LEO Network

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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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Observations

Thousands of farmed salmon perish in massive die off near Tofino
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.
Tofino, British Columbia, Canada
CHEK

Early birds: Photographer spots Brant geese down-Island ahead of usual PQB return
A photographer captured Brant geese appearing early on Vancouver Island, suggesting a shift in their wintering patterns.
Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada
Lake Cowichan Gazette

Latest winter storm brings winds nearing 140 km/h off northern Vancouver Island
A powerful winter storm hit northern Vancouver Island, with winds reaching up to 140 km/h and up to 15 cm of snow predicted for B.C's north coast.
Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada
Lake Cowichan Gazette

Bin-busting bears in Tofino and Ucluelet making quick work of bear-resistant garbage cans
Wildlife officials report that bears in Tofino and Ucluelet have learned to breach bear-resistant garbage bins, leading to concerns about increased bear-human conflict.
Tofino and Ucluelet, British Columbia, Canada
CBC News

Storm knocks out power and impacts travel on Vancouver Island Saturday
A storm on Saturday led to power outages for tens of thousands on Vancouver Island and disrupted ferry travel.
Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada
CHEK

90,000 without power, ferries cancelled as storm batters Vancouver Island
A powerful storm has left about 90,000 people without power on Vancouver Island, causing widespread service disruptions including the cancellation of several BC Ferries sailings due to safety concerns.
Lake Cowichan Gazette

Snow falls on Vancouver Island north of Campbell River ahead of bomb cyclone
Snowfall has hit areas north of Campbell River in anticipation of a powerful bomb cyclone expected to bring severe wind and rain to Vancouver Island.
CHEK News

'We have NEVER documented this before': Tofino tourism operator witnesses killer whales attacking humpback
As the group approached, there was a lot of splashing and porpoising. It was determined that the pod of whales was attacking a juvenile humpback whale.
Tofino, British Columbia, Canada
CHEK

Encouraging signs in Huu-ay-aht rivers, despite salmon declines elsewhere
Observations this year from Huu-ay-aht territory see that volume of herring may finally be improving, as the First Nation is reporting a growing number of wild salmon migrating through its rivers.
Anacla 12, British Columbia, Canada
Ha-Shilth-Sa

'Once in a millennium': Record-breaking rogue wave measured off Vancouver Island
A massive ocean wave that was tracked off the west coast of Vancouver Island in 2020 is now considered the most extreme rogue wave ever recorded, according to scientists at the University of Victoria.
Ucluelet, British Columbia, Canada
CTV News-Vancouver Island

Velella velella Strandings in Tofino
On a recent family vacation, stranded Velella velella were observed on beaches near Tofino, British Columbia.
Tofino, British Columbia, Canada

Gooseneck Barnacles

Tofino fish farms reporting mass die-offs due to harmful algae
Blooms are often associated with low dissolved oxygen events and warm ocean water temperatures and weather changes – all of which we are, or have been, experiencing," said Kiemele. Farm owner Cermaq says it has deployed fish protection countermeasures that have already caused conditions to improve.
Herbert Inlet, British Columbia, Canada
CTV News

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

Booming anchovy population helps salmon, orcas
Swarms of anchovy can be seen swimming through the South Sound.
KIRO

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

Hurricane force winds recorded near Tofino
Typically these storms remain off the coast of Vancouver Island and we only see the frontal systems move ashore.
Lennard Island Lighthouse, British Columbia, Canada

The warm-water blob is back off the B.C. coast
The blob is the popular name for a huge patch of warm water that has reached above normal temperatures in the Pacific Ocean.
Vancouver Sun

Old-growth logging in Nahmint Valley
Questions have been raised after the 10th widest Douglas fir tree in BC BigTree Registry is cut down.
Nahmint Valley, British Columbia, Canada

Ahousaht Harbor: Swimming Hole Monitoring
Ahousaht, 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

Unusual Turbidity in Sarita River
Bamfield, British Columbia, Canada

Toxic algae blamed for die-off at 2 salmon farms in Clayoquot Sound
Millar Channel, British Columbia, Canada
CBC News

Whales Are Dying Off North America’s West Coast
West Coast of Vancouver Island, Canada
VICE News

Abundant Japanese Wireweed (Sargassum muticum)
A species of invasive seaweed is becoming very abundant and displacing native species.
Bamfield, British Columbia, Canada

Thousands of small seabirds wash up on West Coast in die-off mystery
Scientists are trying to determine why thousands of tiny seabirds called Cassin's auklets have washed up on the West Coast, all the way from B.C. to California.
Long Beach, Pacific Rim National Park

Latest IHN outbreak forces cull at Millar Channel fish farm
Update: Aug. 16. Mainstream Canada has announced that the Millar Channel fish farm is now empty. The fish, infected with the IHN virus,were taken to a rendering facility. Mainstream Canada is developing a plan for cleaning and disinfecting the farm site, as per the requirements of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. “This is an unfortunate incident, but we are pleased with how smoothly the depopulation procedure went considering the situation,” said Fernando Villarroel, Mainstream Canada’s managing director.
Millar Channel, British Columbia, Canada
Ha-Shilth-Sa Newspaper

Too Many Sea Otters?
Some want to be able to kill them again off BC's coast. Part one of a Tyee special report.
Chesterman Beach, British Columbia, Canada
The Tyee

‘A lot of salmon died’: Ahousaht Guardians look to watershed restoration amid B.C.’s dangerously dry summer
B.C. drought exacerbating forestry damage to Bedwell River near Tofino as Ahousaht First Nation works to protect salmon, restore watershed.
The Narwhal

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