The Northern Climate Observer

The Northern
Climate Observer

In search of tranquil waters - On May 21st, Keeri Sjöblom, a 13 year old from Kimitoön in Southwestern Finland, was sitting in her kitchen window when she saw something amazing. "I saw something black in the water. I ran right to the shore to see." It was a bottlenose dolphin! The first in Finnish waters since 1950. Keeri and her father went out in a boat and were able to film a total of three dolphins. You can see the video in this Yle article featured in Northern Climate Observer No 426. It was not the last sighting of a wayward bottlenose this summer. On June 2 two bottlenose were spotted near Tallinn, Estonia. On June 11th, another solo dolphin was sighted in Loviisa, Finland. There was speculation that the dolphins came because ship traffic in the Danish Straits had been unusually quiet, a result of the pandemic. This week brings yet another unusual bottlenose dolphin story. A lone dolphin from the Moray Firth population in Scotland was spotted near Svendborg, Denmark. This individual, nicknamed Yoda, was actually the last of the group to start exploring distant waters. Others from the Moray Firth pod were spotted last year as far away as Ireland and the Netherlands. Northern observers will wonder if there is a trend here, dolphins ranging further from their traditional waters. To see a map of the related LEO Network posts from 2020 click here. So what are they looking for and why are they going? Where did the dolphins come from that Keeri Sjöblom spotted from her kitchen window? It is a mystery. It may be the quiet, or perhaps the conditions are just right for some northward exploration. Truly, there are more possible explanations today than ever before. Mike Brubaker, Editor

	Lone Scottish dolphin spotted off Denmark Svendborg, South Denmark, Denmark BBC News / October 12, 2020 The Moray Firth dolphins have been moving out of their normal range in Scotland waters. A dolphin known as Yoda is the latest member to be spotted far from home. Another Moray Firth dolphin has been seen in the Irish Sea. Read article on BBC News
	Why so glum, chum? Scientists perplexed by this year's low chum salmon numbers in Yukon River Eagle, Alaska, United States Philippe Morin / CBC / October 11, 2020 This year the Eagle station's fall chum estimate is 23,828 fish. This is far below the escapement goal of 70,000 to 104,000 fish. Read article on CBC
	Infected Covid-19 patients climb in Arctic Alaska Kotzebue, Alaska, United States Jenna Kunze / The Arctic Sounder / October 8, 2020 October began with "an explosion" of COVID-19 positive cases despite efforts to tighten and extend restrictions. In the first five days 14 residents on the North Slope and 23 in the Northwest Arctic, upping active caseloads in each borough to 40 and 45, respectively. Read article on The Arctic Sounder
	Could a Lethal Algae Bloom Have Killed Kamchatka’s Sea Creatures? Some Marine Biologists Think So Петропавловск-Камчатский, Kamchatka Krai, Russia Evan Gershkovich / The Moscow Times / October 8, 2020 A broad area of yellow foam is prompting some marine biologists to blame the catastrophe on a harmful algae. However, Governor Vladimir Solodov believes the most likely explanation is a spill. Tests have shown petroleum levels four times higher and phenol levels 2.5 times above normal. Read article on The Moscow Times
	Second year of Hemlock Looper Moth (Lambdina fiscellaria) outbreak returns to North Vancouver in larger numbers North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Emma Scott / LEO Network / September 8, 2020 The Hemlock Looper Moth outbreak is said to last between 3-4 years and now coincides with an outbreak of Phantom Hemlock Looper which saw its last outbreak more than a decade ago. Read post on the LEO Network

The Northern Climate Observer is published by the Center for Climate and Health. We track news coverage from across the circumpolar north and provide readers with a curated roundup of climate change related events. Thank you for reading our newsletter and for paying attention to our changing world.

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Northern Climate Observer

The Northern Climate Observer is published weekly by the Center for Climate and Health. We track news from across the circumpolar north and provide readers with a curated roundup of climate change related events.

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Northern Climate Observer

The Northern
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