Fish | 11 | ||
Marine Mammals | 8 | ||
Surface Waters / Wetlands | 6 | ||
Ocean / Sea | 5 | ||
Invertebrates | 4 | ||
Birds | 3 | ||
Weather | 2 | ||
Microbes | 1 |
Death / Die-off / Decline | 12 | ||
Deformity / Disease / Injury | 2 | ||
Extreme Temperature | 2 | ||
Parasite | 1 | ||
Pollution | 1 | ||
Ice / Snow Change | 1 | ||
Unusual Size / Abundance | 1 | ||
Algal Bloom | 1 | ||
Seasonal Timing | 1 |
2019 | 18 |
"Looked normal at first then we started to butcher it found some unusual stuff on the insides."
Historically, pollock are not a commonly observed species in Bristol Bay, but sightings are becoming more common.
18 dead seals were found along the coast, and are like part of a larger mortality event that includes 60 seals total. The average number of dead ice seals normally found in a year is 18.
Tumor found in King Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)
This walrus was found by a local fisherman and reported by LEO Network to the US Fish and Wildlife Walrus Hotline. The carcass is thought to be too old for necropsy or sample collection.
"Its face was down in the mud and it was laboring to breathe. Its body condition was wasted and we could see its ribs."
"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."
Late arrival of humpback whales may be related to a change in abundance of prey species.
A range of wildlife-related events have been occurring this month in Shishmaref and other parts of Norton Sound.
This comes just days after other reports of about 60 dead ice seals found from Kotlik to Kotzebue and Kivalina to Point Hope.
"Our temperatures reached 83 degrees, and seem to be getting hotter! We think that maybe the warm water has something to do with the humpy die-off?"
Village wildlife observers worry that the unusual warmth of oceans off Alaska is causing problems throughout the ecosystem.
Hundreds of dead sand lance (Ammodytes hexapterus) found along the shores of White Sands Beach.
Dead salmon and whitefish found along the banks of the Yukon River.
Warm water near Golovin is hurting pink salmon. Many salmon caught had red speckled dots on flesh, raising concerns about food safety. Female pink salmon were seen dead in the bay.
Norton Sound residents have reported salmon die-offs in unusually large numbers during the last week. According to the Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation (NSEDC), dead pre-spawned pink salmon were found in multiple river systems over the weekend.
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.
Dead chum salmon have been spotted floating down the Yukon river. Water temperatures are measuring at 70 degrees, the warmest in recollection.