8/16 Pt Roberts, Elwha mouth, free pump out, ocean laws, tree probiotics, seal bites man

Point Roberts [Bellingham Homes]

Point Roberts
Point Roberts is a land exclave of the United States that is located on the southernmost tip of the Tsawwassen Peninsula, south of Vancouver in British Columbia. Point Roberts was created when the United Kingdom and the United States settled the Pacific Northwest American-Canadian border dispute in the mid 19th century with the Oregon Treaty. Both parties agreed that the 49th parallel would delineate both countries' territories, however, the small area that incorporates Point Roberts was overlooked. (Wikipedia)

Coastal Watershed Institute seeking funding for Elwha River mouth project
The Coastal Watershed Institute’s project expanding accessibility to the Elwha River mouth and restoring a section east of the mouth is at a halt after the nonprofit has struggled to find funding. The nonprofit’s executive director, Anne Shaffer, said she doesn’t understand why funding through the Puget Sound Partnership for the project was denied this year when the project was the set as the top priority for habitat restoration projects in the state. Jesse Major reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Free pump-out service helps Vancouver boaters dispose of sewage
Vancouver is offering a free mobile pump-out service to boaters aimed at helping to improve water quality. The city and park board say the pilot service will come directly to boats in False Creek to empty their sewage tanks. A statement said that will make it easier for boaters to pump — not dump — their waste. According to the city, untreated sewage from boats is the primary source of E. coli contamination in False Creek. The pump-out service is part of a strategy to make False Creek safe for swimming. (Canadian Press)

Watch This: What Are Oceans Laws Trying to Protect? 
These guys…. These are just a few of the residents living near the coast of California, in aquariums at the Catalina Island Marine Institute. In the surrounding waters, the state has designated marine protected areas that help wildlife like this propagate… Claire O'Neill and Matt Ruby write. (NY Times)

Study: Probiotics Can Help Trees Clean Up Toxic Waste
Humans like their yogurt and new research indicates the trees that clean up toxic waste stand to benefit from probiotics too. Poplar trees clean groundwater by taking up the carcinogen trichloroethylene, or TCE, and breaking it down into harmless salts. TCE is one of the most common groundwater pollutants in the country and is found in multiple sites in the Pacific Northwest, including the Duwamish River. But there’s a catch. “When the pollutant is at too high of a concentration or there are other mixed pollutants” then the poplars can become “stunted and don’t do well,” said Sharon Doty, a researcher at the University of Washington. That’s why Doty worked with other researchers to find a bacteria that could help poplars break down TCE. Eilís O'Neill reports. (KUOW)

Seal bites man in Friday Harbor; experts, victim say seal expects to be hand fed
A Friday Harbor mainstay that's been attracting locals and tourists alike for two decades is in hot water. Popeye the popular one-eyed seal bit a fisherman's arm, causing severe injury. For the better part of 20 years, Popeye has been getting her fill of table scraps from people eager to feed her. Gerald Balmer says that’s what the seal appeared to want when she paid him and his friends a visit as they pulled into Friday Harbor after a long day of fishing last Thursday. “She used her flippers and was flipping water clear over the boat onto us—wanting something to eat,” Gerald remembered. But Gerald says when he didn’t oblige, Popeye helped herself. Joanna Small reports. (KIRO)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  241 AM PDT Wed Aug 16 2017  
TODAY  Light wind becoming W to 10 kt in the afternoon. Wind  waves 1 ft or less. W swell 5 ft at 10 seconds. Patchy fog in the  morning. A slight chance of showers in the afternoon.
TONIGHT  W wind 10 to 20 kt. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 6 ft  at 11 seconds. Patchy fog after midnight.

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