The Northern Climate Observer

The Northern
Climate Observer

Too Hot For Salmon - This summer we heard about the unprecedented stream conditions in Alaska. Low snow pack, drought and high air temperatures conspired to make many streams too hot, causing significant die-offs of salmon and other fish. But this was in the freshwater part of their life cycle, not the ocean. This week we heard a similar story from Newfoundland: Fish farmers experienced a mass die-off of penned salmon after water temperatures soared to 21 Celsius or almost 70 degrees Fahrenheit. In Fortune Bay, these high temperatures were reported throughout the entire water column. With rivers and oceans becoming too hot for salmon, we will need some cool ideas to achieve sustainable harvests. This week we recognize two communities that are successfully moving towards sustainability. The city of Iqaluit, through ingenuity and education, was able to restore water security in time for winter. And second, Homer became the first town in Alaska with an electronic vehicle charging station. Good work Homer! Build it and they will come. Mike Brubaker - Editor

	Warm water, not sea lice, caused massive salmon die-off Fortune Bay, Newfoundland, Canada CBC / October 1, 2019 Northern Harvest Sea Farms is busy cleaning pens of dead salmon, and the province's head aquaculture vet says higher-than-average water temperatures are to blame. Read article on CBC
	Invasive salmon return to Scottish rivers River Ness, Scotland, United Kingdom BBC News / August 27, 2019 Pink salmon are native to the Pacific Ocean. From stocking programs in Russia in the 1960s they have spread to Northern Europe, and in 2017 male and female pink salmon were spotted in the River Ness in the Highlands of Scotland. And now, two years later, camera images suggest that their spawn has returned. Read article on BBC News
	Slender armorhead (Pentaceros wheeleri) caught in purse seine Chignik Lake, Alaska, United States Edgar Smith, Andrés López and Tom Okey / LEO Network / August 29, 2019 Juveniles and sub adults live and migrate in open water at shallow to moderate depths. They move to the bottom as adults when they settle around sea mounts in the North Pacific. Read post on the LEO Network
	Declining Snow and Summer Rain in the Alberni Valley Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada Michelle Dyler and Tom Okey / LEO Network / September 17, 2019 "During my childhood, Mt. Arrowsmith and surrounding peaks tended to have a fair amount of snow cover; it was into the summer months before it totally disappeared." Read post on the LEO Network
	Invasive Asian giant hornets found on Vancouver Island Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada CTV News / September 11, 2019 Asian giant hornets are known to feed on honeybees and other large insects and are capable of destroying a beehive in a short time, according to the province. Read article on CTV News
	Iqaluit water reservoir is almost full, just in time for winter Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada Meagan Deuling / CBC / September 29, 2019 An emergency project to pump water from Unnamed Lake started in mid-August, and has been successful. The city's reservoir at Lake Geraldine is projected to be filled ten days ahead of schedule. Read article on CBC
	Homer's first EV station is now open Homer, Alaska, United States Homer Tribune / September 27, 2019 The Destination Charger was donated by Tesla Corporation and installed by Mark Haller and his crew from Midnight Sun Solar, along with Tyson Belle from Diamond Ridge Electric. Read article on Homer Tribune

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
Climate Observer