The Northern Climate Observer

The Northern
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Not just for the birds - A cub that was euthanized in Glacier Bay last month has become only the second bear confirmed to have been exposed to highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). The fact that the other bear was in Quebec gives a sense for the range of this outbreak, carried by migratory birds across the continent. This outbreak was first detected last December in Newfoundland and made its way all the way to a backyard flock in Alaska by May. Along the way it has caused the death of millions of farm birds and unknown wild birds. It has impacted all types of birds and a wide range of scavenging mammals like fox, racoon and bears. It was also been detected in marine mammals including seals, porpoise and dolphins. For humans, however, it has only been documented in one person, a man who became mildly ill after working on the extermination of infected poultry in Colorado. Still, precautions like throughly cooking meat are strongly encouraged. Last week the Anchorage Daily News reported that in winter, even after most migratory birds have left, the virus is still spreading. State veterinarians continue to be very busy testing and containing farm outbreaks. It is a reminder of how interconnected we are across the North. Not just by air travel, but also the migration of wildlife across the continent and around the globe. Connections that only grow as the ice recedes and the North opens to a growing list of visitors and new arrivals. Mike Brubaker, Editor

	Glacier Bay bear cub diagnosed with bird flu in rare case Glacier Bay, Alaska, United States Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire / November 18, 2022 A black bear cub in Southeast Alaska was sick last month with bird flu, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. The cub found in Bartlett Cove, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, is only the second instance of highly pathogenic avian influenza being diagnosed in a bear amid an ongoing outbreak. Health officials say risk to mammals, including people, remains low. Read article on Juneau Empire
	Worms can be the cause of the appearance of stench in the meat of whales in Chukotka Lavrentiya, Chukotskiy Avtonomnyy Okrug, Russia Mikhail Pustovoy / goarctic.ru / Marine hunters of eastern Chukotka often encounter "stinky" whales whose meat is unsuitable for food. The situation has become a problem for local residents. Researchers from Moscow State University and the Beringia National Park believe they have found the causes of an unpleasant odor in animals. Read article on goarctic.ru
	Flowers bloom again in an unusually warm November Akureyri, Northeast, Iceland RÚV / November 18, 2022 Kale is sprouting even though it's mid-November.  Eucalyptus, rock rose, and Lenten roses don’t seem to be in the mood for winter, as they still wear their summer colors of green and red. It has been warm over almost all of the country, and never in the history of the capital has been a hotter November than this year. Read article on RÚV
	Washing away Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories, Canada CBC / November 19, 2022 The Arctic hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk, N.W.T., is collapsing into the ocean as it loses up to a meter of coastline each year. The people who live there are in a race against time to preserve their way of life — and their community — before it is washed away. Read article on CBC
	Arctic Fox in Galena? Galena, Alaska, United States Karin Bodony / LEO Network / November 2, 2022 Cell phone video was taken by one resident, and the fox appears to be an Arctic fox, which is not known in this region. Read post on the LEO Network
	Thawing causing cemetery to sink Noatak, Alaska, United States Jeffrey Luther, Vladimir Romanovsky and Tom Wolforth / LEO Network / October 28, 2022 Permafrost thaw in Noatak is causing the condition of the grave site to degrade. A trench has formed and crosses are tipping over. 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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