LEO Network

About the LEO Network
The LEO Network is a worldwide network of observers and experts that share their observations of environmental change.
Continue

Observations

Climate change spells turbulent times ahead for air travel
From rising temperatures preventing take-off to rising seas flooding runways, aviation needs to adapt to changes already grounding flights around the world
Phoenix, Arizona, United States
the Guardian

An unfrozen North
The world’s permafrost holds vast stores of carbon. What happens when it thaws?
Toolik Lake Field Station
High Country News

A Lesser Queenfish (Scomberoides lysan) near Sydney
Potential Range Extension. Identification verified by Tom Davis, NSW Department of Primary Industries. Depth: 2 m.
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Redmap

Rare, ‘weird-looking’ 70-pound frozen fish washes ashore in Haines
As the tide ebbed down the beach outside his house Friday, Harry Rietze discovered a mysterious sea creature that one scientific paper described as a puzzling fish with soft bones.
Haines, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Polar bear hunts a fox hiding in a barrel
Usually polar bears feed on seals and young walruses, or scavenge the carcasses of whales. If these are in short supply they kill reindeer, muskox, geese and apparently, fox.
Sabetta
Siberian Times

AK: Rising populations, threat of disease prompt renewed interest in bat research
Bats are a pretty low priority for most Alaskan biologists, but that could be changing due to a recent uptick in the creature’s population. Add to that a disease that’s been killing millions of bats in the lower 48, and Alaska might be taking note with the rest of the nation very soon. Listen now
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Sperm whale spotted in B.C. strait for 1st time in decades
A sperm whale has been confirmed on Vancouver Island's eastern coast for the first time since 1984.
Johnstone Strait
CBC News

What the swift collapse of some Labrador caribou can tell us about endangered species
It could have been a golden opportunity for research and harvesting, but government inaction led to total collapse of caribou on an island off Labrador.
George's Island, Labrador, Canada
CBC News

Changing climate forces mushers to break new trails
The route of the Yukon Quest traverses Lake Laberge for the first time in decades, and that's not the only dog sled race affected by the changing climate.
Dawson City, Yukon Territory, Canada
CBC News

Arctic birds, seals and reindeer killed by marine plastics; pollution expected to rise
Researchers say the concentration of plastic waste in the European Arctic is now comparable or even higher than in more urban and populated areas.
Svalbard, Svalbard, Norway
Radio Australia

Unseasonably early daffodils prompt wish for cold weather on B.C. farm
Longview Farms just north of Victoria says mild weather a problem for seasonal farming
North Saanich, British Columbia, Canada
Lake Cowichan Gazette

If you live in Florida, climate change is already affecting your health
Climate change is already impacting Floridians health, doctors say, and it's going to get worse in the future. That's why Florida doctors and nurses formed Florida Clinicians for Climate Action, an educational and activist group dedicated to teaching people and politicians about the dangers of climate change on human health.
Florida, United States
Miami Herald

Large Earthquake Detected In Öræfajökull
The area around Öræfajökull glacier continues to show increased activity as the largest earthquake detected in the area, M3,6 on the Richter scale, occurred there this morning.
Öræfajökull Volcano, Iceland
Iceland Review

Sounds of Skating on Thin Ice
This small lake outside Stockholm, Sweden, emits otherworldly sounds as Mårten Ajne skates over its precariously thin, black ice.
Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden
National Geographic

Thawing Arctic permafrost could release massive amounts of mercury - Arctic Today
New research shows that permafrost soils hold massive quantities of mercury — nearly twice as much as is held in all other soils in the world, plus the mercury in the oceans and the atmosphere —
Arctic Today

Unwanted visitor - Sargassum seaweed
Barbados’ most unwanted visitor has returned to its shores. The dreaded Sargassum seaweed is back. Since 2015 an influx of the unwelcome brown micro-algae has proven to be a major headache for the tourism industry. The seaweed, which invaded a number of beaches in Barbados, caused an awful stench, as the vegetable matter rotted after …
River Bay, Saint Lucy Parish, Barbados
Barbados Today

Skin freezing temperatures in Rankin Inlet close schools
The extreme cold is about 15 degrees colder than what is normal for this time of the year in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut. 'I don't remember the last time we actually closed due to weather. This is a bit of an extreme'
Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, Canada

Athletes could be affected as freezing Winter Olympics awaits
With only two days left until the Winter Olympics start in South Korea, there's one topic that keeps popping up among the people who have made it there. The Cold Weather
Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do, South Korea
Radio Sweden

Northern Lampfish (Stenobrachius leucopsarus) Found on the Beach at Letnikov Cove
Northern Lampfish washed up along the beach at Letnikov Cove
Haines, Alaska, United States

Coldest January In Decades
The average temperature in Iceland this January was colder than it has been in the last decade.
Iceland
Iceland Review

Researcher blames lack of ice on Baltic Sea for southern Finland's messy winter
The Finnish researcher says the source of southern Finland's unusually slippery roads and messy snow this winter is very likely due to warm air from the sea.
Hanko, Uusimaa, Finland
Yle Uutiset

Saimaa seal population on the rise in Finland
Recent heavy snowfall and large drifts have created ideal conditions for the dens where the endangered Saimaa ringed seal raise their young, and a record number of pups may be born this year. The freshwater Saimaa ringed seal is one of the most endangered seal species in the world.
Lake Saimaa, South Karelia, Finland
Eye on the Arctic

How the Antarctic Sun Creates Breathtaking Optical Effects
A fine haze of ice particles transformed this landscape into an otherworldly scene
South Pole
Smithsonian - SMARTNEWS

Utility Poles Leaning
Leaning utility poles in south Anchorage
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Ice roads and tundra travel: Rural Arctic access complicated by warmer winters
While industry has had to adapt to changes, many locals are still struggling to find a new normal amidst the shifting seasons.
Anchorage Daily News

Rural access complicated by warmer winters
Late December and early January starts to the off-road season have become normal as warmer temperatures continue to mark the winter months across most of the Arctic. While industry has had to adapt to changes, many locals are still struggling to find a new normal amidst the shifting seasons.
Utqiagvik, Alaska, United States
Arctic Sounder

Arctic sees temporary return to colder temperatures
The Arctic Sounder - Serving the Northwest Arctic and the North Slope
Kotzebue, Alaska, United States
The Arctic Sounder

Snowstorm beats European record
Half a meter of snow fell in the Vasternorrland region of Sweden, Thursday, the largest snowfall measured in Europe yesterday.
Näsåker, Västernorrland, Sweden
Radio Sweden

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.
Shishmaref, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

2017-2018 Minke Whale Unusual Mortality Event along the Atlantic Coast | NOAA Fisheries
Since January 2017, elevated minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) mortalities have occurred along the Atlantic coast from Maine through South Carolina.
NOAA Fisheries

Over 400 Sheep Found in Mountains
Over 400 sheep have been gathered from up in the mountains in East Iceland this winter after being left behind during sheep gathering.
Reydarfjordur, East, Iceland
Iceland Review

Dangerously Low on Water, Cape Town Now Faces ‘Day Zero’
One of Africa’s richest cities is threatening to turn off the taps to its four million residents, cutting off homes and most businesses.
Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
The New York Times
Norimitsu Onishi and Somini Sengupta (The Daily Maverick)

Shifting ground causes problems for Whitehorse office building
A large retail and office building in downtown Whitehorse has shifted so much in just a few years that its elevator is now out of service.
Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada

Shellfish poisoning of dogs confirmed
Tests reveal concentrations of toxins in the shellfish the dogs ate was up to 27 times the safe limit.
Norwich, England, United Kingdom
BBC News

MetService: It's going to get hotter, New Zealand warned
The dial will be turned up even more on the summer heat at the start of next week.
Waiau, Canterbury Region, New Zealand
NZ Herald

Coroner's warning after Christchurch MS patient dies in soaring heat
Coroner warning after heat-related death.
Christchurch, Canterbury Region, New Zealand
NZ Herald

Two bears were badly burned in wildfires, and fish skin helped heal them
Veterinarians in California use tilapia skin to treat burns on bears injured during wildfires.
Summerland, California, United States
Washington Post

Video: The oceans are changing. Can crabs adapt?
At a lab in Kodiak, researchers are working to understand whether crabs can adapt to ocean acidification.
Kodiak, Alaska, United States
KTOO
Eric Keto and Rachel Waldholz, Alaska's Energy Desk

Chefornak bands together to combat climate change
This is not the first time this village has faced the threat of erosion and flooding, but relocating won’t be as easy as it was last time.
Chefornak, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Snowy and windy in the north, wet and dangerously slippery elsewhere
Rain and rising temperatures have brought warnings of extremely slippery conditions in other areas.
Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland
Yle Uutiset

Endangered Orcas Are Starving. Should We Start Feeding Them?
Washington state officials have proposed a new tack to save the Pacific Northwest's critically endangered orca population. Their idea is to boost salmon
Puget Sound, Washington, United States
NW News Network

Bird of the Year: Endangered pochard population in steep decline
BirdLife Finland reports that Finnish populations of the common pochardhave plummeted by 80 percent in 20 years.
Pori, Satakunta, Finland
Yle Uutiset

Is There A Ticking Time Bomb Under The Arctic?
Just what exactly is permafrost? And what is happening now that it's warming up? To find out, we enter the Arctic Circle's secret world of ice and frozen history.
Northern Alaska, United States
NPR

Video: The oceans are changing. Can crabs adapt?
Ocean acidification threatens some of Alaska’s most lucrative crab fisheries. But there’s one ray of hope: it’s possible that crabs might be able to adapt to the changing oceans. The big question scientists are researching at Bob Foy’s lab in Kodiak is – will they have enough time?
Shelikof Strait, Alaska, United States
Eric Keto, Alaska's Energy Desk - Anchorage

Roads prove deadly for reindeer in 2018
Twice as many reindeer have been killed on the roads in northern Sweden this month compared to the same period last year.
Tallåsen, Västerbotten, Sweden
Radio Sweden

Fierce storm drops a foot of snow on Anchorage in 24 hours
The storm that walloped Southcentral Alaska also left about 32 inches of snow in Moose Pass and 30 in Seward.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

SW Finland faces worst winter flooding in 13 years
Packed ice crystals have pushed up water levels on the Kokemäki River, soaking some buildings in Huittinen and Pori.
Huittinen, Satakunta, Finland

4 mushers scratch due to icy conditions in Kuskokwim 300 sled dog race
Four teams had scratched as of 7 p.m. Saturday because of the icy conditions, said Kuskokwim 300 race director Madelene Reichard. "It's the same thing for all of them," Reichard said. "The dogs aren't used to running on the ice, and people were wanting to keep their dogs healthy."
Bethel, Alaska, United States

In the Alaska Arctic, more rain may mean fewer musk oxen
Winter rain makes it more difficult for the animals to feed, particularly pregnant females, researchers found.
Wrangel Island

Europe storm: Germany in huge clean-up as trains run again
Three people died earlier in the Netherlands in accidents caused by hurricane-strength winds.
Leipzig, Sachsen, Germany
BBC News

Trail Observations from Kuskokwim 300
Due to consistent above average winter temperatures, there are many known and developing open holes on the river. I was on the trail working at the Bogus Creek Checkpoint. Most of the trail had no snow cover, and the majority of the race was run on glare ice over the tundra.
Kuskokwim River, Alaska, United States

Erratic weather bursts fuel line on Young Road
Homeowner Bart Henderson headed back to Haines from Mexico after a fuel-feed line from a heating oil tank to a furnace burst and potentially leaked. “We’ve got a pretty good idea that the cause of the leak was from the hard freeze and then the warm weather,” Pikul said. “There was some frost heaving of the ground and it compromised the feed line.”
Haines, Alaska, United States
Chilkat Valley News

Deadly storm hits Netherlands and Germany
A fierce storm sweeping across northern Europe kills eight people and halts Dutch and German trains.
Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
BBC News

Alaska Board of Fisheries navigates ‘uncharted territory’ for Southeast’s king salmon
The Alaska Board of Fisheries faces some tough decisions this week. One of those is how to conserve dwindling king salmon stocks in a way that won’t financially cripple Southeast salmon fishermen.
Sitka, Alaska, United States

Invasive species are still rare in the Arctic — but that could soon change
Environmental and economic changes could make it easier for non-native plants and animals to gain a foothold in the North.
Katla Volcano, South, Iceland
Arctic Now

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

What caused the Blob? Scientists conclude, we did
In 2014, a warm water system — known as the Blob — wreaked havoc in the waters of the Gulf of Alaska. The relationship between extreme weather events and climate change is complicated. But scientists are getting closer to figuring out how the two are linked.
Northeast Pacific Ocean
Elizabeth Jenkins, Alaska's Energy Desk - Juneau

How climate change could make the threat a tiny pathogen poses to northern Canada a lot worse
T. gondii infection in people was found to be associated with drinking water from home water tanks where T. gondii parasites remained, clinging to the walls—so cleaning of these water tanks would be one way to reduce infection.
Kuujjuaq, Quebec, Canada
Arctic Now

Open water turns Kuskokwim 300 into a 2-lap race for the first time
For the first time, the race will run two laps to its halfway point and back. Mushers agree it’s the safest way to run the race, but it could present challenges.
Bethel, Alaska, United States

Robin Spotted In Chuathbaluk
Mid-January robin sighting in Chuathbaluk.
Chuathbaluk, Alaska, United States

As ice layers get thinner, ship sets another Arctic speed record
Favorable ice conditions meant that the ship »Baltic Winter» spent only about five and a half days on its voyage across the Northern Sea Route.
Novaya Zemlya, Архангельская область, Russia
The Independent Barents Observer

Rare bird visit to Cranbrook sparks BC-wide interest
A female northern cardinal has made Cranbrook her home, and is drawing birders from all over BC
Cranbrook, British Columbia, Canada
Cranbrook Daily Townsman

Earthquake Reported SW of Gambell, AK
Earthquake in low-probability area in Alaska

Warm Weather And Lady Bugs
The weather was the warmest I’ve ever seen for this time of year and never seen insects like ladybugs out this time of year.

High winter winds and warm temperatures
We've had so much wind this winter, on the 15th of January, the winds were warm!!!!!!
Golovin, Alaska, United States

Female Sparrow (Emberizidae) Seen In Pedro Bay
Mid-January sparrow sighting in Pedro Bay
Pedro Bay, Alaska, United States

Robin (Turdus migratorius) Spotted
The early arrival of robins in southeast Alaska.

Detah ice road ties record for latest opening
The ice road between Detah and Yellowknife is opening Friday, a date that ties a decades-old record.
Yellowknife Ice Road, NWT
CBC

Western Alps buried in meters of fresh snow
The western Alps of northwestern Italy, southeastern France and extreme southern Switzerland received enormous amounts of fresh snow over the past few days.
Rosières-en-Santerre, Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie, France
Severe Weather Europe

Climate change hinders residential constructions in Sweden
Skåne county has denied planning permission for the building of two new beachfront homes, saying they are at risk from rising sea levels caused by climate change.
The planning permission concerns two houses to be built between 100 and 200 metres away from the sea.
According to the county adminis
Åhus, Skåne län, Sweden
Eye on the Arctic

Alaska releases first detailed report on negative health impacts of climate change
The sweeping list of potential health implications includes the introduction of new diseases, an increase in accidents and a worsening allergy season.
Alaska, United States

State report details potential health impacts of climate change
How will climate change affect health in Alaska? Dangerous travel conditions could cause more accidents, warmer temperatures could spread new diseases and the topsy-turvy weather could worsen mental health. Those are some conclusions from a new state report released Monday. Listen now
Newtok, Alaska, United States
Rachel Waldholz, Alaska's Energy Desk - Anchorage

Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) in January!!?
Peregrine falcon observed in interior Alaska in early January.
Nenana, Alaska, United States

There Are So Many Open Holes, Search And Rescue Ran Out Of Blue Tape To Mark Them
The warm winter has made traveling on the river ice more hazardous than Bethel Search and Rescue ever remembers.
Oscarville, Alaska, United States
KYUK

Rain on snow event in the French Alps
Photograph illustrates the impact of a rain-on-snow event during the winter of 2018.
Courchevel, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France

Those turtles and iguanas aren’t dead. They’re just really cold.
Cold temperatures have started the Fall of the Iguanas and the immobilization of sea turtles, whose bodies have a hard time adjusting to the change in water temperature.
West Palm Beach, Florida, United States
miamiherald

Oceans suffocating as huge dead zones quadruple since 1950
Areas starved of oxygen in open ocean and by coasts have soared in recent decades, risking dire consequences for marine life and humanity
Temuco, La Araucanía, Chile
The Guardian

Roads, cars submerged: Storm rages with snow, floods - The Boston Globe
The powerful winter weather storm was slamming into Massachusetts by mid-morning Thursday, bringing blizzard-like conditions in some areas, torrential rain in others, power outages and hurricane-strength winds on Cape Cod and the Islands.
Quincy, Massachusetts, United States
The Boston Globe

Porcupine caribou herd numbers highest in monitoring history
"Currently we don't have any studies specifically looking at what factors are affecting those demographics," said Jason Caikoski, a wildlife biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Listen now
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, United States
Ravenna Koenig, Alaska's Energy Desk - Fairbanks

After two-week delay, sled dog racing season kicks off on the Kuskokwim
Sled dog racing season officially began on the Kuskokwim this weekend. Listen now
Bethel, Alaska, United States

Alaska just had its warmest December on record
The statewide average temperature in December was 19.4 degrees, 15.7 degrees above the 20th century average.
Alaska, United States

Support

Observation Template