3/26 Frogfish, DAPL wink COVID-19 in BC, tufted pu9ffin, herring spawn, fishing in virus times, oil spill response, fuel industry bailout, unbuilding boats, fed rulemaking

3/26/20 Salish Sea News and Weather

Frogfish Antenarious rictus [George Shaw 1794]

Anatomy of a frogfish: New book explores world of fishes with arms, legs
Any old fish can swim. But what fish can walk, scoot, clamber over rocks, change color or pattern and even fight? That would be the frogfish. The latest book by Ted Pietsch, UW professor of emeritus of aquatic and fishery sciences, explores the lives and habits of these unusual marine shorefishes. "Frogfishes: Biodiversity, Zoogeography, and Behavioral Ecology" was published in March by Johns Hopkins University Press. Peter Kelly writes. (Phys.org)


*EDITOR'S NOTE: Access updates on the COVID-19 virus at national and regional print publications like the CBC, the Seattle Times, the New York Times, and the Washington Post.
 

Dakota Access Pipeline: Judge Hands Tribes, Environmental Groups A Victory
Nearly three years after crude oil started to flow through the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline, a federal judge has ordered the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct a full environmental review. It's a major victory for the Native American tribes and environmental groups who have been fighting against the project for years. U.S. District Judge James Boasberg has not decided whether oil can still flow in the meantime. But his opinion Wednesday requests that the two sides submit briefings next month for and against keeping the oil moving, potentially opening the door for the judge to shut it down. Merrit Kennedy reports. (NPT)

COVID-19 in British Columbia by the numbers
Our ongoing guide to the data in B.C. — along with caveats about what information is and isn't available. Justin McElroy reports. (CBC)

If you like to watch: Salish Sea Wild: The Tufted Puffins of Destruction Island 
On a risky mission to remote, rugged Destruction Island, Team SeaDoc tries to solve the mysteries of the Tufted Puffin in the hopes of saving this charismatic seabird from local extinction. (SeaDoc Society)

If you like to watch: Beauty and the Feast: When Herring Come to Spawn
Every spring, nature puts on a breathtaking display on the British Columbia coast. The waters turn milky white as millions of male herring release sperm, while the female fish lay billions of pinhead-sized eggs. Both the eggs and the fish themselves are a critical post-winter food source for animals from bears to bald eagles, whales to wolves, and herons to humans. Travel to the BC central coast to watch the show! (Hakai Institute)

Commercial Fishermen Struggle To Survive In The Face Of Coronavirus
Commercial fishermen in the U.S. who have already faced challenges in recent years to make it in an increasingly globalized and regulated industry, are now struggling to find customers during the coronavirus crisis. Hannah Hagemann reports. (NPR)

Oil spill response base on track for Ucluelet, Port Alberni
Western Canada Marine Response Corporation (WCMRC) held a community open house on Thursday, March 12 at the Ucluelet Aquarium to share plans for its Port Alberni-Ucluelet spill response base. The Port Alberni-Ucluelet spill response base is part of an enhanced spill response regime being implemented in Vancouver Harbour and along the Southern Shipping Line. Nora O'Malley reports. (Westerly News)

A bailout for the oil and gas industry? Here’s why experts say it’s not a long-term solution
Canada’s efforts to support the oil and gas industry through a major stimulus package might overlook the real challenges plaguing the industry — and miss out on meaningful opportunities to support workers now and well into the future. Sharon J. Riley reports. (The Narwhal)

Unbuilding boats: Work underway on vessel deconstruction facility in Ilwaco
According to the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, there are about 150 vessels in the state that are candidates for recycling, and the Ilwaco facility could serve as a beacon for boats approaching their final call to port. Luke Whitaker reports. (Chinook Observer)

Public Interest Groups Call For Federal Rulemaking Freeze
Activist groups are asking the White House and several federal agencies to freeze any rulemaking that isn't directly related to the COVID-19 response effort, saying in a letter on Tuesday that it would be a misallocation of resources to do otherwise. Greenpeace, Public Citizen, Americans for Financial Reform, National Consumer Law Center and more than 40 other groups sent the request to the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, which reviews all federal regulations before they're finalized, and other agencies, such as the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Securities and Exchange Commission. They joined the National Governors Association, which last week called for a similar freeze. Juan Carlos Rodriguez reports. (Law360)


Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  200 AM PDT Thu Mar 26 2020   
TODAY  SW wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell  3 ft at 8 seconds. A chance of rain in the afternoon. 
TONIGHT  SW wind to 10 kt becoming S after midnight. Wind waves  2 ft or less. SW swell 3 ft at 14 seconds. A chance of rain in  the evening then rain after midnight.




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