya’s eastern city of Derna, and it was feared the toll could surpass 5,000 after floodwaters smashed through dams and washed away entire neighborhoods of the city.
Derna, Libya
AP News

Unprecedented double glacial dam release brings flooding to the Kenai
Usually, the Snow Glacier and Skilak lakes release every two or three years. Both at the same time is unprecedented.
Skilak Lake

Drought in B.C. has salmon running 'a marathon in a sauna,' foundation warns
British Columbia's prolonged drought risks damaging the salmon population for generations and has led to a series of emergency, rapidly deployed projects in an effort to intervene. In the Comox Valley, aerators have been installed in the Tsolum River to maximize salmon survival by increasing dissolved oxygen levels, and work has started at the mouth of the Tranquille River to re-establish water flow between the upper and lower sections so salmon can migrate upstream to their spawning grounds. More than 80 per cent of the province is at Level 4 or 5 drought conditions, the highest possible rankings, after months of little or no rain.
Merritt, British Columbia, Canada
British Columbia

First case of African swine fever confirmed in Sweden
African swine fever is harmless to humans but deadly to pigs and wild boars. An outbreak in Serbia, Bosnia and Croatia this summer has led farmers there to cull thousands of animals.
Fagersta, Västmanland, Sweden
Sveriges Radio

‘Unusual’ number of dead sea lions show up on Sonoma County beach
The sea lions vary in decomposition. Several had their bones exposed Monday afternoon.
Bodega Bay, California, United States
Santa Rosa Press Democrat

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