12/20 Port Susan Bay, Don Saniford, MaST Center, Judd Cr., Vic sewer

Ocean 'flowers' (Matthias Wietz)

This is very cool: “It was three, maybe four o'clock in the morning when he first saw them. Grad student Jeff Bowman was on the deck of a ship; he and a University of Washington biology team were on their way back from the North Pole. It was cold outside, the temperature had just dropped, and as the dawn broke, he could see a few, then more, then even more of these little flowery things, growing on the frozen sea.” Robert Krulwich reports. Suddenly there's a meadow in the ocean with 'flowers' everywhere

Yesterday’s Salish Sea Communications post about Santa writing to President Obama about a national monument for BLM lands in the San Juans brought the following response from the Salish Sea Elf: “Santa, you environmental beard, passing the buck to the President. Whatever, we can use the push from the North Pole too. I love the channeling through Mike at the Salish Sea Comm.  What a thought, signals from Patos. Let’s ask for another gift: that the oil and coal tankers and cargo stay away from your Patos signpost. Who do we pass that buck to? Maybe all the people of the Salish Sea sliced in two by a flimsy boundary!  There is work to be done by PFPS or ? I may be crazy, call me maybe.”

The Nature Conservancy of Washington has just completed a tidal marsh restoration that reconnects 4,000 acres of tidelands at the northern end of Port Susan Bay in Snohomish County to Puget Sound. The project included taking out 1.3 miles of a sea dike built in the 1950s to create more farmland. The conservancy built almost a mile of new dike roughly following the original shore to protect farmland. But restoring the reach of salt water to the land will revive a tidal estuary environment that once supported shorebirds, salmon and other species. Two projects comprising the restoration cost more than $4 million, funded by a suite of partners, including many state and federal agencies and the Tulalip Tribes. Lynda Mapes reports. Now open: Port Susan Bay

A notorious salmon-farming critic who recently won a defamation case in B.C. Supreme Court has been rebuked financially for his conduct during the same trial. Don Staniford was taken to court earlier this year by the salmon farming firm Mainstream Canada over a 2011 campaign that included images of cigarette packages with statements that read "Salmon Farming Kills Like Smoking." In September, Justice Elaine Adair ruled in favour of Staniford's defence of fair comment, saying that while his statements were defamatory and he was motivated by malice, the activist honestly believed in what he was saying. Victorious salmon-farming critic censured by judge will get no legal-fee reprieve

The Marine Science and Technology (MaST) Center, the marine laboratory for Highline Community College, located four miles south of campus at Redondo Beach, experienced exterior damage during the Sunday night, Monday morning Puget Sound storm (Dec. 16 & 17). Also, power went out which could have been life-threateneing to the marine creatures in the aquarium depending on oxygen from pumps. A tidal surge of one and a half feet prompted by high winds combined with a high tide of 13 feet-plus at 8:17 a.m. Monday gave a one-two punch to the Center, to Salty's next door, and flooded the street there. Steve Shay reports. Marine Science and Technology Center in Redondo Beach, sea creatures, survive storm; Staff thanks volunteers

King County and the Vashon-Maury Island Land Trust teamed up to put another 10 acres of property along Judd Creek into protected ownership, representatives from both entities said last week. The purchase includes 400 feet of Judd Creek, Vashon’s largest stream and a source of habitat for spawning salmon. The property is also adjacent to other acreage the two entities recently protected and kitty-corner to more than 40 acres of protected land in Paradise Valley. Leslie Brown reports. Judd Creek parcel secures protection

Greater Victoria’s sewage committee has approved a $711,000 consulting contract with Partnerships B.C., despite some politicians warning that the government-owned agency is biased toward public-private partnerships. A majority on the committee voted Wednesday to award the contract despite objections from the mayors of Esquimalt, View Royal and Colwood, as well a councillor from each of Saanich and Victoria. CRD sewage committee OKs consulting contract

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST THU DEC 20 2012
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY
S WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 12 FT AT 15 SECONDS BUILDING TO 14 FT AT 16 SECONDS. RAIN IN THE MORNING...
 THEN SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 14 FT AT 16 SECONDS SUBSIDING TO 12 FT AT 16 SECONDS. SHOWERS LIKELY.

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"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.

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