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

Rare sighting on Snæfellsnes
A Cattle Egret was spotted west of Ólafsvíkurenni on Iceland’s Snæfellsnes peninsula, a very rare occurrence. A bird expert links increasing appearances of southern species in Iceland to climate change.
Ólafsvík, West Iceland, Iceland
Iceland Monitor

Seven salmon confirmed as farmed escapees
Icelandic authorities report that 7 of 22 salmon submitted for testing were confirmed as farmed escapees, caught in several North/West Iceland rivers. Tracing suggests six fish share a common origin in Dýrafjörður; investigations continue and anglers are asked to turn in suspect fish whole for analysis.
Búðardalur, Western Region, Iceland
mbl.is

Counted a hundred farmed salmon in the lower part of Haukadalsá
An inspector from the Icelandic Fisheries Agency counted around 100 farmed salmon in the lower section of Haukadalsá, marking the largest occurrence of escaped farmed salmon in an Icelandic river, and plans are underway for removal operations including using anglers and Norwegian divers.
Haukadalsá, Dalabyggð, Iceland
visir.is

Polar Bear near Hornstrandir
A polar bear was spotted traveling on an ice floe near the Hornstrandir peninsula in the Westfjords of Iceland.
Hornstrandir, Westfjords, Iceland
Vísir

Fresh 3.1 Magnitude Tremor Recorded in Ljósufjöll Volcanic System
This event follows a series of deep earthquakes, the last comparable one occurring on April 23, and while no eruption has taken place in nearly a millennium, experts warn these movements could signal deeper volcanic processes.
Mýrar, West Iceland, Iceland
Iceland Review

Avalanche Blocks Road at Súðavíkurhlíð
Several avalanches occurred in Súðavíkurhlíð in Iceland's Westfjords, resulting in the closure of the road. Ongoing avalanche hazards and adverse weather conditions continue to impact the region.
Súðavíkurhlíð, Westfjords, Iceland
Vísir

Strong winds break boats loose in Ísafjörður
Boats that were moored in Ísafjörður, broke away from their berths yesterday in gale force winds.There was a strong sea current in the Westfjords as the storm hit; roof panels were damaged and rescue teams were called out.
Ísafjörður, Westfjords, Iceland
RÚV

Sea Lice Outbreak Claims At Least 1 Million Salmon in Tálknafjörður
An unprecedented outbreak of sea lice in Tálknafjörður has led to the loss, or the need to dispose of, at least one million salmon. “Nobody has seen anything like this before. There is a Norwegian veterinarian who has been working in Iceland because of this and he has never seen anything like this in his 30-year career,” Karl Steinar observed.
Talknafjordur, Westfjords, Iceland
Iceland Review

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

Farmed Salmon Caught in Rivers Across Northwest Iceland
Escapted farmed salmon threatens wild salmon stocks across Northwest Iceland, where it has entered rivers.
Patreksfjörður, Westfjords, Iceland

Unusually Dry Summer in West and Southeast Iceland
In West and Southwest Iceland, rainfall has been less than 10% of the average for July and early August. Rivers and streams have been shrinking and even drying up entirely following several weeks with little to no rainfall in Iceland.
Stykkishólmur, West, Iceland

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

Sprat: New Fish Species Breeding Off Iceland’s Coast
Researchers have confirmed that the fish species sprat is spawning in Icelandic waters, according to a new report from Iceland’s Marine and Freshwater Research Institute. Sprat has been found in significant numbers off the south and west coast and spawned near Ísafjarðardjúp fjord in the Westfjords last year.
Westfjords, Iceland

2020 has been kind to Iceland’s eagles
2020 was the second most successful year on record for Iceland’s sea eagles. Currently there are 85 breeding pairs—mostly around the Breiðafjörður area. This year, there have been 51 eaglets from 60 nests.
Stykkishólmur, West, Iceland
RÚV

Orange weather warning: “Like a wall of rain”
The yellow weather alert released yesterday for north and west Iceland has been strengthened to an orange weather warning for the Westfjords region that will stay in effect until midnight. Wind and rain are causing severe disruption.
Ísafjörður, Westfjords, Iceland

Salmon Farm Rips Open in Dýrafjörður
A tear was discovered in one of Arctic Fish’s open-sea fish farms in Dýrafjörður in the Westfjords. A notice on the company’s website says the tear was discovered during routine inspection and is located at a depth of about 20 metres (65 feet).
Bolungarvík, Westfjords, Iceland

Fifty Whales Found Dead on West Iceland Beach
Fifty pilot whales were found dead on the shore of Löngufjörur in a sparsely populated part of the Snæfellsnes peninsula on Thursday, RÚV reports.
Stykkishólmur, West, Iceland

Avalanche prompts road monitoring re-think
“I wouldn’t have been on the road if there had been an avalanche warning in effect,” says a woman who fell victim to an avalanche along Flateyrarvegur in the Westfjords on Friday. The avalanche-prone road is not currently monitored, but Vegagerðin is now looking at improvements.
Flateyri, Westfjords, Iceland

Farmed Salmon Caught in Icelandic Rivers
Three farmed salmon have been caught in the Westfjords this season. Farmed salmon have a tendency to swim up rivers later in the season than wild salmon, meaning the true number of escapees may not be apparent until the end of the fishing season.
Isafjordur, Westfjords, Iceland

Pod of Pilot Whales Unexpectedly Spotted in Westfjords
A marine biologist at the Marine and Freshwater Research institute who specializes in whales says that it’s rare for pilot whales to venture so far north, but said that it’s possible that the pilot whales' appearance in Iceland’s waters can be credited to warming ocean temperatures.
Isafjordur, Westfjords, Iceland

Rare Walrus Sighting in East Iceland
A lone hiker in East Iceland found a wandering walrus, and managed to snap some fantastic photos.
Isafjordur, Westfjords, Iceland

Lobster Stocks Decline, Fishing Ban Considered
Lobster stocks around Iceland’s coast are so low a fishing ban is not out of the question.
Grundarfjordur, West, Iceland

Fifty-Three Thousand Salmon Die at West Fjords Fish Farm
Fifty-three thousand salmon died while being transferred out of a damaged marine pen at a fish farming facility in the West Fjords.
Westfjords, Iceland

Large Iceberg Spotted Off The Coast of Látrabjarg
A large iceberg was spotted approximately 93 km (57 miles) to the west of Látrabjarg, which is located in the north-west of Iceland.

Dazed and Confused Pilot Whales
Pilot whales are abyssal creatures, usually spending their lives far away from land. It is not known for sure why the whales drift ashore but they might be confused when they encounter shallows on their swims.
Rif, West, Iceland

Mysterious Sheep Death Investigated
Sheep, primarily ewes and their lambs, have died in great numbers this past lambing-season. The cause has yet to be determined, and farms all around Iceland appear to be affected.
Búðardalur, West, Iceland

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