12/23 T.obama, J34 necropsy, poop-power, Skagit R., BC parcels, shellfish hatchery, BP EIS

T. obama (Richard Pyle/Bishop Museum/CBS)

New species of fish in Hawaii's waters named after Obama
When scientists discovered a new species of fish in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, they noticed a distinctive, colorful spot near the tail that bore a striking resemblance to President Barack Obama’s campaign logo, CBS affiliate KGMB reports. That’s one of the reasons why they decided to name the species after him. And as Obama’s second term as president draws to a close, scientists are hoping the species will symbolize his legacy for many years to come. Scientists from the Bishop Museum, National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration and the Association for Marine Exploration on Wednesday published a description of the new species called “Tosanoides obama,” which was discovered during a NOAA expedition to Papahanaumokuakea in June. (CBS)

Necropsy on dead killer whale shows animal suffered blunt-force trauma
A necrospy on a dead killer whale found floating off the coast of British Columbia showed the animal had blunt-force trauma to its head and neck, officials say. The male orca, found in the water off the Sunshine Coast north of Vancouver on Tuesday, also had a hematoma, indicating it was alive for a time after the injury, said Paul Cottrell, Pacific marine mammal co-ordinator with Fisheries and Oceans Canada. He said the damage may have been caused by a vessel strike or other “heavy contact,” but investigators are waiting on tissue tests and other results to determine exactly what happened…. The 18-year-old orca, known as J34, was part of the endangered southern resident killer whale population, which live in the waters off southern British Columbia and Washington state. (Canadian Press)

Poop-powered cars could soon hit the road in Metro Vancouver
If it's yellow, let it mellow — goes the toilet etiquette saying — but if it's brown, flush it down... and it might end up in your gas tank. Researchers at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have successfully converted sewage waste into a substance similar to crude oil. And Metro Vancouver will pilot the technology as it taps into thousands of flushing toilets across the region to fuel a new biocrude oil plant that will open in 2018. Jon Hernandez reports. (CBC) See also: Sechelt treatment plant will have to be expanded as early as 2023  A controversial $25-million sewage treatment plant in Sechelt will have to be expanded as early as 2023 at a cost of $13 million, according to a project review by Deloitte LLP. The Water Resource Centre was designed to be a showcase for sustainability and innovation, processing the town’s sewage to a world-class standard and producing Class A compostable biosolids as a byproduct. Randy Shore reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Skagit project moves forward in federal water bill
A project that would restore fish habitat along the north fork of the Skagit River on Fir Island has federal approval to move forward. President Barack Obama signed the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act on Friday…. Among the projects authorized in the bill are three from the Puget Sound Nearshore Ecosystem Restoration Project that are expected to cost a combined $461.6 million for design and construction. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Four environmentally sensitive parcels of lands around B.C. to be protected 
Four properties have been added to British Columbia's collection of environmentally sensitive lands. They include a 64-hectare parcel of fish and wildlife habitat along the Fraser River near McBride, and 63 hectares of low-lying wetland in the same area southeast of Prince George. Smaller parcels include 3.2 hectares of forest in Ruckle Provincial Park on Salt Spring Island and just over half a hectare containing a bird sanctuary, hiking trails, wetland and shoreline habitat near Cranbrook. The province acquired the land after financial difficulties forced the Land Conservancy of B.C. to transfer it to the Nature Conservancy of Canada last year. (Canadian Press)

Massive shellfish hatchery near completion on Sunshine Coast
 Construction is nearing completion at a massive land-based shellfish hatchery and research facility near Saltery Bay on the Sunshine Coast. The 34,000-square-metre facility is the first phase of a planned $40-million build-out south of Powell River that is expected to create 30 to 50 local jobs. Hummingbird Cove Lifestyles is a subsidiary of Linghai Shenziting Sea Cucumber Hatchery in China’s Liaoning province. Although construction was delayed by several months due to a lengthy government licensing process and an ongoing legal conflict with a local building contractor, the facility is set to open in February, according to Dan Dyble, a business consultant and spokesman for the firm’s owners. Randy Shore reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Conservationists Press Army Corps To Complete Its Environmental Review Of Expansion At BP Refinery
Sixteen environmental groups have sent a letter to the Army Corps of Engineers with concerns about increasing oil tanker traffic in the Salish Sea. They say a final environmental impact statement for expansion of an oil refinery north of Bellingham is long overdue — and needed now more than ever.  BP added a second dock to its refinery at Cherry Point, near Ferndale, in 2001. Known as the North Wing, it was originally built without formal environmental analysis, though it doubled the facility’s capacity for receiving oil tankers. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KNKX)

Now, your Christmas weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  300 AM PST FRI DEC 23 2016  

TODAY  NE WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING NW IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND  WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 8 FT AT 14 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF RAIN.
TONIGHT  NW WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING N AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND  WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 7 FT AT 14 SECONDS. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF  RAIN AFTER MIDNIGHT.
SAT  W WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING E IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES  2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 7 FT AT 13 SECONDS.
SAT NIGHT  E WIND 5 TO 15 KT...RISING TO 15 TO 20 KT AFTER  MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 7 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
SUN  E WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT  11 SECONDS.

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