11/14 Orcas, storm salmon, suing fish farms, Tacoma Tideflats, blown up whale, flora climate, Trump's coal

Giant plumose anemone [Phil Edgell/Vancouver Aquarium]

Giant Plumose Anemone Metridium farcimen
You can often find this species attached to the sides of docks, floats, and pilings…. This large anemone can reach 1 m in height, and has more than 200 thin, relatively short tentacles.  It is usually white, but can also be brown, tan, or pinky-orange…. This species is reportedly the world's tallest polyp. Dense colonies defend their territory against each other and other anemone species with acontia. The acontia do not noticeably sting human skin, but do not let them near your eyes or mouth as these areas are more sensitive. This species is preyed upon by the shaggy mouse nudibranch and the leather star. (Biodiversity of the Central Coast)

Where have all Puget Sound's orcas gone?
Every day this summer, Jeanne Hyde scanned the waters off the west side of San Juan Island, hoping that the killer whales would show up. All night, she streamed the underwater sounds from microphones submerged along the shoreline, waiting for the whales’ distinctive trills, chirps and whistles to wake her up. Too often, she slept through the night. Allegra Abramo reports. (Crosscut)

If you like to watch: Salmon swim across flooded Washington state road
Almost every year, when rains are heavy, salmon cross the road in the Skokomish Valley on the Olympic Peninsula. This year’s spectacle did not disappoint. Mason County resident Alissa Joy Ewing captured a shoal of salmon churning floodwaters on the shoulder of road Sunday night, and again on Monday morning. Benjamin Woodard reports. (Seattle Times)

Suit filed over Atlantic salmon farm escape 
Atlantic salmon spilled into Puget Sound last summer appear to be gone — but the spill is far from forgotten as conservationists file suit. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)

Environmentalists cheering change that would limit growth of current Tideflats businesses
Proposed six-month land use restrictions for the Tideflats will be before the Tacoma City Council on Tuesday, and environmentalists as well as port of Tacoma businesses are expected to show up in force — again — to plead their case on either side. The latest draft of the interim regulations holds a significant change that environmental advocates are cheering and some businesses are decrying: Existing heavy industrial uses would be allowed, but instead of the potential for unlimited growth, they would only be allowed to expand by up to 10 percent of their storage, production, or distribution capacity during the interim period, and would need a conditional-use permit. Candice Ruud reports. (News Tribune of Tacoma)

If you like to watch: There Is Now Better Footage of That Time Oregon Blew Up a Whale With Dynamite
Reader Rick Haley pointed out that this past weekend was an anniversary of an epic day on the Oregon coast. We'll let Sophia June tell the story from a news article posted last year: "On November 12, 1970, the Oregon Department of Transportation blew up a dead whale that had washed up on a Florence beach. In what was called a "controlled explosion," they used a half-ton of dynamite. It didn't go well. Chunks of dead whale blubber ended up all over both bystanders and the beach, flying out as far as a nearby parking lot where the flying flesh severely damaged at least one car. The decision to publicly dynamite an enormous mammal has become one of Oregon's all-time most bizarre moments…" (Willamette Week)

UW Climate Change Study Shows Effect On Mount Rainier Wildflowers
If you trek to Mount Rainier National Park every summer to catch the spectacular display of wildflowers, take note: In the future, some flower species may bloom earlier while others could disappear altogether, according to a study from the University of Washington. The study shows climate change could have a dramatic affect on wildflowers and wildlife in the park. UW researchers report in a paper published online on Oct. 11 in the journal Ecology that they made their discovery because of the unusual weather in the Pacific Northwest in 2015. Paula Wissel reports. (KNKX)

Protesters Jeer as Trump Team Promotes Coal at U.N. Climate Talks
The Trump administration made its debut at a United Nations conference on climate change on Monday by giving a full-throated defense of fossil fuels and nuclear energy as answers to driving down global greenhouse gas emissions. The forum — the only official appearance by the United States delegation during the annual two-week climate gathering of nearly 200 nations — illustrated how sharply the administration’s views are at odds with those of many key participants in the climate negotiations. Lisa Friedman and Brad Plumer report. (NY Times)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  642 AM PST Tue Nov 14 2017  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT  
TODAY  SE wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. SW swell 10 ft  at 10 seconds. Rain and isolated thunderstorms.
TONIGHT  SE wind 15 to 25 kt becoming E 20 to 30 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft. SW 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