2/23 Goldfish, BC sockeye, shellfish bed cleanup, OR sea stars, spotted owl, best beaches, Nisqually quake, wool dogs

Goldfish [Souravgg8/WikiMedia]

Goldfish Carassius auratus
The goldfish is a freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae of order Cypriniformes. It is commonly kept as a pet in indoor aquariums, and is one of the most popular aquarium fish. Native to East Asia, the goldfish is a relatively small member of the carp family (which also includes the Prussian carp and the crucian carp). It was first selectively bred for color in ancient China more than 1,000 years ago, and several distinct breeds have since been developed. Goldfish breeds vary greatly in size, body shape, fin configuration, and coloration (various combinations of white, yellow, orange, red, brown, and black are known). (Wikipedia)

New research suggests 70% decline in diversity of B.C. sockeye salmon stock in past century
Scales from sockeye salmon harvested more than a century ago show the fish returning to the country's second largest watershed for salmon are 70 per cent less diverse than they were in 1913, according to a new study from Simon Fraser University's Michael Price. Price, a PhD candidate in biological sciences, first undertook genetic testing two years ago of sockeye scales that have been collected since 1912 — before the introduction of motorized fishing boats on the river — to track how the abundance of sockeye salmon in the Skeena River had changed over time. He found declines of around 70 per cent. Chad Pawson reports. (CBC)

Winding down Puget Sound’s 2020 targets, as approved shellfish acreage keeps going up
In 2020, state health authorities upgraded six shellfish-growing areas in various parts of Puget Sound. Now, thanks to improved water quality, the harvest of clams and oysters can take place on these 309 acres for the first time in years, adding to an ongoing gain in harvestable acreage. While efforts to upgrade shellfish growing areas will continue into the future, these new results for 2020 represent the last time that state shellfish managers will be working toward a specific acreage goal set for the year 2020. Now, with 2020 in the rearview mirror, we can expect to see an accounting of the gains and losses during the 10-year effort to achieve 2020 “targets” — not only for shellfish but also for other Vital Signs indicators. Look for the next State of the Sound report to be issued this fall by the Puget Sound Partnership. Chris Dunagan reports. (Puget Sound Institute)

Saving Oregon’s rocky coast: Checking in on the sea stars
...Research data seems to indicate that the last area long the entire North American Pacific Coast to be struck by sea star wasting disease was the region of Curry County where Cape Blanco lies. Experts are still trying to figure it all out, says Larry Basch, a research associate at the University of Oregon’s Institute of Marine Biology. “We’re far from being able to say definitively why this area seemed to act like a refuge from the disease for so long,” he says. But the data show we didn’t see any sign of sea star wasting for a very long time after the entire rest of the coast was reporting it.” Kate Kaye reports. (Jefferson Public Radio)

Biden administration will reconsider northern spotted owl forest protection rollbacks
The U.S. Interior Department is delaying and reviewing the Trump administration’s last-minute roll-back of federal protections for the imperiled northern spotted owl, which called for slashing protections from millions of acres of Northwest forests. On Jan. 15, just days before leaving office, the Trump administration published a final rule revising Endangered Species Act protections for the northern spotted owl. The rule lifted critical-habitat protections for the bird from 3.4 million acres in Oregon, Washington and California. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s had proposed a far more modest revision, seeking to remove critical habitat status from a little over 200,000 acres in 15 counties in Oregon. Monica Samayoa reports. (OPB)

Washington’s Best Beaches in Winter
Washington beaches have always conjured their own off-kilter magic: tidepools and driftwood, not sand dunes and sunburn. Which means that in winter our stretches of shore don’t lose their essential appeal, even if we do need to add an extra jacket or two.  Allison Williams reports (SeattleMet)

Remembering the 6.8 Nisqually earthquake that shook Washington 20 years ago
On Feb. 28, 2001, a magnitude 6.8 earthquake shook western Washington causing billions of dollars in damage. (KING)

The Dogs That Grew Wool and the People Who Love Them
Indigenous communities in the Pacific Northwest bred little, fluffy white dogs that provided for them, both materially and spiritually. Virginia Morell writes. (Hakai Magazine)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  236 AM PST Tue Feb 23 2021   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT   
TODAY  W wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 12 ft  at 13 seconds. A chance of rain in the morning. A slight chance  of rain in the afternoon. 
TONIGHT  NW wind 15 to 25 kt becoming N 5 to 15 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft subsiding to 2 ft or less. W swell  13 ft at 13 seconds subsiding to 11 ft at 13 seconds after  midnight.

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