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

Big Year for Highbush Cranberries (Viburnum edule)
Highbush cranberries benefited from unusually warm, sunny conditions.
Seldovia Village, Alaska, United States

Large Northern Sea Nettle (Chrysaora melanaster) Die-off
A large group of dead northern sea nettles (*Chrysaora melanaster*) found near the shore in Kasitsna Bay.
McDonald Spit, Alaska, United States

Outbreak of tree-killing, allergy-inducing moths
An infestation of tussock moths, which have the ability to quickly kill healthy Douglas fir trees, is on the move in British Columbia and the Ministry of Forests says it has now been found further north than ever before.
Wycotte Flat, British Columbia, Canada
CBC

Schools of California Anchovy (Engraulis mordax)
Ross Bay, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Scarlet Honeyeaters (Myzomela sanguinolenta) Unusually Abundant in Brisbane
Sherwood Arboretum, Queensland, Australia

Why do Calgarians keep seeing bobcats?
The city keeps a record of the number of reported sightings of the animals, along with other wildlife. There were three sightings in 2007, about 10 in 2015 and 27 this year.
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
The Star

River Otters (Lutra canadensis) in University Lake
River otters (*Lutra canadensis*) observed in a lake that typically is home to beavers.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Unusually High Number of Horseflies (Tabanidae) and Wasps (Vespula)
Unusually high number of horseflies and wasps observed during a year with temperatures and precipitation levels above normal.
Koyuk, Alaska, United States
Sarah Yoder, Rebecca Charles, Derek Sikes

Abundance of Hemlock Looper Moths (Lambdina fiscellaria)
Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

Outbreak of hemlock looper moth hits North Shore, Metro watersheds
While there is no risk to human health, the species of moth can decimate forests
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Vancouver Sun

Moth population takes flight in North Vancouver
The North Shore is discovering what life is like under moth rule. Eclipses of moths have been flitting, fluttering and generally wreaking havoc around any light source over the past week.
Lynn Canyon, British Columbia, Canada
North Shore News

Detectan presencia del 'Pez Diablo' en Sinaloa; una amenaza para la pesca y los ecosistemas
They detect the presence of the 'Devil Fish' in Sinaloa; a threat to fishing and ecosystems
Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico
News

Blacksmith (Chromis punctipinnis) Newly Abundant in Central California
"In the midfield of my dive this school of blacksmith suddenly appeared. They were hiding from cormorants that dove into the water."
Edward F. Ricketts State Marine Conservation Area, California, United States

Sargassum hits Belize hard
For the fifth consecutive year, influxes of sargassum seaweed have begun piling up on beachfronts in major tourist destinations in Belize.
Placencia, Stann Creek, Belize
Breaking Belize News

Short-tailed Shearwaters (Ardenna tenuirostris) Found on Chukchi Sea Beach
More than 50 birds and a seal were found along the shoreline.
Kivalina, Alaska, United States
Kathy Kuletz, Janet Mitchell, Gay Sheffield, Hillary Burgess

Glaucous-winged Gulls (Larus glaucescens) Nesting on Bogoslof Island
"Since the last eruption event, most seabird species that previously nested on the island have returned and made attempts to breed again...but the habitat is currently not ideal."
Bogoslof Island, Alaska, United States
Melissa Good, Kathy Kuletz, Chris Price, Nikki Whittern

Grasshopper invasion of Las Vegas may last weeks
An unusually wet year is responsible for the biblical-seeming swarm of pallid-winged grasshoppers, according to entomologists.
Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
New York Times

NASA satellites find biggest seaweed bloom in the world
An unprecedented belt of brown algae stretches from West Africa to the Gulf of Mexico. The largest bloom of macroalgae in the world, has been dubbed the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt.
Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt (GASB)
EurekAlert!

Dragon Flies Reach the Colville Nigliq Channel
Nuiqsut, Alaska, United States

Sand Lance (Ammodytes hexapterus) Die-Off
Hundreds of dead sand lance (*Ammodytes hexapterus*) found along the shores of White Sands Beach.
Kodiak, Alaska, United States
Bruce Wright, Jayde Ferguson, Stephanie Mason, Ted Meyers

Pink Salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) and Other Fish Dying in Warm Water
Koyuk, Alaska, United States
Gay Sheffield, Chris Dankmeyer, Anahma Shannon, Rebecca Charles, Austin Ahmasuk, Racheal Lee, Jayde Ferguson

Sargassum Seaweed (S. fluitans and S. natans) beaching in Key West
Little to no apparent management posed possible ecological and environmental health concerns.
Key West, Florida, United States

Puffins Numbers High in Westman Islands
A total of 78% of puffin nests on the islands were occupied in a recent survey. Puffins have been hard hit in recent years due to a diminished food supply. It remains to be seen how successful the breeding season will be.
Vestmannaeyjar, South, Iceland
Iceland Review

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

Blue-green algae increasing in Finnish lakes
Potentially harmful blue-green algae has increased in lakes over the past week.
Vainikkala, South Karelia, Finland
Yle Uutiset

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

High-flying ladybug swarm shows up on National Weather Service radar
The ladybug bloom appears to be about 80 miles by 80 miles, but the ladybugs aren’t in a concentrated mass that size; they’re spread throughout the sky.
San Bernadino Mountains, California, United States
latimes.com

Fluff Flies Into Russia's Capital
Early summer in Moscow brings an onslaught of allergy-inducing, Instagram-ready fluff from poplar seeds.
Moscow, Moscow, Russia
The Moscow Times

May Day Trees (Prunus padus) Take Hold at Cheney Lake
The forest on the East side of Cheney Lake is changing and the biggest change is the proliferation of May Day trees.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Steelhead Numbers Are Up in the Carmel River
Conservationists are rejoicing this spring over Steelhead Trout numbers in the Carmel River. "The count is up," said Haley Ohms a project scientist with University of California Santa Cruz.
Los Padres Dam, Carmel River, California
KSBW

Rat infestation plagues Toronto neighbourhood
Her right hand protected by an old plastic bag, Donna Devlin carefully reaches into a shallow sewer basin in her driveway, and drags out a dead rat the size of her forearm. It's the latest casualty in a war that Devlin and her neighbours say they've been fighting, on and off, for two decades.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
CBC

Proliferation of Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) in Landfill
Rabies has been identified by the State of Alaska as being endemic (regularly found) in the fox population in this area.
Nelson Lagoon, Alaska, United States

Seaweed invading Essequibo, Demerara, Berbice rivers
Aerial shots of what appeared to be remnants of an oil spill in the Essequibo River has turned out to be huge beds of sargassum seaweed which is now a
Parika, Essequibo Islands-West Demerara, Guyana
Stabroek News

Record-high bird count at Yukon's Swan Haven over weekend
One wildlife expert says seeing more than 2,000 trumpeter swans at the sanctuary is unusual, but on Saturday there were nearly 3,000 counted.
CBC

Booming Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) Population
"It’s a bit because people are feeding them, and they’re getting into the dumpster now too. But I’ve never seen them like this before."
King Cove, Alaska, United States

Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) and Arctic Fox (Vulpes lagopus) Converging on North Slope
There seems to be a large red fox population in the region around Nuiqsut, Alaska. When I last traveled there for work, I counted 5 red fox during a 1.5 hour-long car ride.
Nuiqsut, Alaska, United States
Elizabeth Lindley, Karsten Hueffer, Abby Nelson

Lots of Female King Crabs (Paralithodes camtschaticus)
Large number of Red King Crabs (*Paralithodes camtschaticus*) found on the beach during an extreme low tide. According to fisheries researchers, crabs move to shallow water to hatch and release eggs.
Juneau, Alaska, United States

Reported wolverine sightings are up, says N.W.T. gov
Last week, in the wee hours of the morning, a curious wolverine was caught on camera wandering the hallway to a dormitory at Diavik Diamond Mine.
Northwest Territories

Large Number of Redpolls (Acanthis)
Fox, Alaska, United States

Invasion of redpolls sends seeds flying
After a record-low last winter, the birds are making a comeback. Redpolls, seen in two varieties in Alaska — the common and the hoary — have attracted scientists’ attention because the birds survive super-cold temperatures. Physiologist Laurence Irving ranked redpolls’ feathers just behind pine grosbeaks for “apparent usefulness for insulation.”Redpolls have a secret weapon other small birds, including chickadees, don’t possess: food pouches on each side of their necks.
Fairbanks, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Thousands of Queensland beachgoers stung by swarm of jellyfish
Surf Life Saving Queensland said a “whopping” 3,595 people were stung by jellyfish, forcing the closure of popular swimming spots across the northern state. Lifeguards said the invasion was caused by unusually strong north-easterly winds.
Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
The Independent

Caribbean swamped by seaweed that smells like rotten eggs
From Belize to Barbados, tourist beaches have been swamped by huge tides of foul-smelling sargassum – and climate change could make the problem worse
Ambergris Caye, Belize, Belize
the Guardian

Southcentral Alaska sees most destructive spruce beetle outbreak in over two decades
Spruce beetles damaged nearly 600,000 acres of forest in 2018, and the damage continues to grow.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Hundreds of sea lions take over docks of Cowichan Bay
A raucous crowd has moved into Cowichan Bay and the volume and odour coming from them is wafting for blocks around. Locals estimate over 300 sea lions have descended on the Cowichan community and their presence is proving a huge tourist draw.
Duncan, British Columbia, Canada
CHEK

Herring (Clupea pallasii) in Harbor Seal (Phoca vitulina) stomach
Odd time of year for seals to be eating herring.
Haines, Alaska, United States

Chemically-cleaned Finnish lake still clear, but now overrun by waterweed
Littoinen Lake made headlines in 2017 when it was chemically treated because it was overwhelmed with phosphorous and algae. Now there is a new problem.
Turku, Varsinais-Suomi, Finland
Yle Uutiset

Ecological collapse of Toronto's ravine system has begun, researcher says
Ravines in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
CBC News

Three new humpback whales identified off east Vancouver Island
Three new humpback whales have been identified off the East Coast of Vancouver Island as that species makes a massive comeback in our waters.
Strait of Georgia, British Columbia, Canada
CHEK

‘Mosquito-pocalypse’: North Carolina residents battle massive bugs after hurricane
Massive, aggressive mosquitoes are swarming North Carolina weeks after Hurricane Florence tore through the region.
Fayetteville, North Carolina, United States
Global News

A 300-metre-long spiderweb has been woven in Greece
There's nothing for humans to worry about. Gnats, on the other hand...
Aitoliko, West Greece, Greece
Global News

Russian salmon fishermen dumping excess catch
Salmon harvesters in the Far East parts of Russia have landed so much fish that they have begun to dump some of their excess catch wherever they can, forcing the region to confront an epidemic of rancid, rotting salmon.
Kamchatka, Russia
Moscow Times

Seaweed Takes Over Popular Beach at the Grand Turk Cruise Center
Sargassum Seaweed has invaded the beach at the Grand Turk cruise center which is popular with cruise ship passengers.
Cockburn Town, Turks and Caicos Islands
Cruise Hive

Squirrel population surges in Northeast, as does roadkill
Biologists say plentiful food and other conditions are helping the rodents to thrive, and now the young ones are hitting the road.
Cape Neddick, Maine, United States
Press Herald

The seaweed deluge hitting Caribbean shores
Sargassum, a type of seaweed, is creating problems as it washes up across the Caribbean.
Caribbean Shores
BBC News

Northernmost Bobcat (Lynx rufus) Observation
This most Northerly Bobcat *(Lynx rufus)* observation in the iNaturalist database marks the leading edge of the northward expansion of this species.
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
iNaturalist.org

Communities innovate to address Sargassum seaweed on coasts of Saint Lucia
Sargassum is free-floating brown macro-algae that lives in the temperate and tropical oceans of the world. In the open ocean, the floating seaweed provides important ecosystem services by acting as habitats for a diverse group of marine animals. It provides food, shade, and shelter to many types of specialized fish, crustaceans, and turtles.
East Coast of Saint Lucia
Global Environment Facility

Sargassum on the south coast
Newport, Curacao
Curaçao Chronicle

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

They just keep coming: Tent caterpillar invasion coats Sask. home in insects — and feces
Hordes of tent caterpillars have covered Tammi Hanowski's home south of Saskatoon and have crawled up the walls and made their way into her pool.
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

Alaska abuzz over rise in wasp population
In Southcentral Alaska, wasps seem to be everywhere. One Anchorage clinic has seen more than 250 sting patients this year.
Anchorage Daily News

Sargassum algae invades the coasts of the Great South of Haiti
For over one year the coasts of the Great South of Haiti, are invaded by an unusual species of algae known as Sargassum or Seaweed. The most affected communities are : St Jean du Sud, Les Cayes, St Louis du Sud, Côtes de fer, Jacmel, Cayes Jacmel...
Saint-Louis du Sud, Sud, Haiti
HaitiLibre.com

Sierra Leone's stinking seaweed linked to Caribbean invasion
Proliferation of thick brown algae is affecting fishing, tourism and marine life on both sides of the Atlantic, say scientists
Tokeh, Western, Sierra Leone
the Guardian

Stinking mats of seaweed piling up on Caribbean beaches
Some tourists have canceled summer trips and lawmakers on Tobago have termed the sargassum invasion a “natural disaster.”
Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Miami Herald

Caribbean-bound tourists cancel holidays due to foul-smelling seaweed
Algal blooms threaten the economies of the globe’s most tourism dependent nations, scuttle holidays plans and give climate scientists more to worry about
Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico
the Guardian

Ocean 'blob' brings bad fish food to B.C. waters
The so-called 'warm blob' of water in the North Pacific has brought unusual plankton, which lack the nutrients wild salmon and other marine animals count on.
Northeast Pacific Ocean
CBC News

The Blob: Why warmer oceans are a big concern
Warm water threatens marine habitats off the coast of BC
Northeast Pacific Ocean
Sooke News Mirror

Bed bugs are calling Alaska home at increasing rates
In Anchorage, the city logged 68 bed bug complaints in 2013, a decrease from the 84 in 2012. There was just one complaint in 2007 and 2008 combined, according to city data.
Anchorage Daily News

Mosquito invasion in Southcentral Alaska leads to run on supplies
Each spring, it seems, the air of Alaska is filled with the buzz of mosquitoes and the whines of people declaring that this is undoubtedly the worst bug season they've ever experienced. This year they may have a case.

Caterpillars gang up on berry bushes, native trees
The outlook for blueberries in Southcentral Alaska this year is bleak, scientists say. The reason: Two species of moth have damaged berry patches, as well as native deciduous trees, from the southern Kenai Peninsula to Mat-Su.

Spider Webs Covering Acres of Grasslands
Spider webs covering vegetation along the Noatak River Delta resemble a mass "ballooning" event reported in Unalaska.
Noatak River Delta

Worst grasshopper infestation ever on tap for Prairies
Prairie farmers are facing a grasshopper infestation the likes of which might never have been seen in Western Canada. The last kick from a drought that devastated crops last year.
Saskatchewan, Canada

Quebec is in a 'high tick year' and the white-tailed deer boom isn't helping
The mild winter and fluctuating spring temperature appears to have led to a tick boom in Quebec, a province where cases of Lyme disease have been steadily climbing for years.
Quebec, Canada

Black vultures are descending on Hershey. Residents want them gone.
Hundreds of black vultures have descended on Hershey. Residents want them gone. As they reach new habitats, the vultures’ destructive habits are creating problems in many Pennsylvania communities.
Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States

Humpback salmon have invaded the River Teno
This summer, the number of humpback salmon in the River Teno, the border river between Norway and Finland, has increased enormously from last year. These salmon have been swimming near the shores, with masses of them dying in the river from exhaustion. Local people are extremely worried.
Teno River, Norway/Finland Border
The Independent Barents Observer

Ancient white sturgeon caught in Canada
The fish measured 56 inches in circumference and weighed 800 lbs. Its age is not known, but it could be more than 100 years old, given its size. The monster sturgeon had never been tagged before, so this may have been the first time it was caught.
Agassiz, British Columbia, Canada
The Irish Times

Beluga whalers in Northwest Alaska, North Slope boast a great 2021 season
With relatively calm summer weather, an Utqiagvik crew landed at least 11 beluga whales this season, Wainwright was lucky to caught 50, and Kotzebue Sound saw the second-highest harvest in more than a decade, according to local hunters.
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States

A creeping mass of insect larvae near a Denali lodge raises the question: ‘Am I hallucinating?’
A worker in Kantishna glimpsed the rare phenomenon in which hundreds of Alaska gnat snakeworm larvae formed a crawling column.
Healy, Alaska, United States

A record number of Atlantic walruses recorded in the Russian Arctic
According to preliminary data, more than seven thousand walruses were recorded, which is two times as many as last year. This was also when the largest walrus habitat in the history of Arctic exploration was found on the northernmost island of the Franz Josef Land archipelago, the Eva-Liv island.
Franz Josef Land
The Independent Barents Observer

Spring bounty: Utqiagvik landed 10 whales in less than two weeks
This early in spring, the season usually only starts, but the weather patterns have been changing, and so has been the harvest time, Donovan said.
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States
The Arctic Sounder

Local finds giant puffball mushroom
What is 30 lbs, 26 inches around and white all over? Your next meal, or ten meals, or twenty.   Calvatia gigantea, or giant puffballs, typically ranges from the size of a mini marshmallow to a soccer ball. The largest record of a giant puffball had a circumference of eight feet & eight inches and weighed 48 lbs.
Haines, Alaska, United States
Chilkat Valley News

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