6/21 Hot salmon, no to BC pipe, forage fish, coral reefs, fish feelings, oil tanker risks

Clouds over Silva Bay (Laurie MacBride)

Shifting Focus
Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "Each summer when it’s time to re-develop my sealegs, I need to make some shifts in focus and perspective. All through the spring, growing our food garden at home, I’ve been looking down to check soil moisture, plant health and so on. Now, I need to constantly look up, to the wide expanse of sky which holds the signposts for what might be coming our way – because weather trumps all when we’re out on the water…."

Record warm weather continues to threaten Pacific salmon, federal panel says
Record warm temperatures along the B.C. coast are continuing to threaten Pacific salmon populations, according to a federal government update. Unusually warm ocean conditions in 2015, spurred by both the Blob and El Nino, are expected to have lasting effects on Pacific salmon returns over the next three years, including increased mortality rates, says a report from a Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) panel of scientists. Panel members held a news conference in Vancouver Monday to release their findings. Jon Hernandez reports. (CBC)

Vancouver asks court to halt Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion
The City of Vancouver has joined the growing list of groups asking the courts to halt the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion project. In the legal application that was filed in Vancouver on Friday the city is asking the Federal Court of Appeal to stop the National Energy Board from taking any action that would allow the project to move forward. The city argues the National Energy Board failed to properly assess "whether the project is required by public convenience and necessity." when it recently approved the project with a number of conditions. It also argues the NEB failed to conduct a proper environmental assessment of the project, including the full scope of  associated greenhouse gas emissions. Mike Laanela reports. (CBC)

If you like to watch: Ramona deGraaf on Forage Fish
Ramona deGraaf is a scientist who travels the coastline of Howe Sound and beyond creating citizen groups whose task is to monitor the beaches' condition for spawning forage fish - Smelt, Herring, Sand Lance, the "keystone species" upon whom the rest of the predator fish (salmon)and mammals (whales).

Scientists battle to save world’s coral reefs
After the most powerful El Nino on record heated the world’s oceans to never-before-seen levels, huge swaths of once vibrant coral reefs that were teeming with life are now stark white ghost towns disintegrating into the sea. And the world’s top marine scientists are still struggling in the face of global warming and decades of devastating reef destruction to find the political and financial wherewithal to tackle the loss of these globally important ecosystems…. Consecutive years of coral bleaching have led to some of the most widespread mortality of reefs on record, leaving scientists in a race to save them. While bleached coral often recovers, multiple years weakens the organisms and increases the risk of death. (Associated Press) See also: In Secrets of Coral Spawning, Hope for Endangered Reefs  (NY Times)

Fish Have Feelings, Too: The Inner Lives Of Our 'Underwater Cousins'
When you think about fish, it's probably at dinnertime. Author Jonathan Balcombe, on the other hand, spends a lot of time pondering the emotional lives of fish. Balcombe, who serves as the director of animal sentience for the Humane Society Institute for Science and Policy, tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross that humans are closer to understanding fish than ever before.... In his new book, What A Fish Knows: The Inner Lives Of Our Underwater Cousins, Balcombe presents evidence that fish have a conscious awareness — or "sentience" — that allows them to experience pain, recognize individual humans and have memory. He argues that humans should consider the moral implications of how we catch and farm fish.  (NPR)

Event: Oil, Orcas & Oystercatchers: Preparing for the Inevitable
A free program exploring the marine ecosystem of the Salish Sea and the threats posed by increased oil tanker traffic. Speakers include Dr. Deborah Giles of Center for Whale Research, Dr. John Bower of Western Washington University, Stephanie Buffum of Friends of the San Juans and Jerry Joyce of MoonJoyce Resources. Padilla Bay Reserve, 10441 Bayview-Edison Road, Mount Vernon, 12 NOON-2:30 PM, Sunday, June 26. RSVP here.

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  300 AM PDT TUE JUN 21 2016  

TODAY  W WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING 10 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON.  WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 7 SECONDS. PATCHY DRIZZLE IN  THE MORNING.
TONIGHT  W WIND 5 TO 15 KT IN THE EVENING...BECOMING LIGHT. WIND  WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 8 SECONDS. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF  SHOWERS AFTER MIDNIGHT.

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