11/23 Jellies, humpbacks, crabs, Dungeness Bay, climate, coal, LNG, Alaska drill, Gulf dolphins, salty sewer

Lion’s mane jellyfish (Alexander Semenov/Daily Mail)

Pull, not push, propels jellyfish and lampreys, according to new study
Jellyfish suck, but that’s not what most people believe about their method of locomotion. It seems more likely that jellyfish thrust themselves through the water by pushing the water behind them. But complex experiments in fluid dynamics suggest that jellyfish, as well as eel-like lampreys, actually pull themselves forward by creating a low-pressure region ahead…. The new findings were published this month in Nature Communications. Christopher Dunagan reports. (Saving Our Water Ways)

Humpback comeback: They're ‘popping up everywhere’
The influx of whales in waters near Victoria is being hailed as a “humpback comeback,” as it represents one of the biggest upticks in cetacean activity in recent years. Researchers, marine scientists and whale-watching guides who cover the water between Victoria and Seattle have all reported significant humpback activity as the species begins to repopulate the Salish Sea, which includes the Strait of Georgia, Juan de Fuca Strait and Puget Sound. Mike Devlin reports. (Times Colonist)

Oregon and Washington delay crab season because of toxin
Oregon and Washington have joined California in delaying the start of their commercial crab seasons after dangerous toxin levels were found in the crabs. Officials say elevated levels of domoic acid were found in crabs in all three states. The toxin is naturally produced by microscopic algae in the Pacific Ocean, but the massive bloom of algae caused by warming ocean conditions this year has led to more toxins produced and consumed by shellfish. California had already delayed the Nov. 15 start of its season after finding dangerous levels of the toxin. (Associated Press)

Agencies honored for cleanup of Dungeness Bay, upgrading of shellfish beds
Collaboration among many agencies improved shellfish harvesting in Dungeness Bay, said the director of the Puget Sound Partnership at a ceremony honoring those who worked to clean up the bay. Members of the Sequim-Dungeness Clean Water Work Group were recognized Friday afternoon for their work to upgrade 728 acres of harvestable shellfish beds in Dungeness Bay. Chris McDaniel reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

King County judge denies kids’ petition on climate change
A judge has denied an appeal by eight young activists who petitioned Washington state to adopt stricter science-based regulations to protect them against climate change. King County Superior Court Judge Hollis Hill affirmed some of the children’s arguments, saying the state has a duty to protect natural resources for future generations. But she said the Washington Department of Ecology is already working on meeting that obligation by writing new rules for greenhouse-gas emissions ordered by Gov. Jay Inslee. Phuong Le reports. (Associated Press)

Coal export terminals: A source of jobs, or coal dust and climate change?
Two proposed coal export terminals in Washington are now undergoing environmental reviews. During an Oct. 19, 2015, visit to the proposed terminal site in Longview, a local resident explains why she opposes the coal terminal being built. Meanwhile, lawmakers from Washington, Wyoming and Montana told reporters at a press conference at the site that they need the jobs and economic boost the coal terminal would bring. Melissa Santos reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Coal not going away anytime soon despite renewables push
Coal: Can’t live with it and can’t live without it, at least not yet. It is the biggest source of heat-trapping greenhouse gases that negotiators around the world hope to limit in an agreement soon to be thrashed out in Paris. Demand for coal is leveling off, but it will remain a key energy source for decades, no matter how many billions of dollars of investment go into cleaner energy like wind and solar. Too much of the world depends on it for heating and power generation to suddenly live without it. Louise Watt reports. (Associated Press)

Analysis: Pressure to cut climate gases poses challenges for LNG
As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s new Liberal government and Christy Clark’s B.C. government get more serious about reducing carbon emissions, the nascent liquefied natural gas sector could face new challenges. Trudeau is meeting with premiers Monday to discuss the country’s strategy at climate talks in Paris next month, where countries will set new emissions targets. He has said his government will put a price on carbon, set emission-reduction targets and adopt tougher environmental reviews for energy projects. Gordon Hoekstra writes. (Vancouver Sun)

ConocoPhillips approves $900 million project in National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska
ConocoPhillips has approved funding for its Greater Mooses Tooth development on Alaska's North Slope, a $900 million project expected to yield 30,000 barrels of oil daily at its peak. Production is expected to begin in 2018 at the field in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, an Indiana-sized Arctic reserve. Production at the field would be the first time oil has flowed from federal lands on the reserve. Oil also recently began flowing from the oil company's CD5 project within the reserve boundaries, but that was on land owned by Alaska Native corporations. Alex DeMarban reports. (Alaska Dispatch News)

Births Down and Deaths Up in Gulf Dolphins Affected by Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
…. This trend of reproductive failure and death in Gulf dolphins over five years of monitoring after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill is outlined in a November 2015 study led by NOAA and published in the peer-reviewed journal Proceedings of the Royal Society. Of the 10 Barataria Bay dolphins confirmed to be pregnant during the 2011 health assessment, only two successfully gave birth to calves that have survived. This unusually low rate of reproductive success—only 20%—stands in contrast to the 83% success rate in the generally healthier dolphins being studied in Florida's Sarasota Bay, an area not affected by Deepwater Horizon oil. (NOAA)

Costco says it won’t sell genetically modified salmon
Costco said Friday it does not intend to sell genetically modified salmon at this time, joining a list of retailers that say they will not sell the fish despite the approval Thursday by the federal Food and Drug Administration of such fish for human consumption. “Although the FDA has approved the sale of GM salmon, Costco has not sold and does not intend to sell GM salmon at this time,” the warehouse store chain said in a statement Friday. (Seattle Times, Associated Press)

Shell fined $77,000 for incident that caused odor
Shell Puget Sound Refinery was fined $77,000 on Nov. 10 for a February incident that brought numerous complaints of an odor. The state Department of Labor & Industries fined the refinery for two violations relating to improper operation of a flare, a gas combustion device that burns off substances that shouldn’t go airborne. The flare also prevents fires or explosions. The more serious violation alleges the refinery skipped decontamination steps when shutting down a flare for maintenance. Skipping those steps exposed workers to toxic substances, according to Labor & Industries. Aaron Weinberg reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Metro composting company seeks permit for higher emissions
Organics composter Harvest Power is seeking an air quality permit to increase its “authorized emissions” after significantly exceeding air and odour emissions for the past two years. The Richmond-based company, which composts most of Metro Vancouver’s food scraps, has asked the regional district to approve a permit based on “characterization studies” over the past two years that show emissions were more significant than expected, in some cases 11 times higher for certain compounds. Kelly Sinoski reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Bremerton: Sewer saltwater coming from Puget Sound Naval Shipyard
More saltwater is flowing into city sewers from the Navy’s home base, putting the city’s sewers at risk, the Kitsap Sun reported. While saltwater is not unusual in a sewer system surrounded by Puget Sound, the increased amount of saltwater could increase corrosion, rust and increase odors in the city’s system, the paper reported. The saltwater amounts are double their usual levels, Pat Coxon, the city’s wastewater treatment manager told the Sun. City and Navy officials have not been able to solve the problem, the Sun reported. John White reports. (KCPQ)

Feiro Marine Life Center preparing to say goodbye to Ursula the octopus as time for her release nears
Ursula, a giant Pacific octopus has been living at the Feiro Marine Life Center for over a year and a half, but now it’s time to go. Ursula has been living at the center on City Pier since February 2014 when she was caught at Freshwater Bay. Mark Swanson reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Anacortes fifth-graders help restore Bowman Bay
Bracing against the wind at Deception Pass State Park’s Bowman Bay, 10-year-old EmmaLee Grove put the force of her entire body into digging a hole on the beach’s newly restored shoreline. When the hole was sufficiently deep, EmmaLee and her best friend Kadence Yonkman placed the roots of a small, leafless tree — which they had named Wilbur — into it, then covered the roots with rich, dark gray mud. Kera Wanielista reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 232 AM PST MON NOV 23 2015
TODAY
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING NW 5 TO 15 KT THIS AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 14 SECONDS. RAIN LIKELY IN
 THE MORNING...THEN RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING S AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 13 SECONDS...BUILDING TO 10 FT AT
 11 SECONDS AFTER MIDNIGHT. RAIN LIKELY IN THE EVENING...THEN SHOWERS LIKELY AFTER MIDNIGHT.

--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

11/17 Stormin', Hood Canal, microbes, BC LNG, Gates fuels, future floods, Billy Frank, Jr., green audit, VW suit

Surf smelt

If you like to watch: Forage Fish of the Salish Sea
Forage fish are a critical keystone species in the marine food web. This film sponsored by Friends of Skagit Beaches and WA Dept. of Ecology highlights the importance of these small fish to the ecology, economy, and identity of the Pacific Northwest. This is the fourth in a series of student made films featuring the work of promising young filmmakers from Western Washington University and Anacortes High School. The film created by Jesse Nichols (WWU) was premiered as part of the Friends fall film series "Films with Friends" in October 2015.

Severe wind warning issued for Metro Vancouver, Vancouver Island  (CBC) and Northwest forecast: 65-mph wind gusts, falling trees, full rivers, mountain snow  (Seattle Times)

Senate hearing to explore DNR easement to Navy that blocks pit-to-pier
A state Senate committee has scheduled a hearing this week to determine whether the state Department of Natural Resources acted properly in determining the amount the Navy would pay for a 55-year easement that restricts development on Hood Canal aquatic land. The easement blocks a project known as “pit-to-pier.” The Accountability and Reform Committee is scheduled to address the topic at 8 a.m. Thursday in Senate Hearing Room 2 in the John A. Cherberg Building, 304 15th Ave. S.W., Olympia. The pact between DNR and the Navy, which went into effect in August 2014, is a barrier to a Thorndyke Resources proposal to build a 998-foot pier on state-owned tidelands 5 miles south of the Hood Canal Bridge. Charlie Bermant reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Microbes that are key indicators of Puget Sound’s health in decline
Paleontologists with the University of Washington’s Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture find that tiny organisms called foraminifera have a big story to tell about the health of Puget Sound. Two recent studies about the health of Bellingham Bay and inlets in the Bremerton area found the diversity and number of foraminifera — single-celled marine organisms that live on the sea floor — deteriorated significantly. The decline of these microscopic organisms is consistent with the deterioration of snails and other larger marine animals, even though analysis showed a reduction of chemical pollutants in Bellingham Bay and Bremerton over the same period of time. Andrea Godinez reports. (UW Today)

B.C. LNG project in Tsawwassen to be voted on by First Nation
The Tsawwassen First Nation will proceed with a vote on plans to build an LNG export facility just north of the Tsawwassen ferry terminal, it announced on Monday. "The preliminary concept looks at a plan somewhere between three million and five million metric tonnes per annum," said Tsawwassen First Nation spokesman Chris Hartman.  "In terms of tanker traffic associated with that, probably somewhere in the range of four to five LNG carriers a month, or about one a week." (CBC)

Gates Foundation cuts fossil fuel investments — but why?
Almost every day for the past several months, protesters gathered outside the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Seattle headquarters, exhorting the world’s richest philanthropy to fight climate change by pulling its investments from fossil-fuel companies. As usual when it comes to questions about its portfolio, the foundation responded with silence. But tax documents posted Monday show that the foundation has significantly scaled back its holdings in some of the world’s biggest oil, coal and gas companies. Sandi Doughton reports. (Seattle Times)

UW study: Puget Sound area may face more flooding as climate gets warmer
A University of Washington climate-change study for Puget Sound forecasts a temperature rise of 2.9 to 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit by midcentury, resulting in wide-ranging shifts as more storms bring rain rather than snow. A warming climate is expected to result in an increase in flood risks even as overall precipitation is predicted to remain roughly the same. That’s because the climate models indicate more rain will fall during the winter when rivers already are at higher levels, and intense storms will become more frequent. Sea-level rise also can contribute to flooding as storm surges become a bigger threat. Hal Bernton reports. (Seattle Times)

The late Billy Frank Jr. and Ruckelshaus to receive Medal of Honor
Two influential figures from Washington state, each with a long record of environmental leadership, were named Monday as recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Billy Frank Jr., the former chair of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission and a treaty-rights leader, and William D. Ruckelshaus, the first administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, are receiving the highest civilian honor in the U.S. The two advocated for and worked on environmental issues for decades. Rachel Lerman reports. (Seattle Times)

If you like to watch: Video: Billy Frank Jr. Street Gets First Sign In Bellingham
Bellingham has renamed Indian Street Billy Frank Jr. Street in honor of the late Native American fishing rights activist. A small group gathered Monday morning, Nov. 16, to watch public works' Tom Oberlander post the first sign at Laurel Street. (Bellingham Herald)

Environmental groups no longer under audit threat  
They’re handing out Vancouver Island’s National Philanthropy Day awards at The Empress this afternoon, rewarding those who volunteer for non-profits. Happily, supporters of environmental charities need not wear fake noses and glasses this year. Buried among all the changes announced in Ottawa last week was this: After three years of using tax audits to threaten Canadian green groups, the federal government in changing course. This goes back to 2012, when the Harper government allocated $8 million to audit the political activities of charities — the threat being that those deemed too political could lose their tax status. The Conservatives denied that the audits were politically motivated, but it was hard to ignore that they were introduced at the same time Harperites were muttering about “radical” environmentalists bogging down the Northern Gateway pipeline-approval process. Jack Knox reports. (Times Colonist)

Washington Takes Legal Action Over Volkswagen's Diesel Pollution
Washington is taking legal action against Volkswagen in the wake of a diesel vehicle scandal. Back in September, Volkswagen admitted to installing special software in some of its diesel vehicles, causing them to give false readings during pre-sale air quality tests. Forty-seven states, including Washington and Oregon announced investigations.  Now Washington has given the company formal notice that they violated the state’s Clean Air Act. Jes Burns reports. (EarthFix)

Groundwater is mostly non-renewable, study finds
The water that supplies aquifers and wells that billions of people rely on around the world is mostly a non-renewable resource that could run out, a new Canadian-led study has found. While many people may think groundwater is replenished by rain and melting snow the way lakes and rivers are, underground water is actually renewed much more slowly. In fact, just six per cent of the groundwater around the world is replenished within a "human lifetime" of 50 years, reports University of Victoria hydrogeologist Tom Gleeson and his collaborators in a new study published in the journal Nature Geoscience today. Emily Chung reports. (CBC)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 246 AM PST TUE NOV 17 2015
STORM WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY
SW WIND 30 TO 40 KT...RISING TO 40 TO 50 KT. COMBINED SEAS 14 TO 16 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 12 SECONDS...BUILDING
 TO 19 TO 20 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 12 SECONDS IN THE AFTERNOON. RAIN.
TONIGHT
W WIND 35 TO 45 KT...EASING TO 20 TO 30 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. COMBINED SEAS 17 TO 20 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF
 12 SECONDS. SHOWERS LIKELY IN THE EVENING...THEN A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AFTER MIDNIGHT.

--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

11/16 Tanker ban, BC pipe, storm poop, BC CG, Lummi life, toxic crab, KPLU sold, rail bridges, Tacoma LNG

(PHOTO: Laurie MacBride)

Stone-Faced
Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "Over time, the sandstone shores of our region have been eroded by the elements, producing all manner of fascinating textures, patterns and visual oddities. I’ve written before about the natural art gallery you can find here and its strange shape-shifting tendency. When the tide is right, you can find some pretty interesting “faces” along many stretches of shoreline in the Gulf Islands. This one, off Portland Island, jumped out at me when I was rowing our dinghy there this summer – though I’m not sure whether its open mouth was welcoming me or warning me off."

Trudeau bans oil tankers on B.C.'s north coast, threatening pipeline plan; But Enbridge says it will proceed with Northern Gateway
Enbridge’s proposed Northern Gateway plan is, at least for now, dead in the water after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau released a letter of instruction Friday telling his transport minister to ban oil tanker traffic on British Columbia’s north coast. A ban would prevent hundreds of tankers each year from carrying diluted bitumen extracted from Alberta’s oilsands and piped to northern B.C. from being shipped for export overseas. Brian Morton reports. (Vancouver Sun)

100 groups urge Trudeau to end pipeline reviews
Environmental, community and business groups are pushing for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to shut down a pair of pipeline reviews before heading to Paris for climate talks. The City of Burnaby, the Georgia Strait Alliance, Greenpeace Canada and the Sierra Club B.C. are among 100 groups seeking a halt to National Energy Board reviews of Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain expansion and TransCanada’s Energy East proposal. In a joint letter sent Thursday to Trudeau, the groups say the reviews should be put on hold until fundamental flaws in the process are fixed…. Trudeau has voiced his support for the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, but has also said the approval system is broken and designed to support the previous government’s objectives. The Liberals have pledged to overhaul the federal environmental review process so future projects would have the public trust. Matt Robinson reports. (Vancouver Sun)

B.C. storm causes sewage overflows in Greater Victoria
The heavy rains that hit B.C. on Thursday have caused the Capital Regional District to advise people to stay away from beaches on southern Vancouver Island, after storm water and sewage combined to create overflows. The waste water is pumped, raw, into the Strait of Juan de Fuca by the CRD municipalities, and now the CRD has advised the public not to wade along the shorelines or allow their pets into the water in the core area of Greater Victoria. (CBC) See also: Sewage flood forces Savary Island Pie Company to lay off 35 staff  Matthew Robinson reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Trudeau orders Kitsilano Coast Guard station re-opened
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has ordered Vancouver's Kitsilano Coast Guard station re-opened in a mandate letter to Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Hunter Tootoo. The move was promised during Trudeau's election campaign, and is included in a list of initiatives the prime minister labeled "top priorities" in his letter. Max Haberstroh reports. (CBC) See also: Justin Trudeau makes Coast Guard fleet refresh 'top priority'  (CBC)

For Lummis, fishing is more than a living — it’s a way of life
Members of Lummi Nation say that for them, fishing is different. Tribal and nontribal fishers alike must keep to the seasons and mind their catch quotas. Still, for most Washington residents, fishing is a privilege granted by the state government, said Jay Julius, a Lummi member who has a seat on the tribe’s council. The tribe, on the other hand, has been fishing for 150 generations, Julius said. Ralph Schwartz reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Calif. boats sit idle as algae threatens Dungeness crab season
San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf typically bustles this time of year as workers prepare to haul millions of pounds of Dungeness crab that are a tradition at Thanksgiving and other holiday meals. But crab pots are sitting empty on docks, boats are idled and fishermen are anxiously waiting for California authorities to open the lucrative Dungeness crab season. California has delayed the Nov. 15 start of its commercial crab season after finding dangerous levels of a toxin in crabs. Officials in Oregon and Washington are testing crab samples and will decide soon whether to open its coastal season by Dec. 1 as planned. Phuong Le reports. (Associated Press)

Manchester stormwater project to help clean up Puget Sound
On a rainy day in Manchester Nov. 6, a cluster of people gathered to celebrate completion of Kitsap County’s stormwater retrofit project. The park has been named qaqad, which translated means “a place to dry clams,” and will serve as a stormwater purification area for runoff from more than 80 acres of surrounding land…. The project took shape in 2009 after the Stormwater Advisory Committee was established at the request of the Manchester community. Sara Miller reports. (Port Orchard Independent)

University of Washington will buy KPLU-FM, pull the plug on its news operation
Pacific Lutheran University announced Thursday that it will sell its broadcasting licenses to the University of Washington, in a plan that will turn the current KPLU at 88.5 FM into an all-music, all-jazz station while KUOW at 94.9 FM becomes the Seattle outlet for National Public Radio and Northwest news…. The sale is expected to close in 2016 when FCC approval is received. The purchase price for KPLU and its assets is $8 million, with $7 million in cash and $1 million of “underwriting announcements” over 10 years. Proceeds from the sale will go to Pacific Lutheran’s endowment, which currently totals $85 million. The sale, and change of formats, will deprive the Puget Sound area of a first-rate news operation. Joel Connelly reports. (SeattlePI.com)

Study adds 37 species to Salish Sea’s fish list, bringing total to 253
…. A new analysis published this fall puts the region’s total number of fish species at 253. That includes 37 species never before documented in the Salish Sea — the 6,500-square-mile expanse that includes Puget Sound, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the San Juan Islands and the Strait of Georgia. And since the report, “Fishes of the Salish Sea: A Compilation and Distributional Analysis,” was finished, scientists have added another five to the list. Sandi Doughton reports. (Seattle Times)

Environment groups' study calls attention to rail bridge safety
Environment groups from throughout the country say government oversight, industry transparency and safety standards fall short when it comes to railroad bridges that in recent years have seen an increase in the number of oil trains that cross them. A study released Tuesday titled “Deadly Crossings: Neglected Bridges and Exploding Oil Trains,” urges government and industry officials to take action to prevent derailments such as the one that killed 47 in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, in July 2013 or the one that spilled burning oil into the James River in Lynchburg, Virginia, earlier this year. The study comes from RE Sources in Bellingham, which collaborated with international environment groups ForestEthics and the Waterkeeper Alliance to develop the report. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Tacoma Moves Ahead On Plans For A Liquefied Natural Gas Plant At The Port
Plans for a liquefied natural gas facility at the Port of Tacoma are one step closer to reality, after the Tacoma City Council passed a resolution to move ahead on an agreement with the port about the project. Puget Sound Energy says it needs a place to store natural gas and the way to do that is to chill it to a liquid form. So the company wants to spend $275 million to build the plant which would convert the gas to a liquid and then keep it on port property in a 140-foot-tall storage tank. Ashley Gross reports. (KPLU)

Explosive tanks carried in unmarked cars
Every work day, a small fleet of vehicles travels the roads and highways of Western Washington carrying cargo that, if mishandled or damaged in an accident, can explode. The fleet is not comprised of SUVs or heavy trucks equipped to safely transport cargo that could explode if not handled properly. The cargo is compressed hydrogen gas, and it is transported into neighborhoods and business districts, near schools, playgrounds, coffee shops and senior centers -- in ordinary cars…. The company responsible is Puget Sound Energy, the big utility serving hundreds of thousands of customers. The hydrogen gas, ironically, is used to make sure PSE's network of natural gas pipes running under nearly community are not leaking. Chris Ingalls reports. (KING)

Cadboro Bay threatens to secede over Saanich’s ecological bylaw
The Cadboro Bay Residents Association is threatening to separate its neighbourhood from Saanich if a controversial Environmental Development Permit Area bylaw isn’t changed by next spring. The bylaw, introduced in 2012, affects about 2,000 residents. It kicks in with restrictions and requirements when someone tries to build on land that the bylaw deems to be a rare ecosystem or vital habitat…. In a heated four-hour townhall meeting at the Garth Homer Society on Thursday, the threat was cheered by the more than 300 people who packed the meeting space and spilled into the hallways. The majority of residents were angry and asked councillors to rip up the bylaw or remake it. Cindy Harnett reports. (Times Colonist)

To save the orcas, do we need to demolish dams?
The show is over — at least it’s almost over. SeaWorld has announced that next year, it will phase out its killer whale performances in San Diego. The theme park has been under fire — and, perhaps more importantly, losing visitors — ever since the 2013 movie Blackfish documented its abusive treatment of captive killer whales. But the whales – endangered Puget Sound orcas, if you prefer – need more than just to be freed from captivity. Not surprisingly, they need to eat. Daniel Jack Chasan reports. (Crosscut)

Have a whale of a time at Langley’s new center dedicated to Puget Sound whales
The Langley Whale Center is drawing an increasing number of visitors to its new location in Langley... The move is next door to the previous location but provides far more visibility and double the space for educational displays, information and a gift shop. They also have a lending library for books and DVD’s relating to Puget Sound whales…. The Langley Whale Center is a project of Orca Network, which is based in Freeland, Washington, and is a non-profit started by Howard Garrett and his wife, Susan Berta, in the 1990’s. The organization is dedicated to raising awareness of the whales of the Pacific Northwest, and the importance of providing them healthy and safe habitats. Carolyn Tamler On reports. (Whidbey News Times)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 259 AM PST MON NOV 16 2015
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING
 GALE WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING
TODAY
S WIND 15 TO 25 KT...RISING TO 20 TO 30 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 TO 5 FT. W SWELL 9 FT AT 12 SECONDS...
 SUBSIDING TO 7 FT AT 12 SECONDS IN THE AFTERNOON. RAIN.
TONIGHT
SW WIND 15 TO 25 KT...BECOMING W 5 TO 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT...SUBSIDING TO 2 FT OR LESS AFTER
 MIDNIGHT. W SWELL 10 FT AT 9 SECONDS. RAIN.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

10/23 Fall bird season, sky watching, 'Tacomacitis,' new tortoise species

Barrow’s goldeneye (WikiCommons)

Wintering species are arriving
The Sunshine Coast has four well-defined birding seasons, and we are now well into the fall season as our common wintering species begin to arrive for their winter residency. The most obvious of these species are Barrow’s goldeneyes and buffleheads, which return in huge numbers from their freshwater breeding lakes all across interior and northern Canada. As the interior water bodies begin to freeze over, the ducks return to the balmy waters of the Salish Sea to winter. Joe Harrison reported the first Barrow’s goldeneyes of the winter on Oct. 18 at Oyster Bay, Pender Harbour, one day later than last year. Tony Greenfeld writes. (Coast Reporter)

3 reasons to keep an eye on the sky in the next week
Look up! There are a several cool things happening in the night sky over the next week or so. First off, peaking early Thursday morning and in the evening is the Orionid meteor shower. It's an average meteor shower producing up to 20 meteors per hour. Compare that to the Geminids in December, which can produce over 100 per hour. Next, look to the east just before sunrise, and you'll see the conjunction of Mars, Jupiter and Venus. This is pretty rare. It's when all three planets will be bunched up and clearly visible. And finally, on October 27 there will be a full Supermoon. It's the third Supermoon in as many months when the moon makes its closest approach to Earth. And it will look slightly larger and brighter than usual. Benjamin Dery reports. (KING)

‘Tacomacitis’ a centuries-old plague with no easy cure
Forget about cold and flu season. The most stubborn virus in Tacoma has been around as long as the city has fought for the name of its mountain, according to historical records. The Nose writes. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Genetics Probe Identifies New Galapagos Tortoise Species
A new species of giant tortoise has been discovered hiding in plain sight on Ecuador's Galapagos Islands. A population of about 250 animals living in an arid inland area of Santa Cruz island turns out to be so genetically distinct from the rest of the island’s tortoises that researchers have determined that it represents a separate species: Chelonoidis donfaustoi. (Scientific American)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 241 AM PDT FRI OCT 23 2015
TODAY
LIGHT WIND. WIND WAVES LESS THAN 1 FT. W SWELL 8 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING E 5 TO 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 11 SECONDS. PATCHY FOG AFTER
 MIDNIGHT.
SAT
SE WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 10 SECONDS. PATCHY FOG IN THE MORNING.
SAT NIGHT
SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 10 SECONDS.
SUN
SE WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. SW SWELL 4 FT AT 11 SECONDS.

--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

10/22 Orca, geoduck, oil train, BC pipe, basking shark, Quiet Cove, tribe rights, melting, goose cull

J16 and calf (NOAA Fisheries)

Puget Sound’s killer whales looking fat and healthy
Seattle’s most celebrated residents — the J, K, and L pods of southern resident killer whales — are looking good. The population of the 81 endangered whales appear to be in excellent health. They are fat and sleek, and several appear to be pregnant. The news was revealed by photogrammetry: measurements made from photographs, that help scientists understand the health of whales and other wildlife. In the case of the orcas, photos and videos taken this summer by a drone helicopter about the size of a large pizza reveal the animals are looking fat and robust. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times) See also: Vancouver Aquarium and U.S. agency team up for drone research of killer whales  Larry Pynn reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Gear, not geoducks, impacts ecosystem if farming increases
The equipment used to farm geoducks, including PVC pipes and nets, might have a greater impact on the Puget Sound food web than the addition of the clams themselves. That’s one of the findings of the first major scientific study to examine the broad, long-term ecosystem effects of geoduck aquaculture in Puget Sound, published last week in the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea’s Journal of Marine Science. Michelle Ma reports. (UW Today)

Skagit Valley Sounds Off
Not that Anacortes isn’t well acquainted—even friendly—with Shell Oil. They’ve lived together for 104 years. That long ago, Shell made its first venture into the U.S. gas and oil business with a terminal a few miles from where its refinery now operates. At Anacortes Middle School last week, a number of speakers critical of Shell’s proposed oil-by-rail project began by stressing that Shell has been an O.K. neighbor, an excellent employer and supporter of local schools.  Then they turned a verbal corner to say, “However…” The “however” is Bakken crude oil, the highly volatile feedstock Shell wishes to bring into the Skagit community by the trainload. The same that has made itself famous in 10 spectacular explosions in the United States and Canada since 2013. Bob Simmons reports. (Cascadia Weekly) See also: Residents ask for broad study of Shell’s oil-by-rail project  Joan Pringle reports. (Anacortes American)

Northern Gateway hopes to change Trudeau's mind
While on the campaign trail Justin Trudeau went on record with his strong opposition to the Northern Gateway Pipeline, so it would be fair to assume his election win means certain death for the project. But no so fast says Northern Gateway. Communications Manager Ivan Giesbrect told CBC in an emailed statement, "We look forward to the opportunity to sit down with the new Prime Minister and his government to provide an update on the progress of our project and our partnerships with First Nations and Métis people in Alberta and B.C." (CBC)

Basking shark populations teeter on the brink of extinction
With a massive body and a mouth that emerges from the deep blue like a man-made dungeon cell, the basking shark resembles a great and terrible monster. But this is an animal whose terror resides only in its appearance. This harmless creature floats through the water with its mouth agape under a bulbous nose feeding mainly on plankton. It is only its size and the industry of man that has brought the basking shark from an abundant population to the brink of extinction. Twenty years ago kayakers and boaters in the Salish Sea would have had a chance to see a fairly common dorsal fin that did not belong to a whale. The basking shark, who is named for “sunning” itself on the surface of the water, is called “sunfish” or “sailfish” in some parts of the world. Basking sharks in this region are often referred to as the gentle giant slaughtered almost into oblivion. Cali Bagby reports. (San Juan Journal)

Cleanup planned for Anacortes' Quiet Cove
An environmental cleanup project is in the planning stage for an old fuel yard in Anacortes. The state Department of Ecology says the cleanup could promote future development of the site. Ecology is working with the Port of Anacortes on the project, which would remove soil and water pollution on the property at 202 O. Ave. known as Quiet Cove. Kimberley Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

How will treaty rights influence environmental restoration?
Treaties signed 160 years ago guarantee Native Americans the right to take fish from Puget Sound for all time. A case now before the courts will help determine whether those same treaty rights place limits on how property is developed in the state of Washington. Specifically, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals last week heard arguments about whether the state of Washington violated the treaties by building culverts that block or restrict the passage of salmon.... If the appeals court upholds a ruling by U.S. District Judge Ricardo Martinez, the state could be obligated to fix about 1,000 culverts within 17 years at an estimated cost of $1.9 billion, according to state officials. That’s 1.9 billion with a “b.” Chris Dunagan explains. (Watching Our Water Ways)

Glacier melt in B.C. mountains reaches 'shocking' levels
You've heard about glaciers melting for years, but what happened last summer across Western Canada is different, because it's much faster — giving what one researcher calls a "sad window" into our future, where the glaciers are gone. In the past decade, the bluish-white ice of the tongue, or terminus, of the glacier has receded over 200 metres, at a rate of roughly 15 metres a year. This summer though, the melt rate accelerated dramatically to about two and half times that pace, says Brian Menounos, a geography professor and glacier researcher at the University of Northern B.C. in Prince George. Chris Brown and Chris Corday report. (CBC) See also: Permafrost warming in parts of Alaska 'is accelerating'  Matt McGrath reports. (BBC)

43 Canada geese killed in region cull at $725 each
It cost about $31,200 — about $725 each — to capture and kill 43 Canada geese in a cull undertaken by the Capital Regional District this year. The CRD had a permit to cull up to 250 geese on private agricultural land on the Saanich Peninsula, but managed to bag just 43. While CRD staff said the project met objectives to test culling methods, some CRD directors wondered about the cost. Bill Cleverley reports. (Times Colonist)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 244 AM PDT THU OCT 22 2015
TODAY
LIGHT WIND. WIND WAVES LESS THAN 1 FT. W SWELL 9 FT AT 15 SECONDS. PATCHY FOG IN THE MORNING.
TONIGHT
LIGHT WIND. WIND WAVES LESS THAN 1 FT. W SWELL 9 FT AT 13 SECONDS. AREAS OF FOG AFTER MIDNIGHT.

--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

10/19 Elwha, vote, fish passage, Arctic drill, coal ports, Shell train, mussel power, buffleheads, new allies, orca breeding, saving turtles, Derek Kilmer

Elwha 10/15/15 (Tom Roorda/CWI)

Elwha Nearshore October 15, 2015
Anne Shaffer of Coastal Watershed Institute writes: "The last lovely days of low flow early fall in this captivating place and time. Thank you to Tom Roorda for continuing to provide these important photos. And what it means? The main river channel is much shorter and closer to its original length than in past months of dam removal. The delta on the other hand has grown by around 45 hectares and is much more diverse habitat wise. Fish use the new areas. They began using them as soon as the habitat was available. Upshot? Most of the new delta fish habitat is side channel and estuary-not main river channel. The quiet weather patterns should soon give way to fall winds, swell, and rain, and re-activate the marine and river hydrodynamic engines. This will include pushing sediment east where it is so sorely needed!"

What you need to know for Monday’s federal election
B.C. polling stations are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 19. One of the longest federal election campaigns in Canadian history comes to a close at 7 p.m. Monday, after the final ballots are cast in British Columbia. Cindy Harnett reports. (Times Colonist)

Judges hear Washington challenge to fish-passage ruling
In a case that could have implications for dams and development in the Northwest, federal appeals judges heard arguments Friday about whether Washington state should have to spend billions of dollars to replace large pipes that allow streams to pass under roadways — but which also block salmon from migrating upstream to their spawning grounds. The lawsuit is the latest twist in more than 40 years of litigation between Washington and Native American tribes over fishing rights since a federal court decision guaranteed the tribes the right to half of Northwest salmon harvest. Washington's tribes, backed by the U.S. Justice Department, sued the state in 2001, trying to force the state to replace the culverts with bridges or other structures that better allow fish to pass. Gene Johnson reports. (Associated Press)

Seattle Enviros Celebrate Cancelation of Oil Drilling Leases In The Arctic
Local environmentalists are celebrating the Obama administration’s announcement that it is canceling upcoming auctions for drilling rights in the Arctic’s Chukchi and Beaufort Seas. The Interior Department also announced it has denied requests for extensions of Arctic leases currently held by Shell and Statoil. Shell’s Arctic fleet became a lightning rod for activism in Seattle this summer, launched by flotillas of “Kayaktivists” and others opposed to drilling. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KPLU)

Wyoming and Montana to promote coal ports in Washington
A delegation of Wyoming and Montana state lawmakers and others are looking to highlight the economic importance of opening ports to export U.S. coal to Asian markets and counter arguments against the ports during a trip to Washington. “We hope to have a broader conversation about why these terminals are important not only to Washington state, but to the people and economies of Wyoming and Montana,” said Jocelyn McCabe, a spokeswoman for the Keep Washington Competitive group, which is sponsoring the visit on Monday. (Associated Press)

Refinery, rail lines: How far should EIS scope reach for Shell rail project?
Skagit County government and the state Department of Ecology are collecting public input on a project that, if built, would mean more oil trains moving through the Skagit Valley. Together, the agencies will review the Shell Puget Sound Refinery’s East Gate Rail Project under the state Environmental Policy Act. But before starting an environmental impact statement, the agencies are trying to determine the scope of study. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald) Some groups want rail EIS to extend beyond Shell refinery  Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)  Shell wants limited EIS scope for oil-by-rail project Aaron Weinberg reports. (Skagit Valley Herald) Oil train hearing set for Monday in Lynnwood  Jerry Cornfield reports. (Everett Herald)

Penn Cove mussels to help track pollution flowing into Puget Sound
Late at night when the tide is low enough, an army of volunteers will fan out along Puget Sound and help anchor cages of native Penn Cove mussels near the shore. Starting Oct. 26, the cages will go into 73 spots around Puget Sound. Eight of those will be in Whatcom County, with California Creek where it flows into Drayton Harbor as the farthest point to the north and Clark’s Point in Chuckanut Bay the southernmost spot. The cages will be put in over seven days, and the mussels will stay there until February 2016. Their job is to help scientists find out what contaminants are washing from land into the sound during fall and winter, when Western Washington is wet. The bivalves also will show how well efforts to protect Puget Sound against stormwater pollution are working over time. Kie Relyea reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Punctual ducks feted with All Buffleheads Day
Californians celebrate the punctuality of the swallows of Capistrano. So why don’t Islanders celebrate the annual arrival of bufflehead ducks? The bufflehead is every bit as regular as the swallows, arriving in the waters of Victoria and south Vancouver Island each Oct. 15 (plus or minus a day).
… Now the Friends of Shoal Harbour and Nature Canada are hoping to earn some recognition for the bufflehead’s remarkable punctuality. On Friday, B.C. Lt.-Gov. Judith Guichon marked Oct. 15 as All Buffleheads Day. Richard Watts reports. (Times Colonist)

New alliance has big goals for salmon, orca recovery
Even with Endangered Species Act protection, two iconic Salish Sea species are struggling, and a newly formed alliance is calling attention to their plight. “It’s pretty critical that we have to do something, so let’s put the prey and predator together and let’s save them,” said Ken Balcomb, executive director of the Center for Whale Research based on San Juan Island. The center is one of many local, national and international groups that recently formed the Orca Salmon Alliance. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald) See also: Critics of Snake River dams say it’s time to tear them down  The decades-old idea of breaching four giant dams that interfere with endangered salmon runs has gained new momentum Nicholas Geranios reports. (Associated Press)

SeaWorld to challenge Calif. ban on orca breeding
SeaWorld announced Thursday that it will challenge a state ruling that banned the company from breeding captive killer whales at its San Diego park. The announcement comes a week after the California Coastal Commission endorsed a $100 million expansion of the tanks SeaWorld uses to hold orcas in San Diego. That ruling also outlined a series of restrictions on SeaWorld, including a ban on breeding and prohibitions on the sale, trade or transfer of the whales. Michael Blood reports. (Associated Press) See also: Orca pod spotted in Howe Sound  Tracey Tufnail reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Endangered western painted turtles get new beach
A population of western painted turtles in Burnaby will soon have a clean new home, free of the chunks of metallurgical coal they have been living with since a train derailed in their backyard last year. For the last few days, Deanna MacTavish and other members of the Coastal Painted Turtle Project have been digging turtle hatchlings out of a nesting beach near Silver Creek in Burnaby Lake Park. The group built the beach in 2010 and turtles were thriving there until a Canadian Pacific train operated by a Canadian National crew on CN tracks derailed in January 2014, dumping coal into the creek. When crews and officials arrived to clean up after the spill, they scrambled to dig up the nesting turtles before the machines moved in. The hatchlings that were saved were reared off site, then brought home later that spring. Matthew Robinson reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Feds eye refuges for cold-water species in 5 states
Federal scientists using new technologies have mapped what is being called a Cold Water Climate Shield, an area spanning five western states that could support viable populations of native species if the region continues its warming trend. Mapping the cold-water refuges for cutthroat trout, a favored sport fish among anglers, and threatened bull trout could help resource managers make decisions aimed at preserving populations of those and other cold-water native species in Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Montana and Wyoming. Keith Ridler reports. (Associated Press)

Conservancy names Rep. Derek Kilmer ‘Champion of Nature’
The Nature Conservancy in Washington state has given U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer its “Champion of Nature” award. Mike Stevens, state director for The Nature Conservancy in Washington state, presented the award Oct. 8 after he and members of the organization’s trustee board and staff traveled to Capitol Hill to urge Congress to renew the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which expired Sept. 30. Kilmer, a Democrat from Gig Harbor and a Port Angeles native, represents the 6th Congressional District, which includes the North Olympic Peninsula. (Peninsula Daily News)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 245 AM PDT MON OCT 19 2015
TODAY
E WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING S IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 10 SECONDS. PATCHY FOG IN THE MORNING. RAIN THROUGH THE DAY.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING S AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 9 SECONDS. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE EVENING.

--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

10/12 Oil export, Grays Harbor, diesel, microbead ban, coral bleach, smokers, Gov Pt., Padden Cr.

Elwha 10/9/15 (Tom Roorda and CWI)

House Votes to Lift Oil-Export Ban
The House voted Friday to lift the 40-year-old ban on oil exports, fueling a clash with President Barack Obama and acting on one of the oil industry’s top congressional priorities. Lawmakers voted 261-159 to lift a ban Congress first put in place after the 1970s Arab oil embargo that sent domestic gasoline prices skyrocketing. Debate on the issue now shifts to the Senate, where the measure faces steep hurdles to passage. Amy Harder reports. (Wall Street Journal)

Hundreds testify on Grays Harbor oil terminal plan
A few hundred people testified at a hearing on two proposed oil terminals at the Port of Grays Harbor in Hoquiam. Westway Terminal Co. and Renewable Energy Group want to expand existing facilities to bring crude oil by train from the Bakken region of North Dakota and Montana to send it by tankers or barges to refineries in Puget Sound and Northern California. KXRO-AM reported that protesters from Grays Harbor, Olympia, Vancouver and Portland rallied before Thursday’s public hearing in Aberdeen. Hoquiam City Administrator Brian Shay acknowledged concerns about train traffic, oil spill risk and air quality. (Associated Press)

'Smell Of Money' Polluted This South Seattle Neighborhood
Tugboat captain Dave Stauffer used to reek of diesel. “It’s just the smell of a boat,” Stauffer says. “Just like standing by a fire, you’re going to get some of that smoke on your clothes.” Stauffer’s wife also grew used to the smell. “She’d say, ‘That’s the smell of money,’” he says. The veteran captain no longer smells like fuel because the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency helped Island Tug and Barge buy cleaner engines that don’t emit such strong fumes. Joshua McNichols reports. (KUOW)

California Becomes Latest State to Ban Plastic Microbeads
Gov. Jerry Brown of California signed legislation on Thursday that bans plastic microbeads, giving his state one of the country’s strongest laws against the tiny abrasives used in exfoliators and other products…. The consumer products industry had objected to certain aspects of the bill, arguing that it was overly restrictive and did not allow companies to come up with environmentally friendly alternatives. The California rules include a prohibition against biodegradable microbeads, which other states with similar legislation allow. At least six other states have passed laws restricting microbeads, including Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland and New Jersey. Rachel Abramsoct reports. (NY Times)

Scientists: Major coral bleaching crisis spreads worldwide
The bleaching of colorful coral is spreading into a worldwide, devastating crisis, scientists say, and they predict it will likely get worse. Triggered by global warming and the El Nino, record hot ocean water is causing fragile coral to go white and often die, threatening picturesque reefs that are hotspots of marine life, experts say. The spread of sickly white started more than a year ago in Guam, then devastated Hawaii, infected the rest of the tropical Pacific and the Indian oceans and has now infested Florida and the Caribbean. On Thursday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and international reef scientists pronounced it a global coral bleaching event, only the third in recorded history. Seth Borenstein reports. Associated Press)

If you like to watch: Smoke Underwater: Exploring B.C.'s Sunken Treasures
They’re one of the planet’s most hostile environments: Towering chimneys pouring out hot, poisonous smoke from cracks in the earth. The valuable metals they spew into the sea could be a literal gold mine, but scientists still have much to learn about the undersea marvels and the teeming life around them. Justine Hunter joined a crew of researchers mapping out the deep. (Globe and Mail)

OPINION: Stop political inaction, clean up Puget Sound — now
Puget Sound is a deceptive wonder. Its haunting beauty obscures the slow-flowing poison of urban runoff and the lowering of pH from ocean acidification. The result imperils shellfish and marine life. The jewel of Western Washington, Puget Sound is at risk. As The Seattle Times’ Sandi Doughton reports, urban stormwater runoff can kill an adult coho salmon in 2 ½ hours. So why does the health of the sound rank lower with the federal government than addressing pollution threats to Chesapeake Bay and the Great Lakes? In a word: politics. (Seatttle Times)

No takers at Governors Point auction
Conservation group Whatcom Land Trust has renewed interest in preserving Governors Point after the cancellation of a bankruptcy auction where the peninsula’s 125 mostly undeveloped acres were to be sold. Bids were to start at $3.5 million on Thursday, Oct. 8, at an auction intended to raise money for property owner Roger Sahlin’s creditors. Sahlin, whose family has owned the peninsula off of Chuckanut Drive south of Bellingham since the 1960s, sought Chapter 11 protection in May. Ralph Schwartz reports. (Bellingham Herald)

More Clallam County beaches reopened to recreational shellfish harvesting
Beaches along the Strait of Juan de Fuca from Cape Flattery eastward to the Jefferson County line, except for Sequim Bay, are open for the recreational harvest of all species of shellfish. At one point this summer, all beaches in Clallam County were closed for shellfish harvesting because of elevated levels of paralytic shellfish poisoning, known as PSP. In September, beaches from the Lyre River and Low Point east to Dungeness Spit were reopened. On Friday, the state Department of Health reopened the rest of the beaches along the Strait. (Peninsula Daily News)

Padden Creek flows into new channel in ‘daylighting’ project
Neighbors gathered Friday, Oct. 9, to watch a temporary dam being removed from part of Padden Creek off Old Fairhaven Parkway. Crews pulled out the last cofferdam near 22nd Street to allow the creek to flow, marking a milestone in the $2.8 million Padden Creek “daylighting” project, which is expected to wrap up in early November. Kie Relyea reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT MON OCT 12 2015
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY
SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT BECOMING W 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT SUBSIDING TO 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 8 FT AT 12 SECONDS BUILDING TO 11 FT AT 13 SECONDS. RAIN.
TONIGHT
W WIND TO 10 KT BECOMING NW AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 10 FT AT 12 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF RAIN.

--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

10/1 Whales, Duwamish swim, refineries, Shell ship, BC pipe, new fish, Van shores, manure no-no

(Hakai Magazine/Mark Garrison)

Whales Through a New Lens
Forty years ago, the world’s whale researchers met in Indiana. The now legendary, but nearly forgotten, meeting changed the way scientists and the public see whales—and it all started with a few photographs. Erich Hoyt recounts. (Hakai Magazine) [Erich Hoyt speaks in the Salish Sea Oct 3, 6, 10, 11 & 13, Orca Tour 2015]

Intertwined Fates: The Orca-Salmon Connection In the Pacific Northwest
Dr. Carl Safina and an expert panel discuss the critical connections between Columbia Basin Salmon and Southern Resident Killer Whales. Hosted by the Orca Salmon Alliance which is working to prevent extinction of the Southern Resident Killer Whales by recovering the wild Chinook populations upon which the whales depend for their survival. Oct 7, Seattle Aquarium, Brown Paper Tickets

Bainbridge man swims Duwamish to raise awareness of river
Mark Powell slips on his goggles, adjusts his snorkel and drops away from the industrial wasteland at the mouth of the Duwamish River. The rusty barges, crumbling piers and the screech of freight trains give way to a quiet, green-blue world that is startlingly alive…. Powell, who lives on Bainbridge Island, has spent the last several months swimming the entire length of the Duwamish. He started where the 85-mile river begins as a clear trickle on Blowout Mountain near Mount Rainier. He traveled the river in 3- to 7-mile sections, sometimes crawling or wading through shallows. He finished the swim Wednesday in West Seattle, about a mile from the river’s mouth. Tristan Baurick reports. (Kitsap Sun)

EPA Sets Tougher Pollution Standards For Oil Refineries
The Environmental Protection Agency released new rules Tuesday requiring better monitoring and control of air emissions from  oil refineries, including  five operating in Washington. Refineries are being targeted by the new rules in part because they emit volatile organic chemicals, greenhouse gases and the carcinogenic compound benzene. Officials behind the new rules said they will improve the health of the 6 million Americans who live within 3 miles of a refinery. The EPA’s assistant administrator, Janet McCabe, said this will be especially beneficial for people of color, who are nearly twice as likely to live near a refinery. Ashley Ahearn reports. (EarthFix)

Port of Seattle wins Shell Arctic cargo ruling
In a ruling issued Wednesday morning, deputy hearing examiner Anne Watanabe ruled the activities conducted by Foss at Terminal 5 for the Polar Pioneer and its support vessels are permissible cargo terminal uses. Coral Garnick reports. (Seattle Times)

First Nations’ challenges of Northern Gateway pipeline to be heard in court
Multiple legal challenges aimed at overturning the federal government’s approval of Enbridge Inc. Northern Gateway pipeline plan will be heard starting Thursday. The challenges are expected to bring new scrutiny to Ottawa’s environmental approval process and its responsibility to consult with aboriginal groups. Eight First Nations, four environmental groups and one labour union launched the legal actions, which will be heard at the Federal Court of Appeal over six days in Vancouver. Laura Kane reports. (Canadian Press)

Known fish species living in the Salish Sea increases in new report
Coho salmon, Pacific halibut and even the dogfish shark are familiar faces to many people in the Salish Sea region. But what about the Pacific viperfish, northern flashlightfish, dwarf wrymouth or the longsnout prickleback? These colorfully named species and others are compiled in a new, 106-page report that documents all of the fishes that live in the Salish Sea, a roughly 6,500-square-mile region that encompasses Puget Sound, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the Strait of Georgia, the San Juan Islands and the Canadian Gulf Islands. In total, 253 fish species have been recorded in the Salish Sea, and that’s about 14 percent more than in the last count, said Ted Pietsch, co-author of the new report and a University of Washington emeritus professor of aquatic and fishery sciences. Michelle Ma reports. (UW Today)

A healthy future for Vancouver's waterfront
Christianne Wilhelmson comments: "…What if we thought of our shores as a natural resource? With Vancouver’s coastal waters home to 1,200 species, including 119 classified as at-risk within the larger Salish Sea, it isn’t an outrageous idea. After all, our waterfront is a public commodity that allows many of us to work, live, and play in this city. If we see the waterfront as a natural resource and acknowledge that without adequate planning and care it might someday look very different than today, wouldn’t we want to commit to developing a vision for its sustainability in the near and long-term future?" (The Georgia Straight)

Livestock owner near Ferndale fined for manure pollution
The state Department of Ecology has fined a livestock owner $12,000 for polluting waterways with manure north of Bellingham. Ecology officials fined Jim and Victoria Snydar last week for polluting waterways near Ferndale that flow into California Creek in the Drayton Harbor watershed. The penalty cites lack of adequate covered manure storage, improper manure spreading, and accumulations of manure in pastures and areas that slope to water bodies, as factors that led to discharges. (Associated Press)

Commissioners pass quiet zone procedures, but some residents unhappy
Skagit County Commissioners approved procedures on creating railroad quiet zones, but some residents of Blanchard are not optimistic. The proposal dictates that a majority of property owners in a half-mile radius of the proposed quiet zone need to sign a petition with a $2,000 application fee. The county then has 180 days to hold a public meeting and present the estimate to the community and negotiate a funding agreement. The community can either create a road improvement district or fund it independently and has 180 days to come forward with the money, the commissioners decided at the meeting. Brandon Stone reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

NOAA reports never-seen-before marine life in Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
Scientists returned from a 28-day research expedition today aboard the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ship Hi‘ialakai to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, reportng marine life never seen before, including a possible new species of seahorse and a sea star not previously found in Hawaii. The scientists used advanced diving technology to survey reefs within the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument at depths up to 300 feet, deeper than what conventional scuba gear allows, NOAA said in a news release today. (Star-Advertiser)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT THU OCT 1 2015
TODAY
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 12 SECONDS. AREAS OF FOG IN THE MORNING.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate
Follow on Twitter.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

9/16 Orca names, ship noise, baby salmon, spill funds, BC fuels, dog poop app, ugh slug, ocean fish

J50 Scarlet (Capt. Simon Pidcock, Ocean EcoVentures/KING)

Four orca calves receive names
Meet Scarlet, Nova, Sonic and Windsong. The four orcas who were born in the past 12 months have finally gotten their names. Over 3,000 people voted in person and online to help give the calves their new monikers. The names were announced Tuesday by The Whale Museum. Known to whale researchers as J50, J51, J52, and L121 respectively, the birth of these Southern Resident Killer Whales has boosted the endangered population…. A fifth calf, L122, made its debut on September 7, 2015, but hasn't yet been named. Elizabeth Wiley reports. (KING) See also: Orca research station sends text messages when killer whales nearby  Tamara Baluja reports. (CBC)

New hydrophones monitor ship noise in Salish Sea
Researchers have installed another underwater listening station in British Columbia’s Salish Sea to better understand how shipping noise impacts at-risk whales. The installation Monday was part of a program run by Port Metro Vancouver, the University of Victoria’s Ocean Networks Canada and the hydrophone’s manufacturer. Underwater noise has been identified as a threat to orcas that make their home in the waters between Vancouver Island and the mainland and are listed as at risk by Fisheries and Oceans Canada.(Canadian Press)

Young chum salmon may get biggest nutrition boost from Elliott Bay restored beaches
In the midst of ferry boats, container ships and tourists crowding Seattle’s Elliott Bay, young salmon are just trying to get a decent meal. The fish hatch in the rivers and streams that feed into Puget Sound and almost immediately rely on eating small organisms near the shore, including in the heart of Seattle’s commerce-filled waterfront…. But are concrete seawalls actually affecting what the salmon eat, and by how much? A University of Washington study shows that it depends on the species, with small chum salmon seeming to be most affected. Michelle Ma reports. (UW Today)

Oil Spill Funds Race to Catch Up to Rise in Rail Transportation
…. The oil spill response and prevention programs that originally sprung up around marine tanker traffic are struggling to keep pace with the shift in transportation. As more oil is transported via rail and pipeline, the coastal contingency plans and funding models have lost relevance. Regional contingency plans are now needed inland, though none exist at the state level and few at the federal level. This has left the river systems and inland areas of coastal states exposed, says David Byers, response manager for Washington's Spill Prevention, Preparedness and Response Program. Gloria Dickie reports. (High Country News)

Stephen Hume: Stop ignoring greenhouse gas emissions from exported fuels
Climate change is already having a major impact on British Columbia. Lost revenue from insect and fire-devastated forests and dwindling fisheries is amplified by the ballooning cost of responding to extreme weather events and forest fires. In the past decade wildfires and the mountain pine beetle infestation have cost taxpayers close to $4 billion…. Yet a University of Victoria graduate student's research shows that professed provincial targets to mitigate global warming by curbing greenhouse gas emissions are a sham. Stephen Hume reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Drilling at proposed LNG terminal starts despite First Nation opposition
Petronas-led Pacific NorthWest LNG has started test drilling off of Lelu Island, location of its proposed $11.4-billion liquefied natural gas terminal in northwest B.C., despite First Nation opposition. Members of several First Nations — including the Lax Kw’alaams and the Gitxsan — appeared to stop drilling on the weekend, but the presence of Prince Rupert Port Authority boats has allowed the work to start, Lax Kw’alaams First Nation hereditary chief Don Wesley, also known as Sm’oogyet Yahaan, said Tuesday. Gordon Hoekstra reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Amakusa Island coal ship grounding near Prince Rupert prompts changes
The Transportation Safety Board says the grounding of a Japanese coal ship off B.C.'s North Coast could have been worse, had the massive vessel been moving more quickly. The Japanese bulk carrier Amakusa Island was hauling 80,000 tonnes of Canadian coal when it hit a shoal about 22 km from Prince Rupert on July 14, 2014. The ship ran aground and visibly listed. No one was injured and no pollution was released, but the 228-metre ship was left with damage to its ballast tanks, which began to take on water, and sustained cracks up to 30 metres long. Betsy Trumpener reports. (CBC)

Japan: City launches app to report dog poo
A city in Japan is trying to crack down on dog fouling by asking people to take photos of any canine mess they encounter and upload the images to a new app. The authorities in Izumisano, in central Osaka Prefecture, are trying out the new method after years of failed attempts to solve the city's dog mess problem, the Asahi Shimbun website reports. Locals are invited to post comments detailing the scene alongside their photo submissions, and the app uses GPS location data from their smartphones to create an interactive online map. (BBC)

Slug with interesting mating life spotted in Comox Valley
Limax Maximus, literally the biggest slug, is a ferociously speedy nocturnal predator with an interesting sex life according to a local biologist. "They wave their penises in the air and the penises stick together and transfer organs. Now once they finish hours of mating, they are literally stuck together. So one of them cuts off the other's penis and turns it into a female," explained  Comox Valley Nature biologist Loys Maingon, who was given the creature to identify. Like all slugs, Limax Maximus is hermaphroditic. The invasive species is a terror for gardeners says Maingon, because it reproduces twice as fast as other slugs and feeds on anything. (CBC)

Ocean fish numbers on 'brink of collapse,' WWF reports
The amount of fish in the oceans has halved since 1970, in a plunge to the "brink of collapse" caused by over-fishing and other threats, the WWF conservation group said on Wednesday. Populations of some commercial fish stocks, such as a group including tuna, mackerel and bonito, had fallen by almost 75 per cent, according to a study by the WWF and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL). Marco Lambertini, director general of WWF International, told Reuters mismanagement was pushing "the ocean to the brink of collapse". (Thomson Reuters)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT WED SEP 16 2015
TODAY
E WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 8 SECONDS. SHOWERS LIKELY.
TONIGHT
E WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 10 SECONDS. RAIN.

--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told