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

Sea gulls on the beach not moving
Observers report unusual sea gull lethargy and die-offs on area beaches.
Brevig Mission, Alaska, United States
Racheal Lee, Sarah Yoder, January Frost, Lillian Olanna, Gay Sheffield, Kathy Kuletz

Village Airport Stuck in the Mud
Brevig Mission's airport has been unusable due to heavy rain rendering its runways unsafe, disrupting travel and medical supplies.
Brevig Mission, Alaska, United States
KNOM Radio Mission

First ever subsistence fishery closure at Port Clarence causes hardship at Teller, Brevig
After experiencing an unprecedented closure of subsistence salmon fishing, the Port Clarence district, including Teller and Brevig Mission, is now open for fishing.
Teller, Alaska, United States
The Nome Nugget

Storm erodes shoreline at Shishmaref
High winds that pushed water high up on south facing shores of the Seward Peninsula cause shoreline erosion on the Chukchi Sea coast of Shishmaref, last week.
Shishmaref, Alaska, United States
The Nome Nugget

ADF&G dispatches rabid moose roaming through Teller
A moose that was killed in Teller last week had been infected with rabies, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game confirmed.
Teller, Alaska, United States
The Nome Nugget

Polar bear fatally mauls woman and boy in Northwest Alaska village
A Wales resident shot and killed the bear. With the loss of sea ice and the ocean staying open later in the year, polar bears have been spending more time on land, which increases the chance of human encounters.
Wales, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

No sea ice in Grantley Harbor
December should have sea ice development in Norton Sound. But no sign of ice yet this year. Several storms have moved northward across the western Bering Sea and brought strong winds and bouts of above freezing weather to the Teller area and all of the Bering Strait region.
Teller, Alaska, United States
Richard L Thoman Jr, Kendra Lee, Anahma Shannon, Austin Ahmasuk, Kitrea P Takata-Glushkoff, Hajo Eicken

Lots of dead krill washed up on Sarichef Island
Die-offs of krill are in some cases associated with hypoxia (low oxygen) excess sediment suspended in the water column and changes in water temperature. There were recent reports of high levels of Alexandrium in water samples in the areas, and Norton Sound Health Corporation is performing some testing of krill samples (see below). There was also an unprecedented storm event only a week ago, unusual for the storm surge and early season.
Shishmaref, Alaska, United States
Gay Sheffield, Brandon Ahmasuk, Dean Stockwell, Racheal Lee, Jacqualine Schaeffer, Anahma Shannon, Sadie McGill, Emma Pate

Researchers find even higher algal levels in regional waters
After alerting the region to very high levels of harmful algal blooms west of Kotzebue and Gambell two weeks ago, scientist onboard the research vessel Norseman II have found even higher numbers of Alexandrium catenella algae cells near Wales, Diomede and Shishmaref.
Wales, Alaska, United States

Windy March Storms in Wales Cause Concern for Future
March brought a series of storms across the Seward Peninsula, and in one Bering Strait community that meant a series of power outages. The storms are stronger than residents recall in the past.
Wales, Alaska, United States
KNOM Radio Mission

Fall storm wreaks havoc
Starting on the night of Wednesday, November 4, and continuing through Friday, a major storm ripped through the Norton Sound region, causing widespread closures and some damaging flooding.

Foreign Trash Washing Up on Beaches
"We have been finding plastic bottles, glass bottles, couple life vests, and boots." The Bering Sea has noted an abundance of foreign debris washing up on our shores. Communities like Unalakleet, Gambell, Savoonga and Nome have all reported and documented hoards of this debris.
Shishmaref, Alaska

Strange waves cause concern in Shishmaref
Denise Fernandez has lived on the island her entire life and says she's never seen waves like she did on Monday.
Shishmaref, Alaska, United States
KTVA

Dead Tomcod (Microgadus proximus) on Beach
Dead tomcod were found on the beach following warm temperatures in Norton Sound, repeating a 2019 mortality event in the same area.

Uncommon Ruby Tiger Moth (Phragmatobia fuliginosa) Sighting
The Seward Peninsula is within the ruby tiger moth range, but sightings are rare.

Erosion Threatening Burial Site
A few years ago, people had to cover up parts of the burial site that were becoming exposed.
Racheal Lee, Max Neale, Erica Lujan, Tom Wolforth, Mike Brubaker, Michael Bruce, Debra Seetook, Vladimir Romanovsky, Louisa Castrodale

Erosion of Burial Site

Landfill is flooding
Brevig Mission, Alaska, United States

Thaw-related Cracking of Local Roads
Observers seek guidance on causes for road cracks and how to address damage.
Anahma Shannon, Vladimir Romanovsky, James Olanna, Johnee Seetot

Ground Sinking at Historic Mass Burial Site
This year was one of the warmest and wettest in recorded history, and permafrost thaw is causing the ground at the mass gravesite to sink.
Anahma Shannon, Vanessa Tahbone, Tom Wolforth, James Olanna, Johnee Seetot, Vladimir Romanovsky, Mike Brubaker, Louisa Castrodale, Racheal Lee

Hill Where Graveyard is Located is Eroding
This year was one of the warmest and wettest in recorded history and permafrost thaw is causing the ground at the community cemetary to thaw and erode. The community is seeking guidance on best practices for relocation of remains.
Vanessa Tahbone, Anahma Shannon, James Olanna, Tom Wolforth, Johnee Seetot, Racheal Lee, Vladimir Romanovsky, Mike Brubaker

More dead marine mammals, birds found on region’s beaches
Alaska Sea Grant agent Gay Sheffield from Nome responded to report of a dead bowhead and a dead grey whale northeast of Shishmaref near Cape Espenburg.

Add krill and mussels to the list of unusual marine deaths in Northwest Alaska
Village wildlife observers worry that the unusual warmth of oceans off Alaska is causing problems throughout the ecosystem.
Anchorage Daily News

Dead Krill and Sea Birds, Stranded Ice Seals
A range of wildlife-related events have been occurring this month in Shishmaref and other parts of Norton Sound.
Anahma Shannon, Dean Stockwell, Kathy Burek Huntington, Louisa Castrodale, Kathy Kuletz, Andrew Kakoona, Ted Meyers, Sharon Nayokpuk, Gay Sheffield, Bob Gerlach, Richard L Thoman Jr, Joel Garlich-Miller, Mike Brubaker, Amy Holman, Racheal Lee, Barbara Mahoney, Kimberlee Beckmen, Chris Dankmeyer

Blue Mussel (Mytilus edulis) Die-Off
"When we looked over the side of the boat, we saw clumps of mussels floating up the whole Tuksuk channel. No one has ever heard of something like this before."
Port Clarence, Alaska, United States
Brad Harris, Anahma Shannon, Gay Sheffield, Allison Topkok, Louisa Castrodale, Amy Holman, Jonathan Snyder, Joel Garlich-Miller, Racheal Lee, Erica Lujan, Barbara Mahoney, Emily Mosites, Bob Gerlach, Dean Stockwell

Dead Smelt (Osmerus mordax) and Tomcod (Microgadus proximus) Scattered for Miles along Beach
Widespread mortality events that include more than one fish species are indicators that something is wrong in the environment.
Kendra Lee, Anahma Shannon, Carol Oliver, Gay Sheffield, Louisa Castrodale, Racheal Lee, Jayde Ferguson, Ted Meyers

Wales Loses Shorefast Ice
Wales lost shorefast ice early in the season. Ice along the shore has been crushed and broken. This is a very unusual event for Wales as many of our hunters rely on great ice conditions for whale and other sea mammal catch for food.

Rainbow Smelt (Osmerus mordax) With Bad Odor and Taste
The smelt, caught through the ice in late January, may have caused a person who ate some to get sick. Local, tribal and state officials worked together to collect and analyze the fish.
Gay Sheffield, Bob Gerlach, Percy Nayokpuk, Jayde Ferguson, Anahma Shannon, Louisa Castrodale, Racheal Lee, Tim Thomas, Sharon Nayokpuk, David Verbrugge, Mike Brubaker

Icebergs and Open Sea
Very strong south winds took out all the sea ice and created an ice pile in front of the village.
Andrew Kakoona, Olivia Lee, Sharon Nayokpuk

Are great white sharks sinking their teeth into Bering Sea seals?
There’s only one historical record of a great white shark in the Bering Sea: fishermen caught one nearly 40 years ago. But scientists have reason to believe that in recent years there might be more of the predators around.
Alaska Public Media

Public asked to report dead birds
In May and June, dead birds, mostly murres, have been washing up on beaches on St. Lawrence Island, Shishmaref and east Norton Sound.

Wolf Spider (Lycosidae) in Teller
Possible wolf spider seen in Teller

Unusual Spiders by the Dozen
Spiders possibly wolf spiders of family (*Lycosidae*) numbering some 75 to 100 were seen on top of snow along Boulder Creek road and lagoon.

Subsistence hunters are adapting to a warming Alaska with new, high-tech tools
The weather was warm and the ice was late in coming, so Dennis Davis set up a piece of equipment unknown to his Inupiaq forebears: his drone.
TheWorld

Ocean Ice Is All Gone
Rough seas and moving sea ice.
Sharon Nayokpuk, Hajo Eicken, Richard L Thoman Jr

Amid Shrinking Sea Ice, Hunters Race To Adapt
As snow machines zoomed past, Dennis Davis set up his new drone. According to Davis, blue ice is more solid than white. Those are areas hunters can travel across more safely as they search for marine mammal prey.
Alaska Public Media

Arctic in January - No Sea Ice
Residents use drones to show unusual sea ice conditions along the Chukchi coast.

After the Storm
A recent storm in Norton Sound has increased coastal erosion affecting community transportation.

Change in Wind and Weather Patterns
Weather patterns have changed so much in the past several years.
Moses Tcheripanoff, Stanley Oxereok, Erica Lujan, Richard L Thoman Jr

When the Sea Wall Breaks: Climate Change in Teller, Alaska
Teller, Alaska is identified by the US Army Corps of Engineers as one of 31 villages in imminent danger of the effects of climate change.
The Arctic Institute

Open Water in Our Ocean
This fall freeze-up was somewhat delayed, not just in the Bering Straits region, but all the way up to Barrow.

Unusual Spider (Araneus marmoreus)?
Unusual Spider?

Unusual Ladybug (Calvia quatuordecimguttata)?
First time we have seen so many ladybugs on our island.

Odd Marine Debris
Unusual debris found on beach
Shismaref, Alaska, United States
Sharon Nayokpuk, Gay Sheffield, Peter Murphy, Ali Hamade

Smokey Air
Hazy fourth of July...

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

No Sea Ice
South winds blew out most of the sea ice. Going to be bad ice if it refreezes for spring hunt.

No Sea Ice Yet
By this time of the year, we usually have 2-3 miles of shore-fast ice that sticks to our beach. We as a village have not done our winter harvest of seals and walrus, and we are worried that we will not be able to bowhead whale hunt.

Dead Orca (Orcinus orca) Whale
Dead orca observed in the Bering Strait region.

Bearded Seal (Erignathus barbatus) with Hair Loss
11-18-15 Bearded seal with hair loss - Shishmaref, Alaska, USA

Pacific Sleeper Shark (Somniosus pacificus)
10-20-14 Sleeper shark - Shishmaref, Alaska, USA

Sighted - Swainson's thrush (Catharus ustulatus)
9-04-15 Swainson's thrush - Wales, Alaska, USA
Beth Paluso, Brit Oxereok, Dean Stockwell

Northern Grasshoppers
The northern grasshoppers never been observer here before.

Unusual Spider
8-1-14 Unusual spider - Wales, Alaska, USA

Arctic Loon?
The bird is not commonly seen in the Teller area.

Dead Spotted (Phoca largha) and Ringed (Pusa hispida) Seals
We are spotting dead baby 'spotted' and 'ringed' seals washing up on the beach with no signs of lesions or signs of gun shots.
Gay Sheffield, Olivia Lee, Robert Tokeinna, Hajo Eicken

Gravesite Erosion
Permafrost thaw and storms are drivers.
Jennifer Demir, Ryan Brubaker, Racheal Lee, Anahma Shannon, Mike Brubaker, Kendra Lee, Tom Wolforth

Extreme Shore Erosion
Loss of shoreline and subsistence camps.

Hairless Seal
10-19-13 Hairless seal - Shishmaref, Alaska, USA

No Ice Fishing Yet
10-17-13 No ice fishing yet - Shishmaref, Alaska, USA

Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
On my way home for a lunch break, I noticed a different type of bird that I have ever seen before.

Poor Sea Ice - Our Sea Garden
The sea is our garden for food and other things.

Brown Bears (Ursus arctos) in the Arctic
Brown bears spotted by a resident for the first time on the island of Shishmaref.

Unusual Bearded Seal (Erignathus barbatus)
5-29-12 Unusual bearded seal - Shishmaref, Alaska, USA

Ringed Seal (Phoca hispida) with Sores
Ringed seal with sores found in Shishmaref.

Sick ringed seal

Alaska musk oxen found frozen in ice
Thirty-two musk oxen carcasses were found March 15 by scientists who had been studying them. The animals were dead and entombed in ice. The belief is that the musk oxen either drowned during a February thaw or became trapped in water and died after it froze.
Anchorage Daily News

Spotted seal

Ringed Seal (Phoca hispida)

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