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

Warm winter sets back construction of Dettah ice road
Construction is beginning today on the ice road connecting Yellowknife to Dettah on the N.W.T.'s Yellowknife Bay, but a warm November means that it will open in January for the second time since the 2006/2007 season, and the second year in a row.
Yellowknife Ice Road, NWT
CBC

Wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) travel corridor along Flambeau River

Warm weather leading to worst Yukon trapping season in years
Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
CBC

The Detective of Northern Oddities
When a creature mysteriously turns up dead in Alaska—be it a sea otter, polar bear, or humpback whale—veterinary pathologist Kathy Burek gets the call.
Jakolof Bay Alaska, United States
Outside Online

Spotted Seal
La Gi, Bình Thuận, Vietnam

Yukon's wild sheep could be at risk of disease outbreak
The Yukon Fish and Game Association executive director believes it's just a matter of time before a disease outbreak, such as pneumonia, could spread from domestic sheep to wild Dall sheep.
Clinton, British Columbia, Canada
CBC News

Winter Storm Disrupts Village Communication
Winter storm shuts down communication services for the community.
Gambell, Alaska, United States

Winter Storm Brings Surge of Water and Ice
The storm raises local concerns about food security and preparedness for transportation emergencies.
Golovin, Alaska, United States
Edward "Ted" Smith, Carol Oliver, Tonya James, Anahma Shannon

Storm Left Only a Few Inches of Snow
Fast moving winter storm left about 4 to 5 inches of snow in the Hunter Creek area, a tributary of the Knik River.
Butte, Alaska, United States

Fast Moving Winter Storm
Extreme winter weather conditions.
Nome, Alaska, United States

Fish Seek Cooler Waters, Leaving Some Fishermen’s Nets Empty
Catch limits for fishermen are often based on where fish have been most abundant in the past. But they have failed to keep up with geographical changes.
Rhode Island, United States
New York Times

Coastal Erosion Damaging Boat Launch
Without sea ice, our beaches are eroding.
Port Heiden, Alaska, United States

Freezing Rain on Kenai Peninsula
Hazardous driving conditions due to freezing rain.
Caribou Hills, Alaska, United States

Open Water in Our Ocean
This fall freeze-up was somewhat delayed, not just in the Bering Straits region, but all the way up to Barrow.
Shishmaref, Alaska, United States

Thousands of Dead Red Rock Crabs (Cancer productus) on Beach
Denman Island, British Columbia, Canada

What Type of Bird? King Eider (Somateria spectabilis)
Unknown bird sighted on the Alaskan Peninsula.
Port Heiden, Alaska, United States

Unusual Crested Auklet (Aethia cristatella)
Are the difference species of bird ecosystems failing or in the process of change?
Nelson Lagoon, Alaska, United States
Kathy Kuletz, Angela Johnson, Julia Parrish

Warning of 'Collapse' in Siberia's Permafrost Cities
A new study has warned of the risk to buildings in urban areas across Russia's permafrost zone caused by climate change. The Russian-US analysis says a worst-case scenario could lead to a 75-95% 'reduction in bearing capacity throughout the permafrost region by 2050'.
Anadyr, Chukotskiy Avtonomnyy Okrug, Russia
Siberian Times

Dead Crested Auklet (Aethia cristatella)
Dead Crested auklet observed near the southwest end of the Alaska Peninsula.
King Cove, Alaska, United States
Kathy Kuletz, Dorothea Berntsen, Julia Parrish

Melting permafrost changes Yukon River
Tanana, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Another Puget Sound orca dies — 5th in a year
The death this week of another Puget Sound killer whale makes 2016 one of the worst in recent history for the endangered marine mammals. At least five orcas in the family group J-pod have died in the past year.
Puget Sound, Washington, United States
Seattle Times

Dead Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
We are unsure how the eagle died.
Sand Point, Alaska, United States

Sea Angel (Clione limacina) Bloom in December
Sea angel (Clione limacina) observed during mid December near Stika, Alaska.
Nahku Bay, Alaska, United States

Gone: endemic Baikal sponge has died completely in several areas of the vast lake
Vital for making its waters so 'pure', one theory is that rising underwater methane leaks are killing off the sponge, but is there a silver lining?
Listvyanka, Irkutsk, Russia
The Siberian Times

Morning Winter Fog
An unusual morning haze "winter fog", was observed, attributed to a layer of moist air trapped near the ground.
Unalakleet, Alaska, United States

Polar Bears’ Path to Decline Runs Through Alaskan Village
The bears that come to the northern village of Kaktovik are climate refugees, on land because the sea ice they rely on for hunting seals is receding.
Kaktovik, Alaska, United States
New York Times

Unstable River Ice - Lack of Snow
From an average freeze-up to rewarming and a lack of snow. The winter weather is now gone making the river ice unstable enough to go across to the community of Togiak for groceries household goods, bad situation.
Twin Hills, Alaska, United States

Unmasked: the scale of Arctic junk polluting the pristine environment
One region alone - Yakutia - has 5 million tons scrap metal dumped in polar regions, an ugly Soviet legacy.
Kotelny island, Yakutia Region, Russia
The Siberian Times

Reindeer shrink in Arctic as their environment changes
The average weight of adult reindeer on Svalbard, north of Norway, has fallen to 106 pounds from 121 pounds in the 1990s
Norwegian Archipelago, Svalbard, Norway
Alaska Dispatch News

December Blossoms of Japanese Flowering Cherry (Prunus subhirtella)
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Sand lance (Ammodytes personatus) school
Island View Beach

Earthquake swarm in Port Heiden continues
Earthquakes have rattled through Port Heiden more often than usual this year. Michael West is the State Seismologist with the Alaska Earthquake Center. He took a look to compare this year’s quake numbers with other years. Listen Now
Port Heiden, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Bellingham Bay Water Merging
On a field trip with Northwest Indian College Geology class to Chuckanut Drive saw water with apparent difference in color.
Bellingham, Washington

White Fish (C. nelsonii) with Saprolegnia Fungus
Had pus on them.
Chefornak, Alaska, United States

Invasion of the House Crickets (Acheta domestica)
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

White-winged Crossbill (Loxia leucoptera)
Never seen anything like that in before.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Picking and Eating Blackberries (Rubus armeniacus) in Mid-November in Haida Gwaii

Rise in reindeer deaths in the Arctic linked with loss of sea ice and extreme weather
Two extreme weather events in 2006 and 2013 caused mass starvation among the reindeer herds, and researchers for the first time have linked these extreme weather events in the coastal mainland in northwest Russia with sea ice loss in the adjoining Barents and Kara seas.
Ямало-Ненецкий АО, Russia
Phys.org

Northern moose migration corresponds with early snow-melt and increased vegetation
Moose and other species have advanced north with warming temperatures. University of Alaska Fairbanks assistant professor of water and environmental research Ken Tape said movement of boreal species into far northern Alaska has corresponded over the last century with earlier snow-melt and river ice out.
Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Healthy Snowfall is Back
Three healthy snowfalls with progessively more snow each time.
Unalakleet, Alaska, United States

Furry Caterpillar in November
Furry caterpillar in November.
Nondalton, Alaska, United States

Kachemak Bay has seen massive die-offs of sea stars and other species. What’s going on?
Kachemak Bay has witnessed massive die-offs of sea stars, murres and razor clams. Whats going on?
Seldovia Village, Alaska, United States
Alaska Dispatch News

Warmer Temperatures Affecting Red Elderberry?
Warmer temperatures during this fall/winter seem to be changing there life cycle.
Wrangell, Alaska, United States

Long Beaked Common Dolphin (Delphinus capensis) Beaching
Dolphin beaching in Sodwana Bay, South Africa
Sodwana Bay, Eastern Cape, South Africa

Marine Mussels Clean of PSP Toxins
Klamath, California, United States

Visible Hue to Air - Smoke.. Smog... Silt..?
Hazy air conditions in the Mat-Su Valley, southcentral Alaska.
Hatcher Pass, Alaska, United States

Warm Fall Weather
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada

Invasive plant discovered near Anchorage’s Potter Marsh
Elodea, a fast-growing leafy plant, is now in a roadside ditch at the marsh, and a response plan is in the works.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Dungeness crab (Metacarcinus magister) vulnerable to domoic acid contamination
Warning: (2016-11-07) Recreational anglers should avoid consuming the viscera (internal organs, also known as “butter” or “guts”) of dungeness crab
Klamath, California, United States

Late Freeze-up of Koyuk River
Koyuk River foze solid by Oct-14 by the 28th there was open water.
Koyuk, Alaska, United States

Juvenile Sand lance (Ammodytes personatus) intertidal burrowing
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Clumps of Foam Noticed Floating on the Fraser River
Agassiz, British Columbia, Canada

Primitive Crane Flies (Family: Tanyderidae) in Haida Gwaii in November

Garry Oak (Quercus garryana) Leaves and Flowers Opening in November
Mount Tolmie, Saanich, BC, Canada

Non-native Beetle (Anomala)
Inside of a couch shipping box.
St. Mary's, Alaska, United States

Himalayan Blackberries (Rubus armeniacus) Fruit Second Time
Himalaya blackberry is an introduced, perennial, spreading shrub.
Bellingham, Washington, United States

Sea Ice - No Sea Ice!?
Sea ice is here and then disapears.
Elim, Alaska, United States

Jumping Spiders (Salticidae) in School
A spider was found in a class room, not sure what it is.
Sand Point, Alaska, United States
Derek Sikes, Jessie Moan, Karis Porcincula

Dead Puffins
Over 100 dead puffins, mostly tufted, have been found in Saint George, Alaska.
Saint George, Alaska, United States

First Sight of Snow
Early sighting of snow this year.
Nelson Lagoon, Alaska, United States

Unusual Mortality of Tufted and Horned Puffins (Fratercula cirrhata and Fratercula corniculata)
Several ill or dead tufted and horned puffins were found on the shores of St. Paul Island.
Saint Paul, Alaska, United States
Lisa Tran, Aaron Lestenkof, Pamela Lestenkof, Julia Parrish, Lauren Divine, Paul Melovidov, Barbara Bodenstein, Hillary Burgess, Karin Holser

Unusual Fast Flooding
Unusually fast flooding on the Chignik River.
Chignik Lake, Alaska, United States

Enormous Poplar Leaves
During the 2012 wind storm, many of the poplars lost branches or their tops. Now leave the leaves are growing back as big as pie plates.

Lake Drying
Decades have passed and ponds are drying up.
Chistochina, Alaska, United States

Black Slugs Invade Whittier
“They’ve been in Cordova for over 30 years. They’re just starting to be reported and sighted in other places. We have confirmed sightings in Whittier, in Girdwood, in Chenega Bay, in Eshamy Bay and one of the hatcheries out in the sound has reported them.”
Whittier, Alaska, United States
Glacier City Gazette

A Flock of Parrots (Parakeets?) in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas, United States

A Changing Urban Forest
Since the 2012 wind storm, the forest in Cheney Lake Park has been rapidly transforming from native cottonwoods to a variety of exotic ornamental trees.

Unusual Plant - Red osier dogwood (Cornus sericea)?
Plant found in patch of high bush cranberries.
Nulato, Alaska, United States

Juvenile Pacific Herring ball (Clupea pallasii)
Henderson Point, North Saanich, British Columbia, Canada

Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) Mortality
Died on beach.
Seldovia Village, Alaska, United States

Warm Weather Delaying Winter
Winter is near, but, it is unusually nice outside these days.
Evansville, Alaska, United States

Unusual Turbidity in Sarita River
Bamfield, British Columbia, Canada

Mixed schools of Sandlance (Ammodytes personatus) and Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii)
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Russia plans to kill a quarter-million Siberian reindeer amid anthrax fears
A mysterious anthrax outbreak over the summer killed more than 2,300 reindeer and at least one child.
Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Russia
Washington Post

Seafood's new normal: An ecosystem at risk
Special report: A huge disruption to California's coastal ecosystem is under way after several years of unusually warm ocean conditions and drought.
Northern California Coastal Areas
The San Francisco Chronicle

Septembers Are Changing in Lower Kalskag
Unusually rainy year for Lower Kalskag this year.
Lower Kalskag, Alaska, United States

Plumose anemones (Metridium spp.) detaching from rocks
Bowyer Island, Howe Sound, British Columbia, Canada

The Pacific blob caused an 'unprecedented' toxic algal bloom - and there's more to come
The 'blob' caused it this time around. But oceans will keep getting warmer in the future.
Northeast Pacific Ocean
Washington Post

Northern Birch Tree (Betula papyrifera) Die-off
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, 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

Chitemene Farming Has Environmental Consequences
Long-term consequences.
Kawambwa, Luapula, Zambia

Mushy halibut syndrome reported by Inlet fishermen
Saltwater fishery officials are reporting a resurgence of a mysterious condition that's bound to turn the stomachs of anglers -- mushy halibut syndrome. Alaska Department of Fish and Game's Barbi Failor said the department is receiving more reports of mushy fish caught by sport fishermen all over Cook Inlet.
Kenai, Alaska, United States
Alaska Dispatch News

Why are Edmonton's birch trees dying?
A study is looking into why birch trees are dying off in the prairies and British Columbia, but a researcher says they can be salvaged.
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
CBC

Rare Sighting of Fork-tailed Storm Petrel (Oceanodroma furcata)
Never seen before in area.
Grayling, Alaska, United States
Moses Tcheripanoff, Kathy Kuletz, Bernice Nicholi

Surf smelt (Hypomesus prestiosus) school
15m north of the Island View Beach boat ramp

Greenland ice holds Cold War peril
It sounds like something from a science-fiction novel or a disaster movie.
A hidden city under ice, housing 200 people, complete with hospital, cinema, church and research labs – and powered by a mini nuclear reactor. In fact it is reality and lies below the ice of north-west Greenland. The building of Camp Century was started in 1959, by US army engineers.
Nuuk, Sermersooq, Greenland
Deutsche Welle

Subsistence Harvest Comes Early
Silver salmon, Brant geese and berries.
Nelson Lagoon, Alaska, United States

Exotic ticks found on Alaska dogs, Alaskans
Ticks that infest red squirrels, snowshoe hares and a variety of birds have always been present in Alaska, but a team of biologists and veterinarians recently found five non-native ticks on Alaska dogs and people.
Fairbanks, Alaska, United States
Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks

Ruffed Grouse
Never seen a grouse this size.
Fairbanks, Alaska, United States

Widespread power outages reported as storm moves through Southcentral Alaska
Hundreds of Chugach Electric customers in Anchorage and Girdwood remained without power Wednesday morning amid outages from Fairbanks to Nikiski.
Anchorage Daily News

Anchorage braces for wind storm
High wind warning for Anchorage. Winds could reach 50 mph with gusts to 100 mph.
KTUU

Increasing Sea Surface Temperature at Langara Lighthouse
Langara Point Lighthouse, British Columbia, Canada

Increasing Sea Surface Temperature at Entrance Island
Entrance Island, British Columbia, Canada

Huge cull of 250,000 reindeer by Christmas in Yamalo-Nenets after anthrax outbreak
Freak warm weather followed by a freeze in winter 2013-14 caused an ice-over of pastures which led to the deaths of some 70,000 reindeer in a famine. This summer, there was an outbreak of deadly anthrax after the hottest Arctic summer on record.
Noyabrsk, Yamalo-Nenetskiy Avtonomnyy Okrug, Russia
Siberia Times

Shoal Creek Now Dry
Cause for Drying Uncertain
Austin, Texas, United States

European Black Slug
Tenakee Springs, Alaska, United States

Strange & Unusual Plants Observed
Strange and unusual plant located in Nulato on northwest bank of the Yukon River.
Nulato, Alaska, United States

Rare Monarch Caterpillar Danaus plexippus
Rare monarch caterpillar-butterfly (Danaus plexippus) seen in five years.
Merion Station, Pennnsylivania, United States

Fasten your seat belt – turbulence is on the rise
Severe turbulence, which recently forced the emergency landing of a transatlantic flight, is on the rise. But why and what can be done?
Houston, Texas, United States
the Guardian

Moose (Alces alces) Eating Rose Hips (Rosa aciculariso or R. nutkana)
Young moose eating rose hips.
Ester, Alaska, United States

Anidación de bobo patas azules en Isla San Jerónimo, Baja California
Blue-footed booby nesting on San Jeronimo Island.
Isla San Jerónimo, B.C., Mexico
Yutzil Lora Cabrera, Margarita Delgadillo A., Alejandra Fabila-Blanco, María Félix-Lizárraga

Bumble Bees Are Still Out
Bumblebees (bombus polaris), moths, butterflies, mosquitoes (Culicidae) and gnats (Nematocera) are still here.
Slana, Alaska, United States

Nome Area Ponds Are Disappearing
Ponds in and around the Nome area are drying up.
Nome, Alaska, United States

Toads (Anaxyrus boreas) Re-emerge
First toad sighting in years.
Tatitlek, Alaska, United States

Are Ocean Conditions Right for Vibrio parahaemolyticus?
Resident becomes sick after consuming oysters and wonders what is being done to prevent future outbreaks of *V parahaemolyticus*, this new climate related illness in Alaska.
Mike Brubaker, Soumik Basu, Santina Gay, James Berner

Low Salmon Numbers
Commercial and Subsistence Harvest
Unalakleet, Alaska, United States

Hot Sun
It seems very warm when the sun comes out.
Goodnews Bay, Alaska, United States

Low Stream Water for Pink Salmon
But at least there is a stream...
Seldovia, Alaska, United States
Stephen Payton, Michael Opheim , Ryan Brubaker

A Poor Year for Pink Salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha)
Fishing for pinks has been really up and down the last few years. In 2014 the catch was really low, and then 2015 it was amazing with more than we had ever seen before. This year's pink salmon return again, was really bad.
Red Bluff, Popof Island, Alaska

Abundant Jellyfish Disrupt Commercial Salmon Fishery
Purse seiner crew scrambles to shovel the huge bycatch of Northern sea nettle jelly fish (*Chrysaora melanaster*) overboard.
Sand Point, Alaska, United States

Rapid Growth of White Spruce (Picea glauca)
Rapid growth of white spruce over the past three summers observed.
Seldovia, Alaska, United States

Gran Grupo De Colibríes

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) on Great Bear Lake
Bird sighted far north of normal migratory range.
Deliné Waterdome, Northwest Territories, Canada
Suzanne Carriere, Brian Sieben, Edward Reeves

Giant Flock of Bohemian Waxwings (Bombycilla garrulus)
Earlier and more abundant then normal.

Unknown Butterfly (Polygonia gracilis)
Unknown butterfly observed in southwest Alaska.
Toksook Bay, Alaska, United States

Dead Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)
Quitsano Narrows, British Columbia

Deadly lightning kills more than 300 reindeer in Norway
More than 300 wild reindeer have been killed by lightning in central Norway.
Hardangervidda mountain plateau, Norway
CBC News

Dead Whale on Beach
Dead whale with interesting dolphin-like face.

Exotic ticks appear to be establishing themselves in Alaska
Researchers are finding ticks in Alaska that haven't historically been here. Some hitchhiked from the Lower 48—but others seem to have settled in.

Jellyfish Getting Bigger
Getting bigger each sighting.

Slime Mold (Myxomycetes) on Lawn
Wet causes unusual growth.

Dead Sea Lion (Eumetopias jubatus) in Boat Harbor
Dead sea lion found in boat harbor, cause of death unknown.

Very Vary Berry Land
An abundant harvest of various berries this year.
Toksook Bay, Alaska, United States

Aguila solitaria (Buteogallus solitarius) avistada fuera de su rango de distribución en Mazatlán, Sinaloa
Isla Pájaros

High waves damage shoreline, road and community freezer in Grise Fiord
Some unusually high waves hit Grise Fiord, Nunavut, early Saturday morning, damaging the community's shoreline, part of a road and the community freezer.
Gise Fiord, Nunavut, Canada
CBC News

Large school of post-larval California anchovy (Engraulis mordax)
Trincomali Channel, Valdes Island

Fraser River sockeye salmon at lowest numbers since records began in 1893
“The exact reasons why the return fell at the lower end of the forecast range are unknown at this time, but poorer than average marine survival is a leading candidate.”
Fraser River, British Columbia, Canada
Georgia Straight Vancouver's News & Entertainment Weekly

M/V Crystal Serenity Cruise Ship
Visits Port of Nome before voyage through Northwest Passage.
Nome, Alaska, United States

Lots of Lake Weeds
A problem for outboards.
Aleknagik, Alaska, United States

Ushak Lake Wildfire
Residents puzzled about origins of underground fire.
Kivalina, Alaska, United States

River Erosion
River erosion along the Yukon River near..?
Yukon River, Alaska, United States

Shearwater (genus Ardenna) Die-off
Large shearwater die-off at a Pilot Point beach.
Pilot Point, Alaska, United States
Robb Kaler, Kathy Kuletz, Julia Parrish, Gregory Kingsley

Experts warn of threat of born-again smallpox from old Siberian graveyards
There was a town where up to 40% of the population died. Naturally, the bodies were buried under the upper layer of permafrost soil, on the bank of the Kolyma River. Now, a little more than 100 years later, Kolyma's floodwaters have started eroding the banks.'
Zashiversk
Siberia Times

So Many Mushrooms
Golovin ponders fungus bloom
Golovin, Alaska, United States

Unusual 'Sea Butterflies' (thecosomes) On Beach
Washing ashore from Kachemak Bay
Seldovia Village, Alaska, United States

Huge Thaw Crater
Downriver from Arctic Village
East Fork Chandalar River, Northeast Interior, Alaska, United States
Carter Brubaker, Vladimir Romanovsky, Ray Hander, Richard L Thoman Jr, Janet Jorgenson

Invasive Plant - Split Lip Hempnettle (Galeopsis bifida)
Taking over my yard
Kokhanok, Alaska, United States

Blue-green Algae in Fraser Lake
There is unusual abundances of blue-green algae on West end of Fraser Lake.
Fraser Lake, BC, Canada

Swift Response to Red Tide Keeps Jaltemba Bay Safe
In recent years, the presence of red tide algae in the Mexican Pacific Ocean has occurred from Manzanillo Bay, Colima, all along the western Mexican coast to the Bay of Mazatlan, Nayarit, and as far north as Ensenada, La Paz, Baja California. Fortunately, although Jaltemba Bay did have some of the toxic algae, the civic leaders and government were immediately in action.
Bahía de Banderas, Nayarit, Mexico
Sol Mexico News

Shift of Diverse Subtidal Community to Sea Cucumber (Holothuroidea) Barrens
Oak Bay, British Columbia, Canada

DEC looks into whether drums in village's drinking water lake pose any hazards
State and North Slope Borough officials say Point Lay’s drinking water lake was wiped out by the nearby Kokolik River, which flooded and eroded the lake banks.
Point Lay, Alaska, United States

Spruce Tree (Picea glauca) Tips Reflect Long Growing Season
This is the second year we have noticed that the spruce tips are very long, in fact longer than I have ever seen.

The Alaskan Highway Is Literally Melting
A critical artery is threatened by thawing permafrost.
Tok, Alaska, United States
Bloomberg.com

Siberian Heatwave Sparks Anthrax Outbreak, Killing A Child And Thousands Of Reindeer
Russian officials have said the death of a 12-year-old boy, a member of a reindeer-herding family from the Yamal tundra 1,300 miles north of Moscow, was the first fatality in Siberia linked to the pathogen since 1941. Twenty others have been diagnosed with anthrax.
HuffPost

An Anthrax Outbreak in Siberia Kills a 12-Year-Old Boy and Sickens Eight
Melted permafrost that exposed an infected reindeer carcass is believed to have resulted in the cases that killed a 12-year-boy and sickened eight others.
Salekhard, Yamalo-Nenetskiy Avtonomnyy Okrug, Russia
The Atlantic

Anthrax outbreak triggered by climate change kills boy in Arctic Circle
Seventy-two nomadic herders, including 41 children, were hospitalised in far north Russia after the region began experiencing abnormally high temperatures
Salekhard, Yamalo-Nenetskiy Avtonomnyy Okrug, Russia
the Guardian

Unusual Fish - Whitespotted greenling (Hexagrammos stelleri)
Unknown fish caught this summer in Togiak Bay.
Togiak, Alaska, United States

Great Berry Picking
Abundant berry harvest this year in southcentral Alaska

Diseased Fireweed (Chamerion angustifolium)
Disease thought to be caused by mold or an infestation of aphids observed on Bird Ridge along the Seward Highway.
Indian, Alaska, United States

Rains Cause 1000 Year Flood
Six inches of rain fell in a three hour period.
Ellicott City, Maryland, United States

Decadal shift in Lion's Mane Jellies (Cyanea capillata) on Nova Scotia's North Shore
Caribou Beach, Nova Scotia, Canada

Heat wave sparks anthrax outbreak - Yamal
Nenets District, Russia

Juneau scientist helps discover new whale species
Mysterious beaked whale washed up on Pribilof Islands is 1 of only 8 known specimens • Michelle Ridgway, St. George community collect crucial tissue samples leading to discovery
Saint George, Alaska, United States
Juneau Empire

Matanuska River erosion prompts warning to Butte residents
Portions of the Matanuska River’s banks near Butte were “beginning to show signs of breeching” Sunday night, leading Mat-Su Borough officials to ask that area residents prepare for potential evacuations.
Butte, Alaska, United States

Red Grasshopper
A unique insect?
Koyuk, Alaska, United States

Green Algae In Lake
Unknown species of green algae in a lake near Kongiganak.
Kongiganak, Alaska, United States

Unusual Wasp (Dolichovespula maculata)
Interesting wasp is black with neon stripes
Wasilla, Alaska, United States

Araña grande al norte de Ensenada, México
Ampliación Balcones de la Presa, Baja California, Mexico
Martin Severo Ubina Audelo, Margarita Delgadillo A., Luis Navarro Verduzco

Rain helps effort to contain McHugh Creek fire
Wet weather has brought much-needed relief to the ongoing effort to control the McHugh Creek fire in southeast Anchorage. Listen now

High Lake Temperatures
Warm temperatures come early this year.
Spring Park, Minnesota, United States

Tidlig Molte
Vadsø, Finnmark Fylke, Norway

Early Cloudberry (Rubus chamaemorus)
Early Salmonberries (Rubus chamaemorus)
Toksook Bay, Alaska, United States

Unusual Spider (Araneus marmoreus)?
Unusual Spider?
Shishmaref, Alaska, United States

Very Cold In Zambia
Farmer's concerned about crops.
Lusaka, Zambia, Southern Africa

Halocline Makes Water Look Oily
saltwater - freshwater "halocline" an interesting natural phenomena
Whittier, Alaska, United States

Blueberries (Vaccinium ovalifolium) Ripe Early!
Blueberries are ripe early!

Warm Sea Surface Temperatures in Great Bear Sea
Ocean Falls to Bella Bella, British Columbia

Tall Fireweed (Chamerion angustifolium)
Palmer, Alaska, United States

Live Oaks (Quercus virginiana) Stranded and Killed by Shoreline Erosion
Nags Head Woods Preserve, North Carolina, United States

Early and Abundant Salmonberries (Rubus chamaemorus)
Early and abundant salmonberries (Rubus chamaemorus)

Early Mushrooms
Weeks earlier than normal.
Wasilla, Alaska, United States

Raspberries (Rubus idaeus) are Ripe
Palmer, Alaska, United States

Early Hay (Avena sativa) Cuttings
Early hay crop harvest
Palmer, Alaska, United States

Year of the Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis)
Seldovia, Alaska, United States

Big Blueberries (Vaccinium ovalifolium), Lots of Them
Plants
Mountain Village, Alaska, United States

Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) In Cottonwood Tree
Dove in Cottonwood Tree
Jaclyn Christensen, Beth Paluso, Julia Parrish

Dead Sea Lion (Eumetopias jubatus)
Marine Mammal

Loads of Yellow Jackets / Wasps (Vespidae)
Loads of Yellow Jackets (Vespidae)

Uncommon Fish (Lota lota) Found In Koyuk River
Fish
Koyuk, Alaska, United States

Changing Habits/Habitat of Dall Sheep (Ovis dalli)
Land Mammal
Chistochina, Alaska, United States

Unknown Bug (Ichneumonidae)
Unknown bug
Tatitlek, Alaska, United States

2 Your Health: What to do if you get Swimmer's Itch
When temperatures are warm enough, it's a time many Alaskans take their families out swimming. Sometimes the fun comes along with an annoying rash known as 'Swimmer's Itch.'
KTUU

Scientists have unlocked 1 secret to Arctic ground squirrels deep-freeze - and that could be a big deal for humans.
An enzyme protects squirrels during and after hibernation, and something similar could help people whose hearts shut down, a new study finds.
Alaska, United States

Early Fireweed (Chamerion angustifolium) Bloom
Early fireweed (Chamerion angustifolium) bloom

Chum Salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) Filled with Pus
St. Mary's, Alaska, United States

Leopard or Giant Garden Slug (Limax maximus) Found
Leopard Slug Found

Caterpillar Infestation
Caterpillar infestation in Village
Holy Cross, Alaska, United States

California anchovy (Engraulis mordax) schools
Turnstall Bay, Bowen Island, British Columbia, Canada

Fritillary (Boloria alaskensis) Butterfly
Unusual Butterfly(?)

Quite Early for Goatsbeard (Aruncus dioicus)
In Southcentral Alaska

Yellow Fungus (Phragmidium) on Wild Rose and other Plants

Crack in the Tundra
Possibly an effect of thawing permafrost.
Kipnuk, Alaska, United States

Dolphins in Salish Sea signal warming worries
Times Colonist

Toxic algae blamed for die-off at 2 salmon farms in Clayoquot Sound
Millar Channel, British Columbia, Canada

Thunder Storms
Thunder Storms (?)
Kokhanok, Alaska, United States

March Flies (Bibionidae) All Over Sand Point
Flies all over Sand Point

Early Breakup Causing Lots of Change
Early breakup brings early arrivals.
Lower Kalskag, Alaska, United States

Extremely High PSP Levels
Extremely high PSP levels

Ripe Blueberries (Vaccinium ovalifolium) In June!
Ripe blueberries (Vaccinium ovalifolium) in early June?
Fort Wrangel, Alaska, United States

Dump Fire Raises Wildfire Concerns
Dump and hill fire
Mountain Village, Alaska, United States

Unusual Ladybug (Calvia quatuordecimguttata)?
First time we have seen so many ladybugs on our island.
Shishmaref, Alaska, United States

Bluff Erosion
Bluff/cliff side erosion along the Ningikfak River.
Chevak, Alaska, United States

Recreational Razor Clam Fishery Closed in Humboldt and Del Norte Counties
Klamath, California, United States

Rats Run Rampant in Kodiak this Season
Kayla Desroches/KMXT It looks like it’ll be a ratty season for Kodiak. The rodents are running rampant this year, at least according to one local pest cont
Kodiak, Alaska, United States
KMXT 100.1 FM

Rare 'gentle giant' shark spotted off West Coast
Bella Bella, british columbia

Unknown Purple Plant
Unknown purple plant species.
Kokhanok, Alaska, United States

Early Ripe Blueberries (Vaccinium ovalifolium)
Sitka, Alaska, United States

Very Early Crow Berries (Empetrum nigrum)
Very early berries this year.

Sinking Islands and Lost Harvest and Hunger
Climate change is effecting the people of the Solomon Islands in many ways. Sea level rise is a major driver.

Black or perhapsTail-dropper Slug
Invasive Black Slug
Goodnews Bay, Alaska, United States

Melting permafrost is turbocharging global warming
It’s a vicious cycle: As the weather warms, the Earth’s permafrost is melting, releasing greenhouse gases that are going to make the planet even hotter.
Central - Interior, Alaska, United States
Newsweek

Eight-spotted Forester (Alypia octomaculata) Moth or Langston's Forester (Alypia langtoni)
An Eight-spotted Langson's (Fabricius, 1775) or Langson's Forester Couper observed lower Kenai Peninsula of Alaska.
Jakolof Bay, Alaska, USA

Early Blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum)
Mountain Village, Alaska, United States

Large Goldfish (Carassius auratus) populations in two stormponds
Okotoks, Alberta, Canada

Global warming winners? North Slope brant thriving amid changes
Climate-induced habitat changes on Alaska's North Slope such as coastal erosion and permafrost thaw have produced more food for migrating brant, a study says.
North Slope, Alaska, United States

Pacific walrus population dropped drastically in 1980s-90s, study indicates
The notoriously difficult-to-study Pacific walrus population decreased by about half between 1981 and 1999, likely due to hunting and changes to sea-ice habitat, according to a new USGS study that is considered the most up-to-date and comprehensive so far. The Pacific walrus is being considered for Endangered Species Act protections.
Walrus Islands — State Game Sanctuary, Alaska, United States

River Erosion
Shungnak, Alaska, United States

Thousands of Velella (by-the-wind sailors) Washed Up In Southeast AK
Sitka, Alaska, United States

Across much of the Arctic, a thawing landscape is sinking
Because ice makes up a good portion of the underground foundation of northern Alaska, thawing has dropped the landscape as much as 3 feet in some places.
Kaktovik, Alaska, United States

Salmon Berries (Rubus spectabilis) Early
Wrangell, Alaska, United States

Unusual Weevil (Curculionoidea)
Unusual weevil (Curculionoidea)
Russian Mission, Alaska, United States

Spruce Aphid (Elatobium abietinum) Damage
Nuka Passage, Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, United States

Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) Caught in Village
Brown bear (Ursus arctos) caught in village.

Old World Swallowtail (Papilio machaon aliaska) Butterfly
Large Old World Swallowtail Butterfly

Black Fly
Black fly
Pedro Bay, Alaska, United States

Early Growth Of Salmonberries (Rubus spectabilis - Highbush)
Early Growth of Salmonberries (Rubus spectabilis - Highbush)
King Cove, Alaska, United States

Early Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis) Bloom
Early salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis) boom

Unusual Atmospheric Rainbow
Unusual atmospheric rainbow-like

Blooming Raspberry (Rubus arcticus) Plants
Blooming Raspberry plants
Bethel, Alaska, United States

Floodwaters recede after Deering declares disaster
For one day last week, the village of Deering needed to use a boat to get to the airport.
Deering, Alaska, United States
The Arctic Sounder

Why Alaska's Arctic tundra is slowly sinking
Alaska’s tundra landscapes carpet a good portion of the state, from the North Slope to the elbow of the Alaska Peninsula. Researchers say it's slowly sinking in places -- as much as a fifth of an inch each year.
Teller, Alaska, United States

Lots of Spruce (Picea glauca) Pollen and Early
Windows have been open during the record heat and the interior of the house is also full of pollen, a thin layer can be seen on the floor near windows. Everyone, even people like myself who rarely experience allergies, are feeling the effects, burning eyes, runny nose, and cough.

Early Rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarum) Sprout

Early breakups seen on Kenai Peninsula
The rivers on the Kenai Peninsula are shucking their ice much sooner in the past few years than they have in decades, some flowing freely as early as
Soldotna, Alaska, United States
Peninsula Clarion

Early Wasps (Leucospid spp.)
Early wasps

Ravens (Corvus corax) Are Scarce This Spring
Resident Ravens Disappeared in Early April
Dillingham, Alaska, United States

Caribou (Rangifer tarandus) Calving On Kobuk River
Caribou calving on the Kobuk River, seems early to calf.
Kiana, Alaska, United States

Mange grågås (greylag geese - Anser anser) på Spildra
Many Greylag Goose on Spildra, Norway
Spildra, Kvænangen, Norway

Deadly fungus threatens B.C.'s bats, biologist says
After a bat was found near Seattle with deadly White Nose Syndrome, a conservation group has teamed up with cave explorers to find out if B.C.'s bats are also affected. The White Nose fungus can kill 99 or even 100 percent of a population it infects.
Seattle, Washington, United States

Unusual Weather Pattern
Unusual weather pattern that changes conditions quickly.

Spruce aphid (Elatobium abietinum Wal)
Communities on the southern coastline of Kenai Peninsula have noticed changes to trees as a result of the aphid.
Kasitana Bay, Alaska, United States

On Arctic island, a reindeer tragedy
In less than three years, the number of animals on the island of Kolguyev dropped from more than 12,000 to only 153.
Колгуевский сельсовет, Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Russia
The Independent Barents Observer

Unusual Bird (lxoreus naevius) on Lake Iliamna
Identified as a male Varied Thrush (Ixoreus naevius)

Alaska birch pollen is getting so bad, even those without allergies might suffer
Spiking levels of birch pollen around much of the state are also being seen during an early spring in Anchorage this week, as doctors deal with an influx of allergy and asthma patients.

West Coast Harmful Algal Bloom
Over the past few months, a massive toxic bloom of the marine diatom *Pseudo-nitzschia*, stretching from central California to the Alaska Peninsula, has resulted in significant impacts to coastal resources and marine life. NOAA has been working closely with federal, state, tribal, academic, and other partners to respond to this unprecedented harmful algal bloom (HAB).
Pacific Ocean, Northern to East Coasts
National Ocean Service (NOAA)

Southern Squirrels moving North!
Peterborough, Ontario, Canada

Southern Squirrels Moving North
Peterborough, Ontario, Canada

Another Warm Month in Alaska
Least Surprising News: Another Warm Month in Alaska
Alaska, United States

Lots of Furry Moths
Unknown furry moth
Holy Cross, Alaska, United States

Early Allergy Season
Allergy season happening sooner

Unalakleet River Goes Out Early
Unalakleet River goes out early

5 billion MNT bridge collapses after heavy rain |
A newly built bridge in Tes soum of Uvs Province collapsed on Saturday during a heavy rain.
Тэс, Uvs, Mongolia
The UB Post

Moose (Alces alces) Near Village
Moose (Alces alces) near village

Early Birch (Betula papyrifera) Tree Leaves
Early green up following a very mild winter with little snow.
Chuathbaluk, Alaska, United States

Growth On Sheefish (Stenodus leucichthys) Heart
Tapioca like growth identified as larval trematode parasites (digenean metacercariae).
Kotzebue, Alaska, United States

Flood and drought extremes in southeastern Alberta
Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada

Early Break-up, Low Water
Early river break-up and low water
St. Mary's, Alaska, United States

Increased Spread of Japanese Knotweed
Sechelt, British Columbia, Canada

Unusual Insect Observed On Willow
On the upper Klamath River
Tulley Creek

Marine Mussels Clean of PSP (Toxins)
Declining after years elevated.

Lowest Water Table on Record (Summer 2015)
Delta, British Columbia, Canada

Mountain Lion (Puma concolor)
A mountain lion is robbing the tribal fish wheel in Tazlina. There have been several sightings in recent years.
Tazlina, Alaska, United States

Sperm Whales Found Dead In Germany, Stomachs FULL Of Plastic And Car Parts
In January, 29 sperm whales were found stranded on shores around the North Sea, an area that is too shallow for the marine wildlife. Only recently were details of the animals’ necropsy released. However, scientists were deeply disturbed by what they found in the animals’ stomachs.
North Sea, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
True Activist

Lake Level Peak Elevation Shift, Shuswap Lake
Salmon Arm, British Columbia, Canada

Low Water On Taieri River
Low water on the Taieri River
Outram, Otago, New Zealand

Earliest River Break Up Ever
Earliest Tokositna River break up ever in Denali State Park.
Denali National Park, Alaska, United States

Stage 3 Water Restrictions in Shawnigan Lake, BC
Shawnigan Lake, BC

It's official: unusual Atlantic salmon catch confirmed in Clyde River, Nunavut
Science has confirmed what fishermen in Clyde River, Nunavut, have been saying for decades: Atlantic salmon do make their way to the hamlet on Baffin Island north of the Arctic Circle.
Clyde River, Nunavut, Canada

Unusual Bird (Lanius excubitor) Sighting
Identification pending.

Early Bloom of Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis Highbush) Bushes
Early bloom of salmonberry bushes.

No Permanent Winter Ice and Early Break Up For Nome

Band-tailed Pigeon - Lower Mainland BC
South Surrey, British Columbia, Canada

Early leafing of trees this spring
Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada

Dry winter and low water table in Southern Alberta
Okotoks, Alberta, Canada

Record High Temperatures for April 18, 2016
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Early Kuskokwim River Breakup at Chuathbaluk
We have had an extremely warm winter, and the river had many open holes that never froze completely.
Chuathbaluk, Alaska, United States

Psoroptic Mange (Psoroptis ovis) in Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis)
South Okanagan Similkameen
Penticton, British Columbia, Canada

Lynx Spotted in Kamloops Suburbs
Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada

Early Spring / Early Waterfowl
Early spring and early waterfowl

Early Birch (Betula neoalaskana) Sap
The birch trees are producing sap earlier. (baseline post)

Mosquitoes (Culicidae) Hatch
First mosquito (and bite) of year.

A large wet snow avalanche cycle in West Greenland quantified using remote sensing and in situ observations
On 11 April 2016 we observed high slushflow and wet snow avalanche activity at the environmental monitoring station Kobbefjord in West Greenland.
Nuuk, Sermersooq, Greenland
Natural Hazards
Jakob Abermann, Markus Eckerstorfer, Eirik Malnes, Birger Ulf Hansen

Flora Blooming Early in the Valley
Birch leaves bud early.

From winter to summer: Where is the spring in Toronto?
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

White Nose Syndrome (WNS) Bats
Not in Alaska yet - Help with Surveillance Requested.
Seattle, Washington, United States
Bailey Richards, Karen Blejwas, Marian Snively

Lack of ice allows dredging to start early
Previously, the dredging started around May and ran through October, but the past three winters it has started earlier and run longer.

Dead Murres At Boat Harbor

Second year of unusual seasonal temperatures: affects black bears and native plant growth?
Whistler, British Columbia, Canada

Unusually High March Temperatures
Unseasonably warm in Arctic.
Kotzebue, Alaska, United States

Beaver (Castor canadensis) Activity Near Community
Beaver activity impacting water level
Chignik Lake, Alaska, United States

Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis) Bloomers
More early bloomers in Southcentral Alaska.
Nanwalek, Alaska, United States

Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) with Elongated Bill
A mysterious condition continues to inflict some Alaska birds

March Rainbow
Have you ever heard of such a thing? In Anchorage?

Volcano Spewing Ash and Lava
Pavlov Volcano provides spring show and showers
Mount Pavolf, Alaska, United States

Volcanic Ash Fall
Ash from Mount Pavlof Lands in Nelson Lagoon

Dead Birds On Spit Beach
Residents concern over die-offs persist

Hummingbird Sightings on the Sunshine Coast
Powell River, British Columbia, Canada

Dandelions (Taraxacum) in Bloom
First dandelions of spring
King Cove, Alaska, United States

First Mosquitoe (Culicidae) of Spring
An early season?

Fish and Game look to round up invasive starlings
The Department of Fish and Game plans to trap a flock of birds not native to Alaska that is trying to move in. The agency says starlings could cause big problems for humans and other birds native to the area. They want to get rid of the flock before their numbers grow.
Homer, Alaska, United States

March Pollen and Active Honey Bees (Apis)
Warm temperatures drive emergence of early willow buds, pollen and honey bee activity.

50°F in March!
Unseasonably warm in Chistochina.
Chistochina, Alaska, United States

Salmonberries (Rubus spectabilis) in Full Bloom
Salmonberries (Rubus spectabilis) are in full bloom on Baranof Island.
Sitka, Alaska, United States

Early Willow (Salix scouleriana) Bloom
Early Pussy Willows in Denali Park.
Denali Park, Alaska, United States

Wolf reports (Canis Lupus) on Nelson Island
An unusual visitor, or new neighbor?

Coyotes are everywhere, even in Alaska
Department biologists do not keep track of coyote numbers, but Fairbanks-area trapper Randy Zarnke said coyotes began showing up on his trapline trails three or four years ago.
College, Alaska, United States

Early Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis) and Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) Bloom
Early blooming salmonberry (*was'x'aan tléiGu* and blueberry (*naanyaa kanat'aayi* - Tlingit language) blossoms.
Juneau, Alaska, United States
Jerry Hupp, LoriAnne Barnett, Sudie Hargis

Fuel tanker plunges through ice road in N.W.T., ice road
An ice road near Deline, N.W.T. is closed after a fuel tanker plunged through on Saturday.
Déliné, Northwest Territory, Canada

Another Dead Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris)
Second sea otter stranding in one week.
Chignik Lagoon, Alaska, United States

Lack of snow shortens Iditarod start
Persistent warm temperatures the last few weeks have melted much of the snow, including stockpiles the city tried to set aside.

Living in Ice Land
Winter transformed from time of snow to time of ice.

Crecimiento del nivel del mar
Río Lagartos, Yucatán, Mexico

Seldovia beach erosion and glacial rebound
Rapid changes raise questions.

Still No Sea Ice
Open water interferes with subsistence practices.
Hajo Eicken, Anna R John, Moses Tcheripanoff

Early thaw around Mukluk Slough
Early thaw of sloughs in and around Nulato
Nulato, Alaska, United States

Early Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis) Blossoms
Early Salmonberry Blossoms in February on Kodiak Island
Ouzinkie, Alaska, United States

Sand Point's Unsafe PSP Toxin Levels
Unusually high PSP toxin levels making shellfish unsafe to eat.

Sea Otters (Enhydra lutris) Stranding at Chignik Lagoon
Community wonders about cause of illness.
Chignik Lagoon, Alaska, United States

Flooding on Mackenzie Valley Winter Road
Tulita, Northwest Territories, Canada

Local arborist works to fight desertification |
A resident of the 20th khoroo in Sukhbaatar District, D.Chuluunbaatar, has been planting fruit trees for 20 years.
Sühbaatar, Selenge, Mongolia
The UB Post

No Ice on Iliamna Lake
Iliamna Lake is not frozen, very unusual for midwinter conditions.
Lake Iliamna, Alaska, United States

Willows (Salix scouleriana) Budding Along Chistochina River
Pussy willows (Salix scouleriana) - a sign of spring in Interior Alaska.

Avistamiento de ballena en playas de Puerto Progreso, Yucatán
Progreso de Castro, Yucatán, Mexico

High Number of Lynx (Lynx Canadensis)
The lynx population is up this year in Kivalina
Kivalina, Alaska, United States

B.C. government urged to stop spread of deadly diseases to wild bighorns
B.C.'s wild bighorn sheep are facing a deadly threat from a pneumonia-causing bacterial disease
Cache Creek, British Columbia, Canada

Early Iceberg Season - Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador
Canada and U.S. Coast Guard Monitoring Conditions
Ellsiton, Newfoundland, Canada

Salmonberries (Rubus spectabilis) Blooming In February
Salmonberries (Rubus spectabilis) Blooming in February

Bighorn sheep in B.C. dying from domestic sheep pneumonia
A bighorn sheep herd in B.C.’s interior is in trouble after coming into contact with domestic sheep and the contagious disease they carry.
Chasm Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada

Fuzzy Winter Caterpillar
A small black fuzzy caterpillar seen in the NPS administrative building in King Salmon, Alaska
King Salmon, Alaska, United States

Dead Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus)
A fin whale washed ashore in St. George, Pribilofs, Alaska.
St. George, Alaska, United States

Winter Beluga Whale (Delphinapterus leucas) Sighting
The lack of sea ice in Toksook Bay, has allowed for a uniquel sighting - a January beluga whale!

Early Western Tree Frogs (Pseudacris regilla)
Observers note that the western tree frogs are singing earlier then usual this year, perhaps taking advantage of a break in the drought.
Yurok Indian Reservation, California, United States

Winter Black Bear (Ursus americanus)
Black bear (Ursus americanus) sighted during a rather warm winter this year.
Pedro Bay, Alaska, United States

Sure Has Been A Warm Winter
It was a very warm week of the 25th of January, on my way home it started raining pretty heavy, mind you, no snow, but rain. I was expecting maybe some wet snow, but it was not to be...
Wasilla, Alaska, United States

Dead Murres (Uria aalge)
Sea bird mortality observed on southeast end of Homer Spit
Homer, Alaska, United States

Common Murres (Uria aalge) Sighted On Iliamna
Common murre sightings; a concern for the predatory and scavenger bird numbers

Observing Eklutna Lake Water Level
The level of Eklutna Lake seems to be very low this winter. Over the long term, decline of the Eklutna Glacier is a concern for water and energy supply.
Eklutna Lake, Alaska, United States

Glide Cracks In Turnagain Pass
Glide Crack in Turnagain Pass
Turnagain Pass, Alaska, United States

This May Be The Most Contaminated Killer Whale Ever Recorded
Tiree, Scotland, United Kingdom
Huffington Post

Woodpecker (Picoides pubescenc) In Coastal Southwest
A woodpecker never seen before.
Goodnews Bay, Alaska, United States

Dead Porpoise and Birds
A dead porpoise and eight seabirds found along shoreline
Haines, Alaska, United States

Delayed Winter River Travel
Poor ice quality on the Teedriinjik (Chandalar) River
Venetie, Alaska, United States

Dead Murres (Uria aalge)
More reports of dead Murres observed in the Bristol Bay region.
Port Graham, Alaska, United States

Unusually Warm In Northwest Arctic
Above normal temperatures in the Northwest Arctic region
Kivalina, Alaska, United States

Start of January felt like early springtime
The start of January 2016 felt like it was early springtime.
Kwethluk, Alaska, United States

Common murre (Uria aalge) in Anchorage
Murres have had a tough year due likely to the Blob effect of warm water and (potentially) displacement of food resources. Many murres have been reported that are sick or starving.

Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis)
Brampton, Ontario, Canada

Pez poco común observado en Las Glorias
Estos peces son venenosos y difíciles de ser observados por confundirse muy bien con el ambiente.
La Pitahaya, Sinaloa, Mexico
David Martínez, Evaristo Rojas, Juan Carlos Villasenor-Derbez, Yutzil Lora Cabrera

Grounded Murres (Uria aalge)
Flocks of Common Murres were seen flying overhead, along with dying and grounded birds scampering around the Fish Lake area, just to the southeast foothills of Mount Yealo in the Susitna Valley.
Mount Yealo, Alaska, United States

Common Murre (Uria aalge) Stranding
Wayward Murre

Algae Bloom
Appears to be smothering all aquatic plant life.
Gakona, Alaska, United States

Winter Storm Grounds Birds
Winter storm grounds birds along the shores of Iliamna Lake.
Iliamna, Alaska, United States

Dead Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris)
Dead sea otter (Enhydra lutris) raises concerns of zoonotic pathogen
Unalaska, Alaska, United States
Chris Price, Nikita Robinson, Melissa Good

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

Warm Wind with Drizzling Rain
A heatwave in Unalakleet, Alaska.

Thunder & Lightning
Unusual weather event; thunderstorm and fluctuating temperatures

Unseasonably Warm and Rainy
Nome was hit by unseasonably warm temperatures and strong winds.

Good Year for Ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus)
Good year for Ptarmigan (Lagopus muta)

Unseasonably Warm
Very warm conditions for this time of year in Southcentral Alaska
Turnagain Arm, Alaska, United States

Warm Storms Bring Winter Melt
At lower elevations, there has been melting, hurricane force winds and rain, which have stripped away the snow and left the trails bare, wet, and icy.

Delayed Freeze-Up
Delayed freeze-up on Lake Iliamna.
Iliamna, Alaska, United States

Migratory Birds In December
Ducks were fly north along shoreline of Kivalina

Roses blooming in December in Haida Gwaii

Sea Pens (Pennatulacea), Peanut Worms (Sipuncula) and Sea Cucumbers (P. californicu)
Interesting Marine Invertebrates
Yakutat, Alaska, United States

A plea to take air pollution seriously
After wearing a disposable air pollution mask for two weeks, I am completely disgusted, and scared of the processes that happen in my lungs.
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
UB Post

Winter flooding, warm ocean likely affected Southeast humpies
This season's pink salmon were slightly bigger, but southern Panhandle runs fizzled.
Southeast Panhandle, Alaska, United States
KTOO Public Media

Dead Murres (Uria aalge)
Murre die-off in Seldovia continuing.

Extreme Weather
High rate of change in weather conditions

Seabird Deaths
A large number of bird die-offs

Sick Brown Bear (Ursus arctos)
Sick brown bear
Koliganek, Alaska, United States

Periwinkle (Vinca minor) causes suppression of Sugar Maple (Acer Saccharum)
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada

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

Late Sea Ice Freeze Bring Together Seals and Caribou
Kotzebue, Alaska, United States

Entangled Humpback (Megaptera novaeangliae) Whale
Dead humpback whale
Unalaska, Alaska, United States

Ticks already on the move – take the necessary precautions
The first ticks have been observed in the northwest region of Oulu, meaning they are assuredly on the loose already further south. Entomologist Reima Leinonen recommends that people who have been enjoying the outdoors take a shower at the end of the day to help check for ticks.
Oulu, Northern Ostrobothnia, Finland
Yle Uutiset

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

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

Japanese Knotweed in Remote Area
Tipella, British Columbia, Canada

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)
Blue Heron near Humpback Bay
Perryville, Alaska, United States

Spruce Tree (Picea glauca) Rapid Growth
Spruce trees growing fast.

Coastal Erosion
Coastal erosion near Cape Blossom

Dead Humpback (Megaptera novaeangliae) Near Birchwood
I was flying on Monday and found a giant beached dead humpback whale up on the mudflats near Birchwood. I see belugas all the time but never a humpback.
Eagle River, Alaska, United States

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

Dead Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris) and Starfish (Phylum: Echinodermata)
Dead sea otter and star fish
Prince of Wales Islands, Alaska, United States

Blue Sail (Velella) Jellyfish
Blue Sail Jellyfish

A Very Large Grasshopper (Melanoplus)
Unusual Insect
Yakutat, Alaska, United States

Eroding Arctic coastline reveals human bones
When a storm exposes human remains in Barrow, there isn’t an established protocol. They are usually given to the federally recognized Native Village of Barrow for repatriation.
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States
Eye on the Arctic

Crayfish invade Kodiak waters
Alex Hughes is a Fish and Game technician who volunteers with KSWCD. He said based on their studies at the Buskin river, crayfish are successfully breeding. Crayfish are originally from the Pacific Northwest and as with many invasive species, it’s anyone’s guess how they got to Kodiak.
Kodiak, Alaska, United States
KTOO

Are Vancouver's recent Gray Whale sightings the start of regular seasonal visits?
Tuesday’s (September 29) sighting of a gray whale swimming and possibly feeding right off the Stanley Park Seawall brings recent sightings up to three in that area. It isn’t clear if it is the same whale or different whales in the widely reported incidents since August 12. One whale, perhaps the same animal each time, was observed for days in the same area in English Bay, sometimes travelling into Burrard Inlet and off West Vancouver’s Ambleside Beach.
Stanley Park Seawall, British Columbia, Canada
Georgia Straight

Presencia de águila calva (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) en Isla Santa Margarita e Isla Magdalena
Puerto Alcatraz, Baja California Sur, Mexico
Yutzil Lora Cabrera, Margarita Delgadillo A., María Félix-Lizárraga, Norma Castillo

River Changing - Chistochina Low and Slow
Chistochina River change

Low Waters For Fish in Kodiak
Pink salmon die-off, and low water levels at Antone Larsen Creek
Kodiak, Alaska, United States

Seabird Deaths
Sea bird deaths

Dead Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)
A dead juvenile female humpback whale near Dolgoi Island

Unusual Mussel (Mytilus californianus) Species
Unusual Mussel Species
Unalaska, Alaska, United States

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

Unusual sighting: mule deer in Interior Alaska
FAIRBANKS — Michael Houx was driving Tuesday evening between Eielson Air Force Base and Salcha when he saw an animal that he at first thought was a caribou.
Salcha, Alaska, United States
FairbanksDaily News-Miner

Western Arctic caribou migration returns to traditional route past Northwest villages
With caribou herds in decline and migration patterns swaying in recent years, news that caribou are following a more traditional migration route near Kivalina and Noatak caused a buzz this fall.
Northwest Alaska, United States

Arribo de langostas en la playa de Puerto de Progreso, Yucatán
Chelem, Yucatán, Mexico

Murre die-off reported around Kodiak
Kodiak Island residents have been reporting a large number of common murres washing up dead on local beaches.

'Did I really see a mola mola down there?'
Scientists and fishermen have reported more unusual species in Alaska waters, including the subtropical mola mola, or ocean sunfish. It's likely because of warming sea surface temperatures.
Gulf of Alaska, United States
KTOO Public Media

Low Beaver (Castor canadensis) Activity
Beaver activity declining in Campbell Lake area

It's a different ocean right now: First great whites, now hammerhead sharks spotted in Orange County waters
Malibu Beach, California, United States
Orange County Register

Why More Hammerhead Sharks Are Popping Up Off Southern California Coast
Huntington Beach, California, United States
CBSLA.com

Polystyrene Debris
Polystyrene debris on beaches
McDonald Spit, Alaska, United States

Unusual Flora - Yellowdot Saxifrage (Saxifrage bronchialis)
Unusual Flora
Nelson Island, Alaska, United States
Ben Balivet, Gino Graziano, Matt Carlson

Predaceous Diving Beetle (Cybister fimbriolatus)
Unusual beetle
Nondalton, Alaska, United States

Global Warming Pushes Maple Trees, Syrup to the Brink
The polar bear is a powerful symbol of the effects of climate change in the Arctic.  Here in New England, our symbol may soon be the sugar maple tree.
Durham, New Hampshire, United States
National Geographic

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

Lake Washington is at its lowest in nearly three decades
Washington State's historic drought is pushing Lakes Washington and Union below the normal annual 20-foot mark for the first time in 28 years, and officials anticipate another foot drop.
Kirkland, Washington, United States
Kirkland Reporter

Odd Marine Debris
Unusual debris found on beach
Shismaref, Alaska, United States
Sharon Nayokpuk, Gay Sheffield, Peter Murphy, Ali Hamade

Poor Bird Fledgling
Poor seabird chick fledging rates
St. George, Alaska, United States

Pink Salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) Die-off, Jakolof Creek
Drought and high temperatures have dried the creek and caused thousands of pink salmon and Dolly Varden to die before they could spawn. The event raises questions about vulnerability of area salmon streams to climate change, and for local residents food security.
Jakolof Creek, Alaska, United States
Michael Opheim , Stephen Payton, Ryan Brubaker

Summer of Slime (Freshwater Algae)
Low water, warm temperatures and our seasonal waterfowl population are factors we think are contributing to the unprecedented algae and weed growth in the lake at the the Alaska Native Health Campus.

Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) Sighted
A salmon troller saw a leatherback turtle in the summer of 2015.
Southeast Region, Alaska, United States

Dead Seabirds
Dead seabirds found in Goodnews Bay.
Alice Julius, Arlene Shimanek, Barbara Bodenstein

Slimy Beach
Slimy Algae on beach
Port Lions, Alaska, United States

Unusual Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) Behavior
Majority of the red salmon went up the middle of the Klutina River and tended to weigh a pound or less.
Copper Center, Alaska, United States

Strange Chum Salmon (Oncorhynchus keta)
Strange chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta)
Koyukuk, Alaska, Unites States
Ali Hamade, Jayde Ferguson, April Williams

Low Seal Numbers
Low seal numbers

Dead Birds - Murres (Uria aalge)
Murre deaths reported along the shore of Nanwalek.

Whales Are Dying Off North America’s West Coast
West Coast of Vancouver Island, Canada
VICE News

Soupfin Shark (Galeorhinus galeus) Strandings
Near Pesuta Shipwreck, Tlell, Haida Gwaii

Low Water In Area Rivers
Low water on area rivers
Jacob Martin, Scott Kent, David Streubel, Ed Washburn, Michael Sloan

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

Increased Algal Activity in West Bragg Creek Pond
West Bragg Creek Pond, Alberta, Canada

Hot Weather for Wood Frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus)
Hot weather for wood frogs.

Abundant Japanese Wireweed (Sargassum muticum)
A species of invasive seaweed is becoming very abundant and displacing native species.
Bamfield, British Columbia, Canada

Novel Bat (Myotis lucifugus) Sighting
Bats sighted in Goodnews

Dead Birds (Cepphus columba) In Harbor
Dead birds in harbor

Dead Birds On McDonald's Spit
Dead birds on beach

Diseased Salmon
Torneälven, Lainioälven

Plant Has Red Gall
Unusual plant has red buds

Swimming Moose (Alces alces) Dies
Swimming moose dies
Aleknagik, Alaska, United States

Extreme rain
About 30 people were evacuated from an Anchorage apartment building following flash flooding that stranded cars and shut down some Anchorage streets Saturday night.
Anchorage Alaska

Dead Birds - Seagulls and Magpies
Dead seagulls and magpies

Bullfrogs threaten B.C. ecosystems
While their kin are declining worldwide, Canada’s largest amphibian, the bullfrog, is multiplying out of control in British Columbia — with some human help
Southwestern British Columbia
Canadian Geographic

Dead Birds - Seagulls, Puffins, Murres
Dead seagulls, puffins, murres

So Many Pinks (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha)!
Amazing run of pink salmon.

Arribazon atípica de sargazo
Andrés Quintana Roo, Quintana Roo, Mexico

Erosion Threatens Boardwalk
River erosion damaging pedestrian walkway
Kwigillingok, Alaska, United States

Unusual Mouse Species
Unusual mouse species

Low Water at Mouth of Klamath River
Causing muted tidal influence
Micah Gibson, Mike Brubaker, Paul Van Mechelen, Joe Hostler

Where are all the jellyfish on Melmerby beach?
Little Habour, Nova Scotia, Canada

Iqaluit gets a month's worth of rain in 9 days
Environment Canada has confirmed what residents in Nunavut's capital know all too well - it has been a cold, dreary start to summer on southern Baffin Island.
Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada

Starfish Wasting Disease
Near MacDonald Spit, southern end of the Kenai Peninsula.
Seldovia, Alaska, United States

Smokey Air
Smokey air

Smokey Air
Hazy fourth of July...
Wales, Alaska, United States

Starfish Wasting Disease
A starfish that did not appear healthy.
Kake, Alaska, United States

Sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria) an Unusual Catch
Sablefish an unusual catch
Seldovia, Alaska United States

Infected salmon just another problem for Yukon subsistence fishermen
Yukon subsistence fishermen face challenges with gear restrictions, closures, and reports of salmon potentially infected with ichthyophonus, impacting their summer fishing activities.
Yukon River, Alaska, United States
KTOO

Unusual Swallow Species
Unusual swallow species
Noorvik, Alaska, United States

Jellyfish Bloom
Jellyfish bloom

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

Invasive weed makes its way into world's largest floatplane base
Elodea, an aggressive invasive plant, was discovered this month in the lake used by hundreds of floatplanes, raising fears that it will be spread to multiple sites within flying reach.

Invasive Russian Boar
Fort Nelson, British Columbia, Canada

Climate change brings new insect arrivals to Finland
New insect species typically arrive in Finland via Russia’s Karelian Isthmus. Entomologists say that the number of species in the
Savonranta, Southern Savonia, Finland
Eye on the Arctic

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.

Sighting of White-winged Crossbill (Loxia leucoptera)
White-winged crossbill
Diomede, Alaska, Unites States

Deformed Halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis)
Deformed halibut (Hippoglossus stenoloepis)
Cape Vancouver, Alaska, United States

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

Drought
6/17/15 Drought - Anchorage, Alaska, USA

Big Mama and the return of the humpback whales to the Salish Sea
Not a single humpback whale was seen in the Salish Sea for nearly a hundred years
Salish Sea
Georgia Straight Vancouver's News & Entertainment Weekly

Smokey Air
Smokey air as a result of wildfires to the north and south of Anchorage.

Atka Mackerel (Pleurogrammus monopterygius) Reeled-in
Unusual fish catch
Kake, Alaska, United States

Wildfire
Sockeye wildfire at mile post 77 of the George Parks Highway near Willow.
Willow, Alaska, United States

Jeff Lowenfels: A bumper crop of spruce cones
There seems to be an unbelievable bumper crop of spruce cones both in trees and on lawns this spring. Their abundance has been quite a topic of conversation, at least in my circles. It is coneucopia!

Rotten Smell and Mushy Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) and Pacific Halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis)
Mushy meat texture, and rotten smell found in sockeye salmon and pacific halibut.
Meshik River, Alaska Peninsula, Alaska, United States

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
Iceland Review

Abandono de nidos de Pelícano cafe
Isla Coronado, Baja California, Mexico
Yutzil Lora Cabrera, Jesus Miguel Corrales Sauceda

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

Whitehorse cougar evidence excites Yukon biologist
Environment Yukon's carnivore biologist is enthused about cougar sightings near Whitehorse, as tracks suggest the big cats are breeding in the territory.
Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada

Dead Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus)
Dead gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) reported off the Alaska Peninsula
Kate Wynne, Lauren Divine, Cosette Nielsen

Bittersweet Nightshade (Solanum Dulcamara)
Delta, British Columbia, Canada

Scientists may have solved 2011’s mysterious marine die-off along the Pacific coast
Scientists first caught on to the strange event when they found thousands of purple sea urchins and other organisms dead in their laboratory tanks.
Northern Pacific Coast
Washington Post

Sheen on Water in Shishmaref
Photos and observations of the sheen thought to be caused by a fuel leak in the village of Shishmaref.

Unusual Beetle
5-31-15 Unusual beetle - Goodnews Bay, Alaska, USA

Velella en Isla San Martín

Spring River Ice Change
Spring river ice change - Unalakleet, Alaska, USA

Insect Die-off
5.21-15 Insect die-off - Chistochina, Alaska, USA
Chistochina, Alaska, USA

Ruby Tiger (Phragmotobia fuliginosa) Moth
Unusual moth
Kwinhagak, Alaska, USA

Visiting Sandhill Cranes (Grus canadensis)
We have never had cranes stop in here before. Something has changed that these migratory birds are stopping here.

Biologists ponder effects of a warmer ocean as pink salmon fry leave early
Biologists suspect climate change and mild winters may have prompted April's early out migration from Auke Creek.
Auke Bay, Alaska, United States
KTOO

Giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) absent around Isla Todos Santos
Around Isla Todos Santos, a massive Giant Kelp (_Macrocystis pyrifera_) bed die-off was observed, which may be linked to the 2015-2016 El Niño event.
Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico

Low Lake Water
Low lake water on ANTHC campus (Algae)

Moose (Alces alces) with Hair Loss
A moose was seen with some of its fur missing.

Mystery hairless elk leave scientists puzzled
A succession of mystery hairless elk have have been spotted in the village of Neiden close to Norway's far northeastern border with Russia, leaving scientists scratching their heads as to the cause.
Neiden, Norway
The Local

Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus)
Near San Diego, California

Urban Canada Geese (Branta canadensis)
5/2/15 Urban Canada goose - King Cove, Alaska, USA
King Cove, Alaska, USA

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

Late Snow
4/20.15 Late snow - King Cove, Alaska, USA

Lightning and thunder
4/20/14 Thunder and lightening - King Cove, Alaska, USA
King Cove, Alaska, USA

Dead Black-capped (Parus atricapillus) Chickadee
The bird was flying and just dropped dead.
St. Marys, Alaska, United States

Early Waterfowl
4/16/15 Early waterfowl - Anchorage, Alaska, USA

Black bear family roaming Anchorage neighborhood
A family of five black bears is roaming an Alaska neighborhood, toppling trash cans as the group rummages for food and scaring some residents who believe the animals are the same ones seen in the area last summer.
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Early Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis) Blossoms
Salmonberry blossom seem a little early this year.

Increase in Northern Pike (Esox lucius)
4/4/15 Increase in pike - Quinhagak, Alaska, USA
Quinhagak, Alaska, USA

The warm ‘blob’ in Canada’s Pacific Ocean
Last year, 2014, was the hottest year ever recorded on Earth. Unlike other worldwide problems from which Canadians might feel relatively safe and isolated, but Canada is actually ground zero of global climate.
Gulf of Alaska / Northeast Pacific
Times Colonist

Hunting restrictions on 2 Alaska caribou herds to take effect this summer
Restrictions on bag limits and season length will start July 1 for both the Western Arctic and Teshekpuk herds, whose numbers are dropping. Restrictions will affect both resident and nonresident hunters.
Northwest Alaska, United States

Low Snow Pack
Normally, we have so many feet of snow throughout the village and the mountains would be packed with snow.

Early Golfing
3/24/15 Early golfing - Palmer, Alaska, USa

Early Pussy Willows
Early pussy willows - Anchorage, Alaska, USA

Early Song Birds
3/18/15 Early songbirds - Haines, Alaska, USA
Haines, Alaska, United States

High PSP in Clams
High PSP in clams - Sand Point, Alaska, USA

Pregnant whale shark (Rhincodon typus)

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.

Deformed Blackfish
2/27/15 Deformed blackfish - Tooksook Bay, Alaska, USA

Dead Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus)
A highly decomposed whale carcass was identified as a gray whale.
St. Paul, Alaska, United States

Dead Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus)
This is one in a string of dead whale sightings that have been designated as the [2015 Gulf of Alaska Large Whale Unusual Mortality Event From May to mid-August, 30 large whales were reported including 11 fin whales, 14 humpback whales, 1 gray whale and 4 other unidentified large cetaceans.
St. Paul, Alaska, United States

No Sea Ice
South winds blew out most of the sea ice. Going to be bad ice if it refreezes for spring hunt.

February Bees
We have bees in February
Arlene Gunderson, Amy Mack, Ian Williams

Wet Snowgo Race
Warm weather has made for unsafe traveling conditions, including a snowmachine race.

Lighting Strikes
Nome experienced 2 lightning strikes and thunder Monday morning during a snow squall.A

Needle Fish Die-off
2/20/15 Needle fish die-off - Kongiganak, Alaska, USA
Kongiganak, Alaska, United States

DOT says weather likely caused rockslide that closed Seward Highway
DOT spokesperson Shannon McCarthy said the weather this week -- alternately freezing and thawing -- was likely the culprit.
Seward Highway  Alaska, USA

High PSP in Clams
High PSP level in Sand Point, Alaska

Lantern Fish (Stenobrachius leucopsarus)
2/15/15 Lantern fish - Haines, Alaska, USA
Haines, Alaska, United States

Deformed Whitefish (C. nelsonii)
Nice looking whitefish, but had a bulged out eyeball on one side of head.

Victoria Harbour 2: Contaminants in Sediment and Mussels

Early Plants
1/27/15 Early plants - Klawock, Alaska, USA
Klawock, Alaska, United States

Early earthworm
Earthworm found while cleaning yard
Haines, Alaska, USA

PSP High in Clams
The paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) results for Sand Point, Alaska (butter clams collected 1/5/2015) had PSP toxin levels of 112 micrograms/100 grams.

Squirrel Parka Tail Plants Early
Squirrel parka tail plants early
Togiak, Alaska, United States
Brian Abraham, Aeshia Upton, Gino Graziano

The Last Skiers
The physical poetry of skiing well can make you feel like a spiritual being. It feels like meaning. That's why we teach our kids to ski. Not because we want
Girdwood, Alaska, United States
The Anchorage Press

Record High Temperatures
1-9-15 Record high temperatures - Bethel, Alaska, USA
Bethel, Alaska, United States

Thousands of small seabirds wash up on West Coast in die-off mystery
Scientists are trying to determine why thousands of tiny seabirds called Cassin's auklets have washed up on the West Coast, all the way from B.C. to California.
Long Beach, Pacific Rim National Park

Pine grosbeak (Pinicola enucleator)
Pine grosbeak

Never below 0 in 2014
Anchorage Alaska.

Anchorage Sets New Temperature Record
The city of Anchorage can claim a new record. The city did not see a temperature drop below zero for the entire year of 2014. The last time Anchorage residents saw a below zero reading was December 26, 2013.

Coastal Erosion
Weekend storm eroded the face of the sea wall.
Togiak, Alaska, United States

Bethel Receives an Unusual Winter Visitor – A Robin
A rare winter robin has been spotted in Bethel and it has folks wondering what exactly it means. Locals and a biologist say they think it has to do with climate change.

Unseasonably Warm Weather
We used to be able to go ice fishing in the lagoon as well as ice skating. Now community members are using a net to get the tomcods.
Nanwalek, Alaska, USA

Light on snow, high on risk, Turnagain Pass stays closed to snowmachiners
More than two weeks after the area typically opens for snowmachiners, the pass remained closed Tuesday as lower elevations continued to see below-average snow levels.
Turnagain Pass, Alaska, United States

Late Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch)
12-31-15 Late coho salmon - Klawock, Alaska, USA
Klawock, Alaska, United States

No Sea Ice Yet
By this time of the year, we usually have 2-3 miles of shore-fast ice that sticks to our beach. We as a village have not done our winter harvest of seals and walrus, and we are worried that we will not be able to bowhead whale hunt.
Wales, Alaska, United States

Whitefish (C. nelsonii) has Brown Skin
Fish had a brownish moldy growth all over its body.

High PSP in Clams
High PSP in clams

Sick Harbor Seal (Phoca vitulina)
11-29-14 Sick harbor seal - Chefornak, Alaska, USA
Chefornak, Alaska, United States
Raphaela Stimmelmayr, Gay Sheffield, Janelle Kinegak

Winter Spider
11-24-14 Winter spider - Togiak, Alaska, USA

Dead Orca (Orcinus orca) Whale
Dead orca observed in the Bering Strait region.
Wales, Alaska, United States

Lions Mane Jellyfish Sighting
11-20-14 Unusual jellyfish - Togiak, Alaska, USA
Togiak, Alaska, Unites States
Kristin Cieciel, Aeshia Upton, Brian Abraham

Bearded Seal (Erignathus barbatus) with Hair Loss
11-18-15 Bearded seal with hair loss - Shishmaref, Alaska, USA

Winter River Breakup
11-18-14 Winter river break-up - Kongiganak, Alaska, USA
Kongiganak, Alaska, United States

Unseasonably Warm
11-15-14 Unseasonably warm - Kwinhagak, Alaska, USA
Kwinhagak, Alaska, United States

Jellyfish Bloom
11-14-14 Jellyfish bloom Haines, Alaska, USA

Unseasonably Warm
11-13-14 Unseasonable warm - Unalakleet, Alaska, USA

Late Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) Run
11-12-14 Late coho salmon run - Cordova, Alaska, USA
Cordova, Alaska, United States

Caribou Migration Changing
The caribou are crossing at different times and locations as the years go by.
Kiana, Alaska, USA

Unseasonably Warm and No Sea Ice
The ocean is still open, and have not even begun to freeze yet.

Unseasonably Warm and Bad Ice
11-11-14 Unseasonable warm - Ruby, Alaska, USA
Ruby, Alaska, United States

Bering Sea Superstorm Among the Strongest Extratropical Cyclones on Record
Partially derived from former Super Typhoon Nuri, the typhoon's remnants joined up with the polar jet stream and a very strong disturbance in the mid-latitude belt of westerly winds, leading to explosive development of low pressure.
The Weather Channel

Unseasonably warm and raining
11-01-14 Unseasonably warm - Pitkas Point, Alaska, USA
Pitka's Point, Alaska, United States

Mollusks in Moose (Alces alces) Gut
11-29-14 Mollusks in moose gut - Egegik, Alaska, USA
Egegik, Alaska, United States

Arctic Char with Sores and Parasites (Salmincola)
10-24-15 Arctic char with sores and parasites - Quinhagak, Alaska, USA
Quinhagak, Alaska, USA

Pacific Sleeper Shark (Somniosus pacificus)
10-20-14 Sleeper shark - Shishmaref, Alaska, USA

Summer heat, invasive insects take toll on Interior Alaska birch trees
Interior Alaska’s hot and dry summer of 2013, coupled with an invasion of insect pests, has taken a steep toll on the region’s birch trees, experts say.
Fairbanks, Alaska, United States

Unseasonable weather
10-10-14 Unseasonable weather - St. Michael, Alaska, USA
St. Michael, Alaska, USA

Landslide destroys Starrigavan restoration projects
High rainfall this month is being blamed for a major landslide near Sitka. The US Forest Service reports that a 100-acre slide came down in the Starrigavan Valley, about ten miles from town. The slide, and water damage to an ATV trail in the valley and other hiking trails elsewhere in Sitka -- all add up to a tough month for the agency.
KCAW

Berry Harvest Failure
A terrible year for berry harvest in the Upper Nushagak River.
Ekwok, Alaska, United States

Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) with Parasites
9-24-14 Coho salmon with parasites - New Stuyahok, Alaska, USA
New Stuyahok, Alaska, United States

Lots of wasps
9-23-14 Lots of wasps - Kolikanek, Alaska, USA
Koliganek, Alaska, United States

Abundant Mossberries (Empetrum nigrum)
A great year for harvesting mossberries.
Cold Bay, Alaska, United States

High Sea Water Temperatures
9-18-14 High surface water temperatures - Bering Sea
Bering Sea, Alaska, United States

Rare whale shark sighting documented near Catalina
Near Catalina Island, California, United States
Pete Thomas Outdoors

Unusual species in Alaska waters indicate parts of Pacific warming dramatically
Hinchenbrook Entrance, Alaska

Grey Seal
Truro, Massachusetts, United States

Unusual Caterpillar
9-10-14 Unusual caterpillar - Big Lake, Alaska, USA
Big Lake, Alaska, United States

Amber Snail
These ladies found a snail that they had never seen before and brought them.

Sighted - Swainson's thrush (Catharus ustulatus)
9-04-15 Swainson's thrush - Wales, Alaska, USA
Beth Paluso, Brit Oxereok, Dean Stockwell

Caterpillar (Hyles gallii) with reddish tail
9-2-14 Caterpillar with reddish tail - Tyonek, Alaska, USA
Tyonek, Alaska, United States

Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris) Sighted at Possession Point, Southern Vancouver Islan
Sooke, British Columbia, Canada

Sink Holes next to Main Street
Koyuk, Alaska, USA

Berry Harvest Change
Crooked Island, 25 Miles south of Togiak. Remnants of blackberries.

Chum Salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) Die-off
Chum salmon die-off in the Kobuk River.
Ambler, Alaska, United States
Virginia Commack, Susan Georgette, Jayde Ferguson

Smooth hammerhead shark (Sphyrna zygaena)

Abundant Bees
08-17-14 Abundant bees - Eagle River, Alaska, USA
Eagle River, Alaska, United States

Funnel Cloud
A funnel cloud was sighted minutes after it passed us.
Nightmute, Alaska, United States

Abundance of Fireweed (Chamerion agustifolium) on Popof Island
Abundance of Fireweed on Popof Island

Rare and friendly sea otter spotted in waters off Saanich
[VIDEOS & PHOTOS] A rare and entertaining sea otter spotted along the shores of Saanich this week has locals thrilled, but wildlife experts warn to keep a distance.
Ten Mile Point, British Columbia, Canada
Times Colonist

Thousands of Caterpillars
8-10-14 Thousands of caterpillars - Lake Clark National Park, Alaska, USA
Lake Clark National Park, Alaska, United States

Northern Sea Nettle Jellyfish Die-Off
Northern sea nettle jellyfish die-off

BC Peace River Region - 2014 Drought
Dawson Creek, British Columbia, Canada

Northern Grasshoppers
The northern grasshoppers never been observer here before.
Teller, Alaska, United States

Unusual Spider
8-1-14 Unusual spider - Wales, Alaska, USA

Crab larvae wash ashore
7-29-14 Crab larvae wash ashore - Port Graham, Alaska, USA
Port Graham, Alaska

Longhorn Beetle (Monochamus scutellatus) Observed in Late July
A photo of a black unknown insect taken in late July.

Fuzzy Black Caterpillars
7-28-14 Furry black caterpillars - Nondalton Alaska, USA
Nondalton, Alaska

Summer Snow
7-27-14 Summer snow - Wasilla, Alaska, USA

Longhorn Beetle (Monochamus scutellatus)
Could invasive insect be an indicator of changing weather patterns?

Koyukok River Erosion
7-15-14 River erosion - Evansville, Alaska, USA
Evansville, Alaska, United States

Yellow Flowers Genus Arnica
7-14-14 Yellow flowers genus Arnica - Togiak, Alaska, USA

Abundant Bees and Berries
7-14-14 Abundant bees & berries - King Cove, Alaska, USA

Arctic Loon?
The bird is not commonly seen in the Teller area.
Teller, Alaska, United States

Dead Northern Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris)
7-10-14 Stranded sea otter - McDonald Spit, Alaska, USA
Seldovia, Alaska, USA

Early Blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum)
Early blueberries in Jakolof Bay, Alaska

Predaceous Diving Beetle (Cybister fimbriolatus) Larvae
Unusual insect observation approximately 2 1/2 inches in length and moved slowly, but had long strides.

Mystery Mite
Mystery mite

Bugs Swarm at 2017 Mount Marathon Race
The 2017 Mount Marathon races were run under cloudy skies and damp conditions. A man swats at bugs that swarmed at the top of Mount Marathon during the race Tuesday, July 4, 2017 in Seward.
Seward, Alaska, United States

Interesting moth
Interesting moth - One Tree Island, near Nondalton, Alaska, USA
Nondalton, Alaska, United States

Kelp Greenling (Hexagrammos decagrammus)
7-3-14 Kelp greenling - Golovin, Alaska, USA
Golovin, Alaska, USA

Warm spring results in high gas prices

Bright Green Bug
7-1-14 Bright green bug - Kongignak, Alaska, USA

Atka Mackerel (Pleurogrammus monopterygius) in Set-net Gear
Unknown fish species caught in set-net gear

Moth invasions cause widespread damage in the sub-arctic birch forest
In just seven years, as much as one-third of the mountain-birch forest in the North Calotte region was severely defoliated by two moth species. Researchers now have a better understanding of what happened.
North Calotte Region, Northern Fennoscandia
ScienceNordic

New Beaked Whale Species (Berardius)
New beaked whale species: Berardius
Saint George, Alaska, United States
Karin Holser, Joshua Prokopiof, Hertha Kashaverof, Aaron Merculief

Dead Spotted (Phoca largha) and Ringed (Pusa hispida) Seals
We are spotting dead baby 'spotted' and 'ringed' seals washing up on the beach with no signs of lesions or signs of gun shots.
Gay Sheffield, Olivia Lee, Robert Tokeinna, Hajo Eicken

Sick Cod
6-12-14 Sick Cod - Tununak, Alaska, USA
Tununak, Alaska, United States

Milbert's Tortoiseshell Caterpillar (Aglais milberti) Infestation
Milbert's tortoiseshell caterpillar infestation
Chalkyitsik, Alaska, United States
Tricia Wurtz, Jessie Moan, La'ona DeWilde

Thawing ATV Trail
Thawing all-terrain vehicle (ATV) trail.
Chuathbaluk, Alaska, United States

Abundant Herring Roe
Abundant herring roe, most ever seen during the low tide - Toksook Bay, Alaska, USA

Gravesite Erosion
Permafrost thaw and storms are drivers.
Jennifer Demir, Ryan Brubaker, Racheal Lee, Anahma Shannon, Mike Brubaker, Kendra Lee, Tom Wolforth

Pavlof Volcano Ash
Volcanic eruption in the Aleutian's.

Pavlof Volcano Eruption
6-2-14 Mt Pavlov volcano eruption - King Cove, Alaska, USA

Extreme Shore Erosion
Loss of shoreline and subsistence camps.

Unusually Cold and Snow
5-30-14 Unusually cold and snow - King Cove, Alaska, USA

Sea Lion (Eumetopias jubatus) Over-heated
This sea lion was seen for over an hour floating along the shore and holding one front and one back flipper in the air.

Early Salmonberry (Rubus chamaemorus) Blossoms
5-27-14 Early salmon berry blossoms - Toksook Bay, Alaska, USA

Growth on Broad Whitefish (C. nelsonii)
Fishing this spring and caught a broad whitefish that had a growth.
Selawik, Alaska. United States

High Spruce Pollen
5-25-14 High spruce pollen McDonald Spit, Alaska, USA

Low Lake Water
Dry conditions in Southcentral Alaska have resulted in low lake levels including here on the ANTHC campus

Pollen Makes for Poor Air Quality
5-19-14 Poor air quality - Anchorage Alaska, USA

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.

Pacific Herring Clupea pallasii Early
Hunters noticed some herring were starting to spawn near Cape Denbigh. The herring scheduled to arrive on May 25th, are over a week early.
Shaktoolik, Alaska, USA

Wildfire Smoke
Wildfire and smoke seen from Hatcher Pass, AK

Laysan albatross chicken die-off linked to Santa Ana winds
Laysan albatross chickens died from causes related to abnormal Santa Ana winds
Campamento Sur, Baja California, Mexico
Daniela Munguía, Julio Montoya, Yutzil Lora Cabrera

Spawning Marine Worms
Spawning marine Pileworms observed along shoreline.
Nikolski, Alaska, United States

High PSP Levels in Clams
4-30-14 High PSP levels in clams - King Cove, Alaska, USA

Dry April triggers fire warnings in Anchorage

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

Geometridae moth
4-27-14 Geometridae moth - Naknek, Alaska, USA
Naknek, Alaska, United States

Rare Brown Bear (Ursus arctos)
4-25-14 Rare brown bear visit - Bethel, Alaska, USA
Bethel, Alaska, Unites States

River Ice Treacherous
4-13-14 River ice treacherous - Bethel, Alaska, USA

Heavy snow kills at least 15,000 reindeer in northern Siberia
Animals cannot forage for lichen under the snow crust on the Yamal peninsula.
Salekhard, Yamalo-Nenetskiy Avtonomnyy Okrug, Russia

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.

Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta caradensis) with Elongated Bill
An intense bundle of energy at your feeder, Red-breasted Nuthatches are tiny, active birds of north woods and western mountains.

Finally Snow in Golovin
There has been a lack of snow in the Golovin area ever since the January 2014 warm spell.
Golovin, Alaska, United States

Laysan Albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis) Sighting
Rare Layson Albatross (*Phoebastria immutabilis*) sighting.

Mountain Snow and Ice Declining
Mount Sanford has been losing its ice cover for decades around its base.
Gakona, Alaska, United States

Advisory - Beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) Safety
3-5-14 Advisory - beluga safety
Point Hope, Alaska, United States

Ocean acidity wipes out 10 million scallops near Qualicum Beach
Ten million scallops that have died in the waters near Qualicum Beach due to rising ocean acidity are the latest victims in a series of marine die-offs that have plagued the West Coast for 10 years. . .
Island Scallops Ltd., Vancouver Island, Canada

Seasonal Change
2-25-14 Seasonal change - Nightmute, Alalska, USA
Nightmute, Alaska, USA

Climate Change Threatens the Future of the Winter Olympics
By mid century, past Olympic venues like Squaw Valley, California; Oslo, Norway; Chamonix, France; and—of course—Sochi, will be too warm to ever host the Winter Games again.
Sochi, Krasnodarskiy, Russia
National Geographic

Very Little Snow
2-20-14 Very little snow - Bethel, Alaska, USA

Windy, No Snow
2-17-14 Windy, no snow - Wasilla, Alaska, USA

Needle Fish with Lesions
Needle fish with lesions observed.
Chefornak, Alaska, United States

Early Fur Seals
This winter has been especially mild in the central Bering Sea and this is the earliest recorded fur seal on St. George Island ever.
St. George, Alaska, USA

Evidence of Sea Star Wasting Disease
Laguna Beach, California, United States

High PSP Levels in Clams
High PSP levels in clams near the end of the Aleutian Peninsula, Alaska.

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.

Heavy Rains and Flooding
Heavy rains and flooding.

Winter Break-up
Copper River largely open.
Cordova, Alaska, United States

Open Lake Water
1-28-14 Open lake water - Aleknagik, Alaska, USA
Aleknagik, Alaska, USA

Where is the Snow?
1-27-14 Where is the snow - St. Mary's Alaska, USA

Heavy Sea Ice
Heavy sea ice observed in southeast Alaska.

Bad Ice Disrupts Subsistence
1-26-14 Ice disrupts subsistence - Unalakleet, Alaska, USA

Dog ticks burrow into Alaska, plan to stay
Dr. Kimberlee Beckmen, the sole veterinarian with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, has investigated 48 tick infestations in the past three years. She’s found evidence that two exotic species are established and reproducing in Alaska.

Lack of Snow
1-24-14 Lake of snow - Nanwalek, Alaska, USA

Willows Budding in Winter
1-24-14 Winter plants blooming - Bethel, Alaska, USA

Coyote sighting
1-23-14 Coyote sighting - Shaktoolik, Alaska, USA
Shaktoolik, Alaska, USA

Mt. Alyeska closes due to unseasonable weather
Alyeska Ski Resort in Girdwood will not open for skiers and snowboarders Tuesday because of unseasonably warm temperatures and severe weather, according to a post on the resort's Facebook page.
Girdwood, Alaska, United States

Finally snow - then rain
1-20-14 Snow then rain - Shaktoolik, Alaska, USA
Shaktoolik, Alaska, USA

High winds, rain, flooding in Anchorage
A band of wet, warm weather barreled into Southcentral Alaska on Friday and stirred up an odd blend of high winds, slushy roads and even rainbow sightings.

Loss of Fuel Header Due to Coastal Erosion
Fuel headers leading to bulk fuel farm out of service due to coastal erosion.

No Sea Ice
No sea ice alone the northside of the Alaska Peninsula.

Where is the Snow?
1-3-14 Where is the snow - Solomon, Alaska, USA
Solomon, Alaska, United States

Dead Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus)
Dead walrus observed while assessing for coastal erosion.
Port Heiden. Alaska, United States

Wind Blew Out the Ice
12-19-13 Wind blew out the ice - Elim, Alaska, USA
Elim, Alaska, United States

With warm December winds, shaken faith in Arctic weather
Folks here are famous for being able to handle the cold, but anything wet in December has always made us nervous. Especially wet falling from the sky. Lately, weather, our favorite nemesis, has broken the rules. Our confidence in the most-trustworthy feature of the Arctic -- winter -- has been wounded.

Unusually Warm
Unusually warm weather in Port Heiden.

Unseasonal Warm Winter
12-7-13 Unseasonably warm weather - Quinhagak, Alaska USA
Quinhagak, Alaska, United States

Unusual winter flooding of Anchorage homes
Chester Creek overflowed its banks Tuesday, sending cold water into the basements and crawl spaces of a handful of homes near Valley of the Moon Park.

Vermonts bumble bee populations declining
Three of the 15 bumble bee species found in Vermont are thought to be extinct and at least one other species is in decline.
Norwich, Vermont, United States
VTDigger

Delayed Winter In Nondalton
11-30-13 Delayed winter - Nondalton, Alaska, USA

Advisory - Avian cholera
Hundreds of birds washed up on the shores of St. Lawrence Island.
St. Lawrence Island, Alaska, USA

Persistent High PSP Levels
Persistently high levels of PSP recorded in the Shumagin Islands.

Starvation killed 80,000 reindeer after unusual Arctic rains cut off the animals’ food supply
Sixty-one thousand reindeer starved to death in the northwestern reaches of the Russian tundra in November 2013 in the largest recorded mortality event of its kind.
Ямало-Ненецкий АО, Russia

Weather Effects Caribou Migration and Season
11-11-13 Weather effects caribou migration and season - Barrow, Alaska, USA
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States

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

Storm Damage
Series of storms contribute to flooding, erosion, infrastructure damage.

High PSP levels in clams
11-7-13 High PSP levels in clams - King Cove, Alaska, USA
King Cove, Alaska, Unites States

Dead Seabirds
11-6-13 Dead seabirds - Nanwalek, Alaska. USA

Alaska farmers scramble for hay
A one-two punch of mid-May snow followed by a six-week drought cut the supply of Alaska-grown hay from Homer to Fairbanks by a third to a half, state Division of Agriculture officials say.

Ice Fishing Hazardous
11-4-13 Ice fishing hazardous - Golovin, Alaska, USA

Krill Die-off
11-1-13 Krill die-off - Metlakatla, Alaska, USA
Metlakatla, Alaska, United States

Boats Still on the River
11-1-13 Boats still on the river - Koyukuk, Alaska, USA
Koyukuk, Alaska, United States

Warm and Wet Halloween
Anchorage is having the warmest October on record with an average temperature of 43 degrees. That will beat the record set in 1936 and residents are remarking on the novelty of having green grass and rain on Halloween.

106 mph winds knock out power in Anchorage
A windstorm pounded parts of Southcentral Alaska early Monday, knocking down trees and cutting off power for thousands of people from the Matanuska Valley to the Kenai Peninsula.

Warm weather delays subsistence
10-24-13 Warm weather delays subsistence - Shaktoolik, Alaska, USA

Mussel Roe Fouls Fishing Gear
Salmon and crab gear seeing an incredible increase in mussel roe and slime.

Sinkhole Appears Along Road
Sinkhole appears along road
Quinhagak, Alaska, United States

Hairless Seal
10-19-13 Hairless seal - Shishmaref, Alaska, USA

No Ice Fishing Yet
10-17-13 No ice fishing yet - Shishmaref, Alaska, USA

Too Wet for Food Preserving
10-15 13 Too wet for food preservation - Elim, Alaska, USA
Elim, Alaska, United States

Sewage Lagoon Vulnerable - Coastal Erosion
Coastal erosion potential threat to community sewage lagoon.
Quinhagak, Alaska, United States

Skin Illness on Whitefish (Coregonus nelsonii)
10-13-13 Skin illness on whitefish (Coregonus nelsonii)
Nuiqsut, Alaska, United States

Sink hole damages airport
The runway, built in 1958, is over-top of permafrost and frozen soils.
Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada

Bluff erosion
9-24-13 Bluff erosion - St. Michael, Alaska
St. Michael, Alaska, USA

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

Stickleback Fish Kill
9-14-13 Stickle-back fish kill - Lake Illiamna, Alaska, USA
Lake Illiamna, Alaska, United States

Anchorage ties record for most consecutive rainy days
Rain overnight in Anchorage pushed the number of consecutive rainy days in the city to 18 -- tying a record set in September 1919, the National Weather Service reports.

Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
On my way home for a lunch break, I noticed a different type of bird that I have ever seen before.

Unusual Spider
9-11-13 Unusual spider - Chignik, Lagoon, Alaska, USA
Chignik Lagoon, Alaska, United States

Great Year for Mushrooms
This has been a great year for the mushrooms

Caribou Delayed
9-5-13 Caribou delayed - Kiana, Alaska, USA
Kiana, Alaska, United States

Abundant Berries
The blueberries are so ripe now that the best time to pick those are late morning while they are chilled down and the leaves are not so moist, otherwise they fall easily or squish in your fingers.
Kiana, Alaska, United States

Salmon Die-off
Thousands of varied salmon species reported dead at Klawock River.
Klawock, Alaska, United States

Spotted Tussock (Lophocampa maculata) Moth Caterpillars
8-20-13 Arctiid moth caterpillars, Kake, Alaska, USA
Kake, Alaska, United States

Unknown Caterpillar
Unknown caterpillar observed
Naknek, Alaska, United States

Growth in Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch)
8-12-13 Growth in coho salmon - Hydaburg, Alaska, USA
Hydaburg, Alaska, United States

Long-horned Beetle (Monochamus scutellatus)
8-11-13 Long horned beetle - Pitkas Point, Alaska, USA
Pitkas Point, Alaska, United States

Muddy River Raises Salmon Concerns
Thawing permafrost and river bank collapsed on the Cheenik Creek.

Swallowtail (Papilio canadensis) Butterfly Caterpillar
Canadian Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio canadensis) butterfly caterpillar

Abundant Salmon Berries (Vaccinium ovalifolium)
The past couple of years there haven't been a lot to pick.

Predaceous Diving Beetle (Cybister fimbriolatus)
Predaceous diving beetle

Dozens of dead caribou found on remote Nunavut island
When a scientist went to an uninhabited island in Nunavut to set up a research station he stumbled across something else: dozens of dead caribou.
Prince Charles Island, Nunavut, Canada

Extreme heat wave shrinks Sweden's tallest peak by 13 feet in a month
Kebnekaise mountain in Sweden will no longer be the tallest in the country as the glacier on its highest peak melts rapidly in an unprecedented heat wave.
Kebnekaise Mountain Peak, Sweden
NBC News

Alaska heat wave: Anchorage sets record for most consecutive 70-degree days
On Monday, Anchorage reached the 70-degree threshold for a record 14th straight day, breaking 2004's record of 13.

Tadpole Shrimp at Swimming Hole
7-26-13 Tadpole shrimp at swimming hole
Russian Mission, Alaska, United States

Invasive Fall Dandelion
7-25-13 Invasive dandelion - Levelock, Alaska, USA
Levelock, Alaska, Unites States

More Salmonberries (Rubus chamaemorus)
7-24-13 More salmon berries - Nondalton, Alaska, USA

Horntail wood wasp
7-23-13 Horntail wood wasp - Selawik, Alaska,
Selawik, Alaska, USA

Heat illness
7-22-13 Heat illness - Nondalton, Alaska, USA
Nondalton, Alaska, USA

Tiger Moth (Arctia caja)
7-21-13 Tiger moth - St. Mary's, Alaska, USA
St. Mary's Alaska, United States

Lots of Mosquitoes (Culicidae)
Mosquito populations are way up in Southcentral Alaska this year. Extremely high numbers are also reported from interior Alaska.
Interior of Alaska, United States

Crane Fly (Tipula oleraceaa) Adult Sighted
Crane fly adult

Red Phytoplankton Bloom
7-11-13 Red phytoplankton bloom - Jakolof Bay, Alaska, USA
Jakalof Bay, Alaska, United States
Kris Holderied, Dean Stockwell, Mike Brubaker

Road Washout
There were extreme rain events in September of 2012 that caused landslides, erosion and ultimately blockage of a culvert over Jakolof Creek.
Jakolof River, Alaska, United States

Risky Ice Conditions for Whaling
6-26-13 Risky ice conditions for whaling - Barrow, Alaska, USA
Utqiagvik, Alaska, United States

Unusual Lightning
Residents were amazed to see lightning actually arching down to the ground.
Atqasuk, Alaska, United States

Extreme Temperatures
6-19-13 Extreme temperature Bethel, Alaska, USA

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

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.

Bald Eagle with Facial Abnormality
6-6-13 Bald eagle with facial abnormality. King Salmon, Alaska, USA
King Salmon, Alaska, United States

Ice dam break suspected as cause of Rabbit Creek flooding
Rabbit Creek jumped its banks Friday morning on the Anchorage Hillside, washing over a bridge and prompting police to knock on doors asking people inside to evacuate.

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.

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

Strange bug
6-10-13 Strange bug - Anchorage, Alaska, USA
Anchorage, Alaska, USA

Low River Level
6-8-13 Low water level - Shaktoolik, Alaska, USA

Risky Ice for Whaling
6-5-13 Risky ice for whaling - Barrow, Alaska, USA
Utqiagvik, Alaska, United States

Erosion Disrupts Swallows
6-3-13 Erosion disrupts swallows - Evansville, Alaska, USA
Evansville, Alaska, United States

Low Number of Birds
6-2-13 Low number of birds - Golovin, Alaska, USA

Invasive Crawfish on Nose Creek
Airdrie, Alberta, Canada

First Horned Grebes Settle in Reykjavík Pond
Two horned grebes have settled in Reykjavík Pond in the city centre, RÚV reports. It is the first time the species is found nesting at the location. At the turn of the century, the horned grebe population was placed on a watchlist due to its decline, but it seems to have made a recovery since. […]
Hafnarfjordur, Capital Region, Iceland
Iceland Review

Leopard Slug (Limax maximus)
For a couple years, Sand Point residents have observed an increasing number of the non-native leopard slug.

Another record-setting year for snowfall
For the second year in a row, the Anchorage area set a new snowfall record. This year it wasn’t the amount of fluffy stuff that went down in the history books — last year Anchorage had more than 11 feet — but the days between the first and last snowfall.
The Alaska Star

Poor Sea Ice - Our Sea Garden
The sea is our garden for food and other things.

Longest Snow Season Ever
There were 231 days between the first and last measurable snow fall in the Anchorage region this year. Temperatures have also been significantly below average.

Volcanic Ash Fall
5-21-13 Volcanic ash fall - Sand Point, Alaska, USA

Flooding Kobuk River
5-30-13 Flooding Kobuk River - Kobuk, Alaska, USA
Kobuk, Alaska, United States

Late Winter Storm
We are having an unseasonable snow storm in southcentral Alaska.

Spruce Aphid (Elatobium abietinum) Infestation
5-15-13 Spruce aphid infestation Kake, Alaska, USA

Unusual Moose Sighting
It's not common to see animals of any kind, including moose, in the community of Pitkas Point.
Pitkas Point, Alaska, USA

PSP Levels Rising
5-1-13 PSP levels rising - Old Harbor, Alaska, USA
Old Harbor, Alaska, United States

Cold Arrival for Canada Geese
4-23-13 Cold arrival for Canada geese - Anchorage, Alaska, USA

Wolf (Canis lupus) Roaming City
4-22-13 wolf roaming city - Anchorage, Alaska, USA

Unseasonable Chum Salmon (Oncorhynchus keta)
4-21-13 Unseasonable chum salmon - St. Mary's, Alaska, USA
St. Marys, Alaska, United States

Early Brown Bear (Ursus arctos)
4-21-13 Early brown bear - Pedro Bay, Alaska, USA
Pedro Bay, Alaska, United States

Sick Spotted Seal (Phoca largha)
Local hunter reported that he had caught a spotted seal that he thought was sick.
Eek, Alaska, United States

Herders caught between cashmere and climate change
Batogoo Dorj is a nomad in southern Mongolia’s Bayankhongor Region who makes his living raising cashmere goats. Each spring, Dorj can shear about 300 grams of the valuable, downy wool from each of his 350 goats. Those voracious and sharp-hoofed animals are contributing to the desertification and climate change that is reducing Mongolia’s available grazing land.
Баянхонгор, Bayanhongor, Mongolia
The UB Post

Bloom Turns Beach Orange
A mystery bloom brightens up local beach.
Annette Islands, Alaska, United States

Could Alaska's mystery seal illness be Arctic sunburn?
An Alaska scientist challenges the so-called “unexplained” lesions and deaths observed among Arctic sea life in 2011 and 2012.
Arctic Coast of Alaska

Buggy ptarmigan
3-13-13 Buggy ptarmigan - Noatak, Alaska, USA
Noatak, Alaska, USA

Storm Disrupts Transportation
Severe storms wreak havoc to a Bering Sea community; the following weather conditions contributed to flooding, disrupting transportation routes, electrical transformers and seepage into local water wells.

Changing Sea Ice
3-5-13 Changing sea ice - Unalakleet, Alaska, USA

Many Wolf (Canis lubus) Sightings
2-2-13 Many wolf sightings - Togiak, Alaska, USA
Togiak, Alaska, USA

Winter Black Bear (Ursus americanus)
Black bears are not normally seen during this time of the year.

Wolf (Canis lupus) Sighting Causes Concern
St. Marys residents concerned about possible interactions
St. Marys, Alaska, USA

Winter Brown Bear (Ursus arctos)
1-17-13 Winter brown bear - St Marys, Alaska, USA
St. Marys, Alaska, United States

Creeks Choked by Ice
There is a lot of overflow and flooding happening in Anchorage area streams, as a result of the recent record rain fall.

Avalanche closes road
The avalanche north of Girdwood affected three lanes of traffic for several hours. Delays are expected Tuesday morning as crews attempt to thwart additional slides.
Girdwood, Alaska, United States

Drivers battle wet, icy roads and floods
Much of the state became one heck of an ice rink over the weekend, with temperatures spiking into the 40s in much of Southcentral Alaska and thawing reported as far north as Fairbanks.
Alaska Dispatch

Winter Brown Bear (Ursus arctos)
A rare sighting to observe a brown bear in January.
Port Heiden Alaska, United States

Bearded seal
Niigata, Niigata, Japan

Ringed Seal
Ōfunato, Iwate, Japan

Poor Sea Ice Changes Hunt
Lack of sea ice affects seal hunting.

Lots of Earthquakes
Increasing number of seismic events.
Ketchikan, Alaska, United States

Windy winter good for wind generation
Fire Island is producing more than expected for this time of year according to Ethan Schutt, senior vice president of land and development for Cook Inlet Region, Inc. (CIRI) the Alaska Native corporation that operates the wind farm. So far about 17,000 megawatt hours have been produced, enough to power roughly 6,500 Southcentral homes each month.
Alaska Dispatch

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

Weather Shifting Sea Ice Flow
Unusual weather patterns are pushing the sea ice away from the coast.

Freezing Waterlines
12-21-12 Freezing waterlines - Evansville, Alaska, USA

Jumbo Flying Squid Pile Up On Calif. Beach
Rio Del Mar, California, United States
ABC News

Hundreds of Humboldt squid wash up on Aptos area beaches
Rio Del Mar, California, United States
Santa Cruz Sentinel

Water Shortage
12-6-12 Water shortage - Nanwalek, Alaska, USA

Still No Snow or Yukon River Ice
11-27-12 Still no snow or Yukon ice - Fort Yukon, Alaska, USA
Fort Yukon Alaska, United States

Lake Froze Weird
Aleknagik, November 26, 2012 (ice) Our lake froze weird again this year.
Aleknagik, Alaska, United States

Birch Shieldbug (Elasmostethus interstinctus) in November?
Birch shieldbug found in Wasilla home in November.

Air Pockets in River Ice
11-21-12 Air pockets in river ice - St. Marys, Alaska, USA

Snow Well Below Normal
Half of what we usually have this time of year.

Anchorage Snow Totals Well Below Average
November is usually the second snowiest month in Anchorage, but this year, snow totals are well below average. So far, only about three inches of snow has fallen in the city. November usually sees an average of seven inches by now, with a total of a little more than 13 inches for the month. National Weather Service Meteorologist Dave Snider says total snowfall for the season is also well below normal.

No Snow on the Seward Peninsula
Despite the time of year, there is still no snow on the Seward Peninsula.

Late Snow Fall
Late snow seasonal snow fall
Koyukuk, Alaska, United States

Late Salmon Run
11-1-12 Late salmon run - Fort Yukon, Alaska, USA
Fort Yukon, Alaska, United States

Road dust
Road dust is unhealthy.
Kalskag, Alaska, United States
Sharay Alexie, Billy Jean Stewart, Cathy Wasuli

Natural Gas Vent
On a rising tide, a line of bubbles from the mud under the water of Ugashik Bay can be observed rising forcefully to the surface.
Pilot Point, Alaska, United States
Mike Brubaker, Jennifer Skrada, Nikki Shanigan, Katey Walter Anthony

Worms (Splendidofilaria pectoralis) in Grouse and Ptarmigan
Species of nematode *Splendidofilaria pectoralis* has been described in blue grouse (Dendragapus obscurus pallidus) in British Columbia, but never as far north and west as Unalakleet.
Victoria Kotongan, Caroline Van Hemert, Todd O'Hara

B.C.'s Cowichan River in danger of drying up
Duncan, British Columbia, Canada

Brown Bears (Ursus arctos) in the Arctic
Brown bears spotted by a resident for the first time on the island of Shishmaref.

River Erosion on the Yukon Flats
Yukon Flats community dealing with river erosion and landscape changes that are threatening the loss of traditional harvesting areas.
Fort Yukon, Alaska, United States

More Brown Bears (Ursus arctos)
10-1-12 More brown bears - Koyukuk, Alaska, USA

Thawing and Eroding Trail
Permafrost thaw is causing trail in Golovin to erode.

Damage to ATV Bridge
Permafrost thawing causing bridge damage.
Selawik, Alaska, United States

Extreme Rain & Flooding
9-21-12 Extreme rain and flooding - Wasilla, Alaska, USA

2nd Major Wind Storm Hits Anchorage
A second major wind storm in less than two weeks swept through Alaska's largest city on Sunday, but unlike the earlier storm, its greatest intensity was mostly on higher elevations where gusts as high as 120 mph were reported, weather forecasters said.
The Weather Channel

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

Water Red in Harbor (Algae)
Red-colored seawater in boat harbor.

Spruce Bark Beetle
We are worried about the effects of large infestation and about wildlife.
Fort Yukon, Alaska, United States

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

Windfall Tree Devastation
The winds came east out of the Chugach Mountains and caused damage to forest, unlike anything we have seen in over 50 years. It is going to be expensive and time consuming to clear the windfall.

Windfall creates flood hazard
9-5-12 Windfall causes flood hazard - Anchorage, Alaska, USA

Unusual Skate Found on Arctic Beach
9-13-12 Unusual skate on Arctic beach - Barrow, Alaska, USA

Heat lightning
9-1-12 Heat lightning - Kiska Island, Alaska, USA
Kiska Island, Alaska, USA

Rusty Tussock Moth Caterpillar
Potential problem for local trees, berry bushes and other plants.

Dead Beluga Whale (Delphinapterus leucas)
At Moses Point, Northeast of Elim, we found a dead beluga whale.

Lynx in high Arctic
8-24-12 Lynx in high Arctic - Barrow, Alaska, USA

Dead Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)
Our concern has to do with the impact and number of dead whales that might have on our subsistence lifestyle. It is unusual to find so many dead whales.
Old Harbor, Alaska, United States

Brace yourselves, winter is coming
This summer has been one of the rainiest Ulaanbaatar has ever experienced, leaving behind puddles of water that result in cracked and deteriorated roads.
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Birch trees and bird vetch prompt slew of questions in Interior Alaska
There has been an outbreak in Fairbanks of the amber-marked birch leaf miner (Profenusa thomsoni), an insect that came to North America in the early 1900s and arrived in Fairbanks by about 2002.
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
Steven Seefeldt / Cooperative Extension Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Dead Baby Belugas (Delphinapterus leucas)
Several sightings of dead baby belugas were reported on the shores of the community and in the area over the past few days.

High Water on the Kobuk River
A normal daily river level here is about 46', so we are nearly eight (8') feet above normal.

Extreme High Water on Noatak River
Extremely high water on the Noatak
Noatak, Alaska, United States

Extreme Rain and Flooding
It has been raining nonstop the entire month of August

Bird experts aflutter over drop in rufous hummingbird numbers
The number of rufous hummingbirds visiting southern Vancouver Island over the summer is dropping and the cause may be climate change, says a local bird expert.
Central Saanich, British Columbia, Canada

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

Dead Grey Whale
8-7-12 Dead grey whale - Nome, Alaska, USA

Tundra Slipping Below Sea Level
Melting permafrost causing tundra to slip below sea level in northern Alaska.
North Slope, Alaska, United States

N.W.T. bison anthrax outbreak largest ever in territory
So far approximately 340 bison have died from an anthrax outbreak in the Fort Providence area of the N.W.T.
Fort Providence, Northwest Territories, Canada

Dead Whale
Two dead marine mammals--a fur seal and a whale.
St. George, Alaska, United States

Sucker Fish (Catostomus catostomus)
First time seeing a sucker fish in the Lower Yukon River.

Eroding Bluff Threatens Road
Eroding bluff threatens community transportation access.
Chevak, Alaska, USA

Sunken Vessel Spill
Sunken vessel leads to petroleum spill.

Great Gardening
7-19-12 Great gardening - Anchorage, Alaska, USA

Unusual eel-like fish
7-12-12 Eel-like fish - Kivalina, Alaska, USA

Parasite causing problems for B.C. salmon farmers
Some B.C.-farmed salmon is reaching store shelves with a parasite that can liquefy the fish’s flesh into an unappetizing goop.
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
CTVNews

Barnacle decline
7-3-12 Barnacle decline - McDonald Spit, Alaska, USA
McDonald Spit, Alaska, USA

Longnose Skate (Raja rihina)
An unusual skeleton of a fish was found on the tide line in Kasitsna Bay.
Kasitsna Bay, Alaska, United States

Non-stinging Wasp (Cynipoidea) Larva
Non-sting wasp (cynipoidea) larva
Slana, Alaska, United States

Three dead whales
6-22-12 Three dead whales - Old Harbor, Alaska, USA
Old Harbor, Alaska, USA

Petroleum Smell in Chum Salmon (Oncorhynchus keta)
6-20-12 Petroleum smell in chum salmon - Chevak, Alaska, USA
Chevak, Alaska, United States

Pacific sleeper shark
6-20-12 Pacific sleeper shark - King Cove, Alaska, USA
King Cove, Alaska, USA

Heat wave across Interior
6-17-12 Heat wave across Interior - Galena, Alaska, USA
Galena, Alaska, United States

Changing Plant Conditions
More leaf miners this year, less blue berry blossoms, but more cranberry.

Ice Departure Delayed
Sea ice conditions making it difficult for community to harvest seasonal fish.

Weird Orange Bug
6-12-12 Weird orange bug - Pilot Point, Alaska, USA
Pilot Point, Alaska, United States

Unusual Bearded Seal (Erignathus barbatus)
5-29-12 Unusual bearded seal - Shishmaref, Alaska, USA

In Nicoya Gulf, the deadly red tide lingers
Since early February, the gulf, and beaches and islands surrounding it, have been in the throes of one of the worst blooms of red tide in recent years.
Paquera, Puntarenas, Costa Rica
The Tico Times | Costa Rica News | Travel | Real Estate

Buckland River Floods Dumpsite
5-23-12 Buckland River floods dumpsite - Buckland, Alaska, USA.
Buckland, Alaska, USA

Ringed Seal (Phoca hispida) with Sores
Ringed seal with sores found in Shishmaref.

Invasive snakehead fish found in B.C. park lagoon
Voracious predator could be big threat to native aquatic populations
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
The Globe and Mail

Wolves and Bear around the Dump
Wolves and bears rummaging around the dump.

River Bank Erosion
Erosion on the banks of the Koyukuk River is increasing in the community of Evansville and Bettles.

Windfall trees an obstacle
Wind fall trees an obstacle
Gakona, Alaska, United States

Kuskokwim River flooding
Kuskokwim River flooding causes concern in community
Lower Kalskag, Alaska, USA

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug
Brown marmorated stink bug
Corlene Rose, Honey Lou Wilson, Mike Rasy

Deer with Hair Loss
Sitka black-tailed deer (*Odocoileus hemionus sitkensis*) seen with large amount of hair loss.
Hollis, Alaska, Unites States

Seal with Hair Loss
Seal with hair loss observed in Bering Strait region

4-25-12 Unseasonably warm - Evansville, Alaska, USA

Anchorage, Alaska sets new snow record
To say Alaska has been snowy this winter is an understatement. Anchorage broke a 57 year old snowfall record Saturday when a storm produced 4.3 inches of snow on Saturday, April 7, 2012.
EarthSky

Fur loss, oozing sores observed in Arctic Alaska polar bears
Polar bear researchers with the U.S. Geological Survey are only halfway into their annual survey in Alaska and they've already come across nine bears – six in Barrow and 3 in Kaktovik – with signs of alopecia and skin lesions. The muzzle, face, eyes, ears and neck appear most affected, according to a bulletin published Friday by the agency.
Kaktovik, Alaska, United States

Fur loss, oozing sores observed in Arctic Alaska polar bears
The Far North's iconic polar bear appears to have joined the list of Arctic species afflicted with a mystery illness that causes hair loss, lesions and oozing sores. Six in Barrow and three in Kaktovik.

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.

3,000 dolphins found dead on the coast of Peru
According to a report from Peru 21, local fishermen in Lambayeque, north Peru, were first to notice the inexplicable rise in dead dolphin appearing on shore -- averaging roughly 30 per day.
Peru
TreeHugger

Polar bears with skin illness

Aleutian Avalanche
3-20-12 Aleutian avalanche - Akutan, Alaska, USA
Akutan, Alaska, United States

Unusually large ice formation next to highway
The ice formation along the Seward Highway grabbed my interest because it stood out and was rather unusual.
LEO Network

Ice formation on cliffs
3-17-12 Ice formation on cliffs - Anchorage, Alaska, USA
Anchorage, Alaska, USA

Barnacles Declining
3-9-12 Barnacles declining - Nanwalek, Alaska, USA
Nanwalek, Alaska, USA

Ringed seal
Abashiri, Hokkaido, Japan

Pressure ice ridges
2-22-12 Pressure ice ridges "Vuneqs" - Kwigillingok, Alaska, USA
Kwigillingok, Alaska, USA

Square-legged Camel Cricket (Tropidischia xanthostoma)
We found an unusual looking spider or insect.

Bearded seal
Tayport, Scotland, United Kingdom

Spotted seal
Kushiro, Hokkaido, Japan

Spotted seal
Funabashi, Chiba, Japan

Ribbon seal
Kushiro, Hokkaido, Japan

Late Freeze-up
Late freeze-up of sea ice along the shoreline

Anchorage Residents Push for Water Protections in Title 21
I was home with my kids. They were on Christmas break. And I went to turn on the faucet in the morning to get things ready for breakfast and air came out of the faucet Glottfelty said. The water started flowing normally again after a few days. But after asking around the neighborhood, Glottfelty found out that many of her neighbors, connected to the same aquifer as a nearby church well had similar problems that day – in all, six wells were drained, she says, and one went permanently dry.

Harp seals

Community Water Distribution System Freeze Up
We performed a survey of community water lines to see how permafrost thaw and sinking foundations may be impacting homes, water and waste water systems. During the June visit we saw where foundation sinking was putting stress on pipe runs and junctions. Now in the winter we see evidence of freeze up in some of the homes where the junction boxes have been compromised, gaps in the insulation seal, and resulting freeze up and overflow of water.
Selawik, Alaska, United States
Tanya Ballot, John Warren, Mike Brubaker, Prithviraj Chavan

North Pacific 'super storm' makes its way toward Western Alaska coastline
The National Weather Service predicted one of the largest storms on record blasting up the Bering Sea coast. Could this be the first Arctic hurricane?

Ringed seal
Wrangel Island, Chukotka, Russia

Sick ringed seal

Sick Elephant Seal (Mirounga leonina)

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

Ringed Seal Mortality

Ringed seal stranding and mortality
Point Hope, Alaska, United States

Walruses suffer from similar disease afflicting Alaska ringed seals
Pacific walruses are beaching on Northwest Alaska shores, peppered with bleeding skin legions that have been observed on dying ringed seals in Arctic Alaska, according to federal biologists.
Point Lay, Alaska, United States

Stranded ringed seals
Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, United States

Mysterious disease killed scores of seals in Alaska
A mysterious disease, possibly a virus, has afflicted ring seals along Alaska's coast, killing scores of them since July, local and federal agencies said on Thursday.
Barrow, Alaska, United States
REUTERS

Mysterious disease takes toll on ringed seals in Alaska Arctic
Biologists are trying to determine what's ailing ringed seals that live off Alaska's Arctic coast. Scores of seals stranded on beaches this summer appeared to have skin lesions, and dozens have died.

Sick Ringed Seal

Stranded Ringed Seal (Phoca hispida)

Sick Ringed Seal (Phoca hispida)

Ringed seal stranding

The Mystery Rust of Kivalina, Alaska
Last month a mysterious orange film ("goo" in the media vernacular) washed up on the shores of a northwest Alaskan village called Kivalina. An orange powder seems an odd product for the drying of crustacean eggs, but could make perfect sense for fungi -- specifically, the rust fungi.
Scientific American Blog Network

Ringed Seal (Phoca hispida) Mortality
Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories, Canada

Seal stranding and mortality

Ice seal mortality
Clyde River, Nunavut, Canada

Ice seal mortality

Ice seal mortality
Hooper Bay, Alaska, United States

Walrus with skin illness
Point Lay, Alaska, United States

Ringed seal mortality
Uelen, Chukotskiy Avtonomnyy Okrug, Russia

Stranded seal

Ringed seal mortality

Ringed seal mortality
Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, United States

Ice Seal Mortality
Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, United States

Orange gunk found near remote Alaska village identified
Scientists have identified an orange-colored gunk that appeared along the shore of a remote Alaska village as millions of microscopic eggs filled with fatty droplets.
msnbc.com

Ringed Seal Mortality
Wainwright, Alaska, United States

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.

Stranded ringed seals
Gambell, Alaska, United States

What caused an Arctic river to run red?
Ruben Henry won't ever forget the day the Chandalar River ran red along the banks of Arctic Village. It was the talk of the tight-knit, Brooks Range town, and no one had could remember it ever happening before.
Arctic Village, Alaska, United States

Uruguay trying to determine the death cause of 600 Magellan penguins
Authorities in Uruguay say they have found about 600 dead penguins washed up on the Atlantic coast since Saturday. Experts are trying to determine what has killed the sea birds.
Piriápolis, Maldonado, Uruguay
MercoPress

Ringed seals
Lorino, Chukotskiy Avtonomnyy Okrug, Russia

Bearded Seal (Erignathus barbatus)
Orkney, Scotland, United Kingdom

Bugs on Geese
Beetles seen moving around on geese
Wainwright, Alaska, United States
Jessie Moan, Linda Agnasagga, Heather Dingman

Seal Pup Found near Port Heiden
Unknown seal pup found near Port Heiden.

Pesky insects should not pose a problem to homeowners until late summer
Newark, Delaware, United States
UDaily

Alaska musk oxen found frozen in ice
Thirty-two musk oxen carcasses were found March 15 by scientists who had been studying them. The animals were dead and entombed in ice. The belief is that the musk oxen either drowned during a February thaw or became trapped in water and died after it froze.

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

Dead seals mystery not solved by scientists' tests
Scientists say they've been unable to solve the mystery of dead seals that washed ashore in Labrador between December and January.

Seals are shedding
Arviat, Nunavut

Ringed Seals (Phoca hispida) & Spotted Seals (Phoca largha)
Anadyr, Chukotskiy Avtonomnyy Okrug, Russia

Ringed seals
Anadyr, Chukotskiy Avtonomnyy Okrug, Russia

Dead Seals
Sanikiluaq, Nunavut

Strange seal behavior
Chesterfield Inlet, Nunavut

Shell shock - thousands of Ninilchik clams wash up on beach in unusual die-off
A winter storm lashed the sandy beaches at the mouth of the Ninilchik River with ferocious waves, powerful enough to uproot thousands of razor clams.
Ninilchik, Alaska, United States
Redoubt Reporter

Strange seal behavior
Churchill Manitoba

Sick seals

Sick Seals
Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, Canada

Sick Seals
Coral Harbor, Nunavut, Canada

Troubling Decline in Caribou Herds of the Arctic
Across the Far North, populations of caribou — an indispensable source of food and clothing for indigenous people — are in steep decline. Scientists point to rising temperatures and a resource-development boom as the prime culprits.
Sachs Harbour, Northwest Territories, Canada

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

Wildfires burn in the Cariboo
Alexandria, British Columbia, Canada

Matanuska River erosion threatens more homes
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Swollen with recent rains, the Matanuska River has launched another erosive assault on properties along its banks. But unlike previous years, when the river attacked properties downstream,
Matanuska River, Alaska, United States
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Permafrost Thaw Threatens Ice Cellars
Arctic food storage system at risk.
Point Hope, Alaska, United States
Jacob Bell, Ryan Brubaker, Mike Brubaker

Erosion to Dump and Water Plant
Noatak, Alaska, United States

Squid invasion hitting Oregon coast and scientists are concerned, but could there be a silver lining?
Newport, Oregon, United States
OregonLive.com

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

Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster) off Southern Vancouver Island, Canada
Sooke, British Columbia, Canada

Giant squid caught in West Seattle
Seacrest Boathouse Pier, West Seattle, Washington, United States
King 5 News

Jumbo squid invade San Diego shores, spook divers
La Jolla, California, United States
The Christian Science Monitor

Brown Pelicans In BC Waters
Two Brown Pelicans were spotted off the Discovery Islands near Victoria on May 12. This species of pelican is familiar to anyone who has travelled to the beaches of Mexico, Caribbean or southern USA.
Discovery Island, Oak Bay, British Columbia, Canada
Vancouver Sun

Invasion of the Eurasian Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
In the past four years or so, a new species of bird has arrived in British Columbia. The Eurasian collared dove is an attractive bird sporting pale grey plumage with a thin black ‘collar’ of feathers around its hind neck.
British Columbia, Canada
Vancouver Sun

Pike wiped out in Cheney Lake; stand by for return of trout
Anchorage anglers got good news this week when Fish and Game reported that pesticide applied to Cheney Lake last October in an effort to wipe out invasive northern pike appears to have worked.

First Elephant Seal Born at Race Rocks
Ryan has observed a lot of aggression on the part of the young male which had previously been named Misery by Mike Slater. The baby was born beside the helicopter pad, and has spent the first day t…
Race Rocks Ecological Reserve, British Columbia, Canada
Race Rocks Ecological Reserve- Marine mammals, seabirds

Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) swallowing sand and pebbles
I observed some of the sea lions scooping up small rocks and sand (mostly shell carbonates) and swallowing them.
Hornby Island, 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

Unusual species of kelp (Aureophycus) identified
Twenty-five students in the Pribilof Island Marine Science Camp have discovered the second-known population of a new species.

Mountain Lion (Puma concolor) in Interior Alaska
Mountain lion sighting on the Chandalar River
Venetie, Alaska, United States

Alaska salmon may bear scars of global warming
With a sickening thud, another hefty and handsome salmon lands in the waste barrel, headed for the dogs .
Tanana, Alaska, United States
latimes.com

Dead penguins and oil covered found on Uruguayan beaches
Dozens of dead penguins and others alive but with traces of oil appeared over the weekend along the east of Uruguay according to a marine life conservation non government organization.
El Delta del Río de la Plata
MercoPress

Potentially toxic algae blooms hit Interior B.C. lakes
Some residents in B.C.'s Central Interior are being told to avoid drinking or bathing in their tap water following an outbreak of potentially toxic algae blooms.
Tashick Lake, Vanderhoof, BC

Tornado spotted in south Iceland
A tornado, which is a very rare sight in Iceland, was spotted on Skeidarársandur plane of sand in south Iceland of Friday. The tornado touched the ground for about five minutes and whirled up sand and dust.
Kirkjubaejarklaustur, South, Iceland
Iceland Review

Crayfish - Invaders from the Bayou
Of all of the aquatic animals that could be collected in a gillnet on the Kenai River, crawfish are some of the least likely. Why? Because they do not naturally occur in the Kenai River or any other river in Alaska. Unfortunately, crawfish have been collected from the lower Kenai River twice in the last four years, and both times they were leftovers from someone’s dinner.
Kenai, Alaska, United States
Alaska Fish and Wildlife News

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

Startling starling numbers appear in bird count
Local birders who participated in the recent 2005 Anchorage Christmas Bird Count noted a sharp increase in European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris), a sometimes aggressive species that's relatively new to Alaska.

Mule deer, mountain lion sightings in Alaska
Interior residents are reporting varieties of wildlife that are new to the region, including mule deer, mountain lions and whitetail deer.
JuneauEmpire.com

The Seattle Times: Sports: Notebook: Humboldt squid make rare appearance here
Washington's outer coast
Seattle Times

Jumbo squid is captured in unfamiliar waters
Sitka, Alaska
msnbc.com

Too Many Sea Otters?
Some want to be able to kill them again off BC's coast. Part one of a Tyee special report.
Chesterman Beach, British Columbia, Canada
The Tyee

Se observó una ballena gris albina
Laguna Ojo de Liebre, Baja California Sur
Reserva de la Biósfera El Vizcaíno Guerrero Negro

Oh, rats! Rodent sighting means Anchorage has infestations, too
Anchorage can no longer claim to be the largest port city in the Northern Hemisphere without known rat infestations. State biologist Rick Sinnott caught and kille dtwo Norway rats found living at a pond near a South Anchorage school. Professional exterminatiors hired by the city placed more traps at the scene Monday afternoon.
Associated Press

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

Spotted seal

California Sea Lions Venture North: Arctic Science Journeys Radio
That's right, California sea lions. As populations of native Steller sea lions decline, Maniscalco says a growing number of California sea lions are showing up on Steller sea lion rookeries and haul-outs across the state. According to his research, some 33 sightings have been recorded. And some of those California sea lions have made their way as far west as the Pribilof Islands in the Bering Sea.
Pribilof Islands, Bering Sea, United States
Arctic Science Journeys Radio
Doug Schneider, Alaska Sea Grant Program, UAF

New England Drought
New Hampshire Public Radio's Dan Gorenstein reports the northeastern U.S. is experiencing one of the worst droughts in decades. New, deeper wells are in demand even though they cost thousands of dollars to drill. About 40 percent of New Hampshire residents get their water from private wells. Snow might replenish some of the wells, but water doesn't permeate frozen ground.
Concord, New Hampshire, United States
NPR.org

Warmer Climate Linked To Earlier Frog Calling
Ithaca, New York, United States
Science Daily

American moose (Alces a. americanus) North of Historical Range

Ringed Seal (Phoca hispida)

Tent Caterpillar Infestation
At one point our entire red brick house was covered in the black caterpillars trying to reach the adjacent forest. The silk web-like nests began to appear on our trees in May and within weeks, the forests foliage was decimated.
Woodford, Ontario

Ringed seal

Fisherfolk raise concern over Manila Bay’s ‘discoloration’
Social media went abuzz the past few days after some parts of Manila Bay turned turquoise.
Manila, Philippines

Salmon arrival delayed in Chukotka
The fishing village of Meynypilgyno this week requested an additional quota for sockeye, because the initial allocation is already ending. On the Anadyr estuary to yesterday was not caught a single ton.
Мейныпильгыно, Анадырский район, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia

Rain falls at Greenland ice summit for first time on record
Rain fell at the highest point on the Greenland ice sheet last week for the first time on record, another worrying sign of warming for the ice sheet already melting at an increasing rate, scientists said on Friday.
Summit Camp
Reuters

Scientists race to preserve crucial climate records in glacier ice before they melt away
Scientists are racing to collect ice cores — along with long-frozen records they hold of climate cycles — as global warming melts glaciers and ice sheets. Some say they are running out of time. And, in some cases, it's already too late.
Bourg-Saint-Pierre, Valais, Switzerland

Virus unique to Finland sees biggest outbreak in decades
Nearly 500 cases of the mosquito-borne viral infection have been diagnosed so far this autumn. The disease tends to be cyclical, meaning cases remain very low for about seven years and then there are suddenly hundreds of cases in one year.
Ilomantsi, North Karelia, Finland
Yle Uutiset

UK's 'longest-lasting' snow patch melts away
Dubbed the Sphinx, the snow on a remote Scottish mountain has in the past survived for decades at a time.
Aviemore, Scotland, United Kingdom
BBC News

Busiest ferry routes inside Arctic Circle go electric
Norway’s successful transition to zero-emission transport sector continues. By the end of 2022, the last remaining ferry connection along European route E6, Bognes-Skarberget, will operate on batteries.
Bønes, Vestland, Norway
The Independent Barents Observer

Climate change: Lapland reindeer gone astray in search for food
Herders are struggling to find thousands of reindeer that have run away in search of food. "We are driving for hours and hours to locate our reindeers and to herd them back, but it has been very difficult in these wintry conditions. So, we are also using helicopters and this is very unusual - and very expensive too."
Muonio, Lapland, Finland
BBC News

Volcano eruption near Tonga was so powerful, Alaskans could hear it from 6,000 miles away
Waves of up to about 3 feet reached parts of Alaska by Saturday morning. But hours before those waves arrived, sounds from the blast reached the homes of many Alaskans - all the way from Juneau to the Aleutians.
Bristol Bay Times

This 'incredibly alien' fungus isn't as scary as you might think
CBC reporter Kaitie Fraser spotted this strange jelly-like substance in her aunt's backyard, growing on a cedar tree. In fact, her aunt said, when she first saw it, it looked like orange flowers at a distance. But when she started to approach it, it looked more like clumps of gummy bears.
Windsor, Ontario, Canada

Tourist boats marooned, farm land parched as drought lowers Europe's rivers
Water levels in rivers, lakes and reservoirs across western Europe are running low, or even dry, amid the severest drought in decades which is putting stress on drinking water supplies, hampering river freight and tourism and threatening crop yields.
Villers-le-Lac, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France
Reuters

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