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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

Seabird Deaths
A large number of bird die-offs
Seldovia, Alaska, United States

Black Fungus (phaeohyphomycoses) on Smelt
Smelt caught on the Kugkaktlik River were found to have dark spots on the skin. Photo examination suggests that the cause is the same black fungus found in saffron cod in Norton Sound. Continued surveillance for this condition in fish is requested by LEO Network members.
Kipnuk, Alaska, United States
Gay Sheffield, James Berner, Jennifer Dobson, Jayde Ferguson, Nick Slim

Arctic Char (Salvelinus alpinus) with Saprolegnia Mold
Arctic Char (Salvelinus alpinus) with Saprolegnia
Kivalina, Alaska, United States
Replogle Swan, Jayde Ferguson, Ali Hamade, Janet Mitchell

School Fire Raises Health Concerns
Ayaprun School Fire
Bethel, Alaska, United States

More Murre Deaths (Uria aalge)
Dead murres on beach
Nanwalek, Alaska, United States
Caroline Van Hemert, Barbara Bodenstein, Christopher Anahonak

Dead Sea Lion (Eumetopias jubatus)
Sea lion washes ashore in Nanwalek.
Nanwalek, Alaska, United States

Death Toll From Heat Wave in Karachi, Pakistan, Hits 1,000
Searing temperatures, which have been as high as 113 degrees, were below 100 on Thursday, but a sense of panic and crisis persisted in the city.
Karachi, Sind, Pakistan
New York Times

Wind, rains cool Pakistan heat wave that killed at least 838
Wind from the sea and pre-monsoon rains cooled southern Pakistan on Wednesday, likely marking the end of a scorching heat wave that killed at least 838 people, authorities said.
Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
CBC News

Wildfire smoke Alert
Air Quality will vary between Good and Unhealthy depending on wind flow and proximity to the fire.-Southcentral areas near–Willow, Wasilla, Palmer, Butte, Anchorage, and south over the Kenai Peninsula to include Cooper Landing, Kenai Keys and Skilak Lake areas.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Lightening and Wildfire
There were lightning strike-caused fires at Paul's Creek and Coffee Creek north of King Salmon, AK.
King Salmon, Alaska, United States

Tourist Killed by Ice fall, Knik Glacier Alaska
The victim, identified as 28-year-old Alexander Hellweger, was part of a group of eight friends from Italy and Belgium vacationing in Alaska.

Victoria Harbour 2: Contaminants in Sediment and Mussels
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Hot, dry weather brings wildfires near Palmer
Unseasonably warm, dry weather in a large section of the state set the stage for a roughly 20-acre wildfire near Palmer and kept authorities across Southcentral and Interior Alaska busy putting out backyard fires despite ongoing warnings against open burning.
Palmer, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Sea Ice Rescue
4-29-14 Sea ice rescue - Barrow, Alaska, USA
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States

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, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Dust, lack of snow conspire for poor air
Increasing winds may drive the air quality to become "unhealthy to hazardous," said a statement from Eileen Probasco, planning director with the Matanuska-Sustina Borough.

Storm Surge
Early fall weather conditions brought on an extreme storm surge in a Norton Sound community.
Shaktoolik, Alaska, United States

Central Welland River Fish Kill
Common carp (*Cyprinus carpio*) and channel catfish (*Ictalurus punctatus*) die from low dissolved oxygen and ammonia that are the result of an over-application of biosolids.
Welland, Ontario, Canada

Muddy River Raises Salmon Concerns
Thawing permafrost and river bank collapsed on the Cheenik Creek.
Golovin, Alaska, United States

Extreme Heat
6-18-13 Extreme heat - Koyukuk, Alaska, USA
Koyukuk, Alaska, United States

Heatwave has toddlers falling from windows
The Anchorage Police Department is warning parents to be cautious after three separate incidents in a week involving toddler-aged children falling out of windows opened in the warm weather.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

High pollen levels
High spruce pollen levels causing eye, respiratory irrigation and nose bleeds.

Trapped on Sea Ice
A snowmachiner was trapped on the quickly moving floe and he was rescued later by a helicopter.
Nome, Alaska, United States

Unusual Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) Sighting
Rare polar bear sighting in Sisualik summer camp, about 10-11 miles north of Kotzebue, AK.
Sisualik Fish Camp, Alaska, United States

Unseasonable windstorm ravages Anchorage
At least 50,000 homes and businesses lost power late Tuesday, and outages continued through Wednesday.

Latest IHN outbreak forces cull at Millar Channel fish farm
Update: Aug. 16. Mainstream Canada has announced that the Millar Channel fish farm is now empty. The fish, infected with the IHN virus,were taken to a rendering facility. Mainstream Canada is developing a plan for cleaning and disinfecting the farm site, as per the requirements of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. “This is an unfortunate incident, but we are pleased with how smoothly the depopulation procedure went considering the situation,” said Fernando Villarroel, Mainstream Canada’s managing director.
Millar Channel, British Columbia, Canada
Ha-Shilth-Sa Newspaper

Best sockeye return in 100 years
Fisheries Minister Gail Shea is crowing about the opportunities with the 2010 return of sockeye to the Fraser river, calling it a  banner year for Fraser River sockeye salmon. This year's return is currently set at just over 25 million fish, one of the highest returns in the last hundred years. Several fishery openings for Fraser River sockeye have already occurred in 2010 and more are planned, she said.
Fraser River, British Columbia, Canada
Ha-Shilth-Sa Newspaper

Falling ice traps driver, closes highway
A woman was trapped in a pickup on the Seward Highway on Friday after falling ice crushed the vehicle just south of Anchorage.

Chiefs Concerned About Infectious Sockeye Virus
The Shuswap Nation Tribal Council is very concerned about the conclusive finding of the European Strain of Infectious Salmon Anemia virus (ISA) in sockeye in Rivers Inlet. The Secwepemc, like "most BC First Nations, have relied on salmon as the life blood of our people. Between 50 and 90 per cent of our people's diet consisted of salmon at the time of contact.
Rivers Inlet, British Columbia, Canada
Ha-Shilth-Sa Newspaper

Powerful Quake and Tsunami Devastate Northern Japan
Japan was filled with scenes of desperation a day after an 8.9-magnitude quake, as survivors called for help and rescuers looked for people buried in rubble.
Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
The New York Times

Wildfires burn in the Cariboo
Alexandria, British Columbia, Canada

Cyanobacteria bloom under lake ice
Cyanobacteria blooms usually occur in summer.
Smithers, British Columbia, Canada

ALASKA: A havoc-wreaking beetle loose in the forest
STERLING, Alaska — Spent today tramping around the boggy depths of the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, which is about a three-hour drive south of Anchorage. Berg The group went there to see h…
Sterling, Alaska, United States
SciGuy

Worst blizzard in years blasts Saskatchewan
Blizzard conditions paralyzed Saskatoon and many other communities Wednesday as a fierce storm scoured the central part of the province, closing roads, airports and schools.
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
CBC

A landslide left an Anchorage 10-year-old unconscious and trapped in her room. Her parents pulled her from the debris.
“This has been a very trying time,” mother Tanisha Charles said. “You don’t prepare for this. You think of fires, you think of earthquakes, but you never think of a mudslide in the middle of town.”

Canada's AG warns Nunavut about dangers of not having a climate change action plan
Nunavut is not prepared to deal with the impacts of climate change and doesn't have a plan to deal with them, according to the latest report by Canada's auditor general.
Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada
CBC News

Tennessee flooding updates: 'This has changed Waverly forever' residents say; Biden approves disaster declaration
Extreme flooding in Tennessee on Saturday killed at least 21 people and left dozens missing. The city of Waverly and Humphreys County were hit hardest.
Waverly, Tennessee, United States
Nashville Tennessean
MEGHAN MANGRUM, ADAM FRIEDMAN AND RACHEL WEGNER

Hurricane Grace slams Mexico's Gulf coast, killing 8 in flooding and mudslides
Hurricane Grace pummelled Mexico with torrential rain on Saturday, causing severe flooding and mudslides that killed at least eight people after becoming one of the most powerful storms in years to hit the Gulf coast.
Tecolutla, Veracruz, Mexico
Reuters

COVID-19 detected for first time in Ontario wildlife
Samples taken from five free-ranging white-tailed deer in southwestern Ontario have tested positive for COVID-19, marking the first time the virus has been detected in the province’s wildlife.
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
CTV

Three coyotes swarmed mother and child in one of three recent Stanley Park attacks
One coyote, which "demonstrated signs of food habituation," was killed following Tuesday night's attacks
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
vancouversun

Storm 'Hans' batters Scandinavia
Severe weather has knocked out power lines, flooded villages and brought public transport to a standstill in the worst-affected areas. On Monday, the storm derailed a Swedish passenger train, injuring three people.
Bagn, Oppland, Norway
dw.com

Hurricane Laura hitting Louisiana as strong as 1856 storm that split Last Island in half: 'Only 1 cow remained'
The NHC said that the eye of Laura will continue moving over southwestern Louisana and warned of a 'catastrophic storm surge, extreme winds, and flash flooding'
Lake Charles, Louisiana, United States
MEAWW

Dispersed across B.C., the Lytton First Nation aims to come back strong
Like many people in Lytton, council member John Haugen's not sure when he'll be able to settle back home. One thing he is certain about is that his people, those of the Lytton First Nation who have lived in the area for about 10,000 years, will continue living on their ancestral lands.
Lytton, British Columbia, Canada
CBC

While the search for Utqiagvik whale researcher continues, his friends and family reflect on his role in the community
John Craighead "Craig" George was swept under a logjam last Wednesday on the Chulitna River near Cantwell, Alaska State Troopers said. The dive team responded to the area Friday morning but found that the water was too high to deploy.The rafting party was decending when they encountered an unusual amount of logjams.
Cantwell, Alaska, United States
Alaska Media, LLC., Steve Keller designer and application developer

Hurricane Fiona: Canada hit by 'historic, extreme event'
Hundreds of thousands of people have been left without power, after Storm Fiona hit Canada's coastline. Parts of three provinces experienced torrential rain and winds of up to 160km/h (99mph), with trees and powerlines felled and houses washed into the sea.
Channel-Port aux Basques, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
BBC News

Wildfire smoke from Southwest Alaska hinders air quality and visibility in Southcentral
Smoke from dozens of active wildfires in Southwest Alaska moved across a large portion of the state on Sunday, worsening the visibility and air quality in several regions, including around Anchorage and Southcentral. The haze in the Anchorage area was expected to ease somewhat early in the week.

Cambodia tests more people for bird flu after death of 11-year-old girl
Cambodia has tested at least 12 people for the H5N1 strain of avian influenza, the health ministry said, after an 11-year-old girl died this week from the virus in the first known transmission to humans in the country in nearly a decade.
Phnom Penh, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Reuters

3rd and 4th known cases of ‘Alaskapox’ — both mild — were recently diagnosed in the Fairbanks area
How the virus is contracted and how long it’s been around still remain a mystery. But researchers have found evidence in small mammals.
Fairbanks, Alaska, United States

Dozens reported dead in Chile as forest fires move into densely populated central areas
Chile’s president says intense forest fires burning around a densely populated area of central Chile have caused at least 46 deaths, and officials say at least 1,100 homes had been destroyed.
Viña del Mar, Valparaíso, Chile

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