4/2 Macoma clam, killer culverts, river cleanup, underwater noise, Sinclair news, Ripple Rock, Exxon suit, Velella velella, BC pipe

Macoma clams [PHOTO: Don Rothaus/WDFW]

Macoma clams
The macomas comprise a fairly large group of clams in this area but these four species are those most likely to be found in the intertidal zone of Puget Sound beaches: inconspicuous macoma (Macoma inconspicua), sand clam (Macoma secta), bent-nose clam (Macoma nasuta) and the polluted macoma (Macoma irus). The Macomas are interesting in that they tend to lay flat in the substrate unlike most of the other intertidal clams which are usually on their edges. Also, unlike most other clams, their siphons are separate -- not fused together. Most clams passively filter the water to obtain their food while the macomas use their long (up to 18) inhalant siphon like a vacuum cleaner hose which they move around to suck up detritus from the surface of the substrate. (King County Beach Assessment Clam Identification Key)

A Fight Over Salmon-Killing Roads Is Now A Supreme Court Case About Native Rights
Seventeen years ago, 21 tribes sued the state of Washington to fix those culverts. On April 18, the U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to take on the case. The question is whether or not state taxpayers should have to dish out billions to dig up roads so salmon can get through. And the court’s decision will have repercussions for tribes all over the West and Midwest. Eilis O'Neill reports. (KUOW)

New blog: April Showers Bring Flowers—And A Lot More 
Sidd Finch, a self-described "woo woo" sort of guy, asks your help in cleaning up a local river.

Underwater noise pollution also disturbs fish, study suggests
Plastics and oil aren't the only types of pollution having a negative impact on fish. According to a new study entitled Sound the Alarm, noise is also a growing problem for the aquatic animals. "In terms of fish behaviour and physiology, it's negative responses across the board," said Kieran Cox, a doctoral student at the University of Victoria. Cox and fish ecologist, Francis Juanes, led the collaborative team that conducted the research, which was published in the peer-reviewed journal Global Change Biology. (CBC)

KOMO attacks 'biased and false news' in Sinclair-written promos
Sinclair Broadcast Group, the largest owner of television stations in the U.S., employs a well-known practice of producing "must-runs," conservative commentary segments that each Sinclair-owned station is required to air. But promos now running on Seattle's KOMO-TV show the next step in the company's plan to undermine non-Sinclair outlets. The promos, which began airing on the station last week, are part of a Sinclair campaign that forces local anchors to read Sinclair-written scripts warning of the dangers of "one-sided news stories plaguing our country."  Stephen Cohen reports. (SeattlePI) See also: Why Sinclair Made Dozens of Local News Anchors Recite the Same Script  Jacey Rortin reports. (NY Times)

60 years later, a major underwater explosion in B.C. still fascinates
Sandra Parish is looking over at a span of ocean once called "one of the vilest stretches of water in the world," from the comfort of her office at the Museum at Campbell River. The specific subject of Parish's gaze is British Columbia's Seymour Narrows — the former home of Ripple Rock, an underwater mountain that was blown to smithereens 60 years ago this week. "(Ripple Rock) was a major marine navigational hazard in a pretty important waterway on the Inside Coast," said Parish, the museum's executive director. Maryse Zeidler reports. (CBC)

Judge dismisses Exxon lawsuit against climate change probe
A federal judge on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit by Exxon Mobil aimed at stopping an investigation by New York and Massachusetts officials into whether the oil giant misled investors and the public about its knowledge of climate change and how the issue could affect its business. “Exxon’s allegations that the AGs are pursuing bad faith investigations in order to violate Exxon’s constitutional rights are implausible and therefore must be dismissed for failure to state a claim,” Manhattan U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni said. In her ruling, Caproni described Exxon’s lawsuit as “running roughshod over the adage that the best defense is a good offense.” (Associated Press)

Blue jellyfish-like creatures return to Tofino's beaches
Tofino beach-goers got a rare glimpse of some strange looking blue creatures Sunday, as hundreds of jellyfish-like creatures known as Velella velella washed ashore. Also known as By-the-Wind-Sailors, the small carnivorous animals are related to jellyfish. They do sting, but not enough to harm people. They use their stinging tentacles to feed on small fish larvae. (CBC)

Pipeline demonstrators make their way into Burnaby RCMP detachment after man’s arrest 
The Burnaby RCMP’s battle with pipeline protesters took another turn Friday, as demonstrators made their way into the detachment’s main lobby to protest the arrest of one of their own. On Thursday, Harry Johnson-Larue, 31, was arrested on an outstanding warrant related to the alleged assault of a Burnaby police officer last Sunday. Johnson-Larue initially resisted arrest, police said, but was taken into custody safely. According to police, that incident began when a man was arrested for mischief after allegedly removing a city of Burnaby survey monument. He resisted, and managed to flee after demonstrators physically obstructed the officer. When the officer chased him, police say, the cop was pushed by a protester, causing him to injure his knee. Harrison Mooney reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  259 AM PDT Mon Apr 2 2018  
TODAY  W wind 10 to 20 kt. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 6 ft  at 8 seconds.
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 5  to 6 ft at 8 seconds. A chance of showers.

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