2/27 Ducks, public lands bill, orca protection, Mackay Cr spill, methane-snacking crabs Tarika Powell

PHOTO: Mary Ann Christman/BirdNote

Big Ducks, Small Ducks, and the Economy of Nesting
Ducks that start laying eggs soon after arriving at a suitable nest site are sometimes called “capital” breeders, because they carry with them, in their bodies, all the food and fat reserves they need to begin nesting when they arrive. “Income” breeders arrive at their nesting sites after a long migration, hungry and ready to chow down. It’s only after the female has gained enough of a nutrient “income” that she’ll be ready to lay her first clutch of eggs. Mallards — like the female seen here — may have enough energy stored up to lay a first clutch of eggs. (BirdNote)

Massive public-lands bill passes Congress with big implications for Washington state
The House passed the bill, 363-62, on Tuesday. It includes several provisions that will impact Washington state. Evan Bush reports. (Seattle Times) See also: Protections For Devil's Staircase, Other NW Areas Sent To Trump For Signature  Jess Burns reports. (OPB)

Compromise on orca protection removes whale watching moratorium, garners criticism
A de facto ban on whale watching boats that would have required them to stay 650 yards away from endangered Puget Sound orcas for three to five years has been stripped from revised legislation. The compromise goes against a recommendation from Gov. Jay Inslee’s Orca Recovery Task Force.... The compromise legislation omits the de facto moratorium detailed in prior bills, but increases the distance all boats must keep from the endangered whales from 200 to 300 yards. It also creates a go-slow zone and a new licensing system under which the state Department of Fish and Wildlife can set conditions to limit things such as boat numbers or time spent with the whales. That’s not enough for some advocates, including Janet Thomas, executive director of the Orca Relief Citizens' Alliance. She told lawmakers the compromise makes a “mockery” of what the task force recommended. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KNDX)

Vacuum trucks suck 49,000 litres of oily water from storm sewer to save salmon 
More than 49,000 litres of oily water have been vacuumed out of the storm sewer system near Mackay Creek in North Vancouver after an oil spill was spotted in the fish-bearing creek last Friday. Several environmental groups alerted city and district officials about the spill which ended up being "fairly significant," according to Richard Boase, manager of environmental sustainability with the District of North Vancouver. Investigators have identified the source but are not making it public until the investigation is complete. Yvette Brend reports. (CBC)

Methane-snacking crabs suggest they are adapting to climate change 
Crabs that have a normal diet of a type of plankton have been seen munching on methane-filled bacteria off British Columbia’s coast in what experts say could be their way of adapting to climate change. Researchers with Oceans Networks Canada, an initiative of the University of Victoria and Oregon State University, discovered the snow crabs using other food sources because their main meal may be disappearing with a warmer climate. The crabs were previously thought to exclusively eat phytoplankton and researchers say this is the first evidence that a commercial species is finding some of its nutrition from other food sources. (Canadian Press)

A researcher's crusade against fossil fuels began in the segregated South
A science camp in the Ozarks spun Sightline Institute's Tarika Powell into a lifelong career of environmental education and advocacy. Manola Secaira reports. (Crosscut)


Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  300 AM PST Wed Feb 27 2019   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON   
TODAY  E wind 20 to 30 kt becoming SE 15 to 25 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 4 ft at 14 seconds. 
TONIGHT  S wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell  4 ft at 18 seconds. A slight chance of showers.



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