7/24 Bat, orca food, Tahlequah,Tacoma LNG, coast fish, coral reefs, condors, Vashon shores

Hoary bat [Daniel Neal]

Hoary Bat Lasiurus cinereus
The hoary bat is the largest bat in Washington. The fur is a mixture of yellowish-brown, dark brown, and white, giving it a distinctive frosty or “hoary” appearance... Hoary bats have the broadest geographic distribution of any bat in the New World, including much of North America and South America, as well as Hawaii... In Washington and elsewhere, hoary bats are mainly associated with a variety of forest types, but also occur in open cover types (e.g., grasslands, deserts, clearcuts, meadows), particularly when foraging and migrating... The only dietary data for the Pacific Northwest come from Oregon, where several studies suggest a preference for moths, with leaf hoppers, true bugs, mosquitoes, and other insects consumed in lesser amounts. In other regions, hoary bats also feed on beetles, grasshoppers, dragonflies, wasps, termites, midges, and other flies. (WDFW)

Toxic food, toxic water: What's killing B.C.'s killer whales?
Poisoned bodies, dangerous blobs and dissolving snail shells: The threats facing the killer whale family J pod read like a horror film. The resident orcas of British Columbia's South Coast have no natural enemies, but the toxins in their environment are creating unnatural threats that could wipe out the entire population of the Salish Sea's top predator, scientists say. J pod is one of three orca families that belong to the endangered southern resident group. They are among the most-studied whales in the world and scientists say pollutants in the ocean, and the water itself, could be what's killing them. Bridgette Watson reports. (CBC) See also: Could B.C.'s chinook-loving orcas adapt to a new food source? It's not unthinkable  Bethany Lindsay reports. (CBC)

Mother orca Tahlequah and her dead calf, one year later. How did she change the conversation?
It was a year ago Wednesday that mother orca Tahlequah rallied attention to the plight of endangered southern resident killer whales and their struggle for survival....So on her anniversary, the [Seattle] Times asked readers if they still think of her. And took stock of some of what’s changed since her journey, for better and for worse. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)

Critics appalled as controversial Tacoma LNG plant moves closer to final approval
Puget Sound Energy’s liquefied natural gas project on Tacoma’s Tideflats is one step closer to completion. On Monday, the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency said it reviewed the project’s Notice of Construction Application and “made a preliminary determination that the proposal meets all the requirements of Agency Regulations I, II and III and should be approved.” The announcement sets the clock ticking on a public-comment period and August public hearing in Tacoma at the Rialto Theater over the final air permit for the project — the last major permitting milestone. Debbie Cockrell reports. (News Tribune of Tacoma)

Fisheries innovations credited with West Coast groundfish recovery
The dramatic recovery of many groundfish species along the West Coast is a testament to the innovation, cooperation and persistence by fisheries managers and fishermen alike under the landmark Magnuson-Stevens Act of 1976. One of the latest innovations, formally approved last month by the National Marine Fisheries Service, is “electronic monitoring,” which allows the use of video and other equipment in place of the human observers needed to ensure the accuracy of harvest reports. The faster-then-expected recovery of depleted populations — including canary rockfish, bocaccio, darkblotched rockfish, and Pacific Ocean perch — has led to dramatically increased harvest limits this year. NMFS estimates that increased fishing will add 900 jobs and $60 million in income this year alone. Recreational anglers are expected to go fishing an additional 219,000 times, mostly in California with some of those outings in Oregon and Washington, according to a news release. Chris Dunagan reports. (Watching Our Water Ways)

Before you play in the water at Whatcom County beaches, read this report on water quality
Before you play in the water at a Whatcom County beach, you might want to check out this new study about fecal bacteria contamination along its shores. Titled “Safe for Swimming? Water Quality at Our Beaches,” it was based on an analysis of bacteria samples that were taken from beaches in 29 coastal and Great Lakes states as well as Puerto Rico.... Environment America and the Frontier Group conducted the study. Among the report’s findings: ▪ In Washington state, 89 of 215 beach sites — or 41 percent — that were sampled were possibly unsafe for swimming at least one day in 2018. ▪ Whatcom County had the highest percentage of potentially unsafe beach days, on average, in the state. That came in at 12%. The next four were Island County at 7%; King County at 6%; Clallam County at 5% and Skagit County at 5%. Kie Relyea reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Study shows that management and evolution give hope to coral reefs facing the effects of climate change
A new study released July 1 in Nature Climate Change gives hope for coral reefs. Launched by the nonprofit Coral Reef Alliance, with lead and senior authors at the University of Washington, the study is one of the first to demonstrate that management that takes evolution and adaptation into account can help rescue coral reefs from the effects of climate change. Importantly, the results show that by making smart decisions to protect reefs today, conservation managers can generate the conditions that can help corals adapt to rising temperatures. (UW News)

The largest bird in North America was nearly wiped out. Here’s how it fought its way back.
... In 1982, when just 22 California condors were left in the world and the species’ obituary was being written in advance, scientists captured the remaining population to breed the scavenger birds in captivity. Nearly four decades later, a consortium of government agencies and nonprofit groups announced a miraculous milestone: 1,000 California condor chicks hatched since the official rescue program began. Reis Thebault reports. (Washington Post)

King County preparing for rising sea levels on Vashon Island
King County is working on its comprehensive plan for 2020 and that plan involves potentially pushing back future land development and remodeling from the Vashon Island coast to protect buildings from a rise in sea level.... Jim Simmonds, project manager for issues dealing with sea level rise for King County, says the future increase in water along the Pacific Ocean and in the Puget Sound will affect coastal properties, like the ones on Vashon. Nick Popham reports. (KOMO)



Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  244 AM PDT Wed Jul 24 2019   
TODAY  W wind to 10 kt becoming NW 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 3 ft at 7 seconds. A slight  chance of showers in the morning. 
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 15 kt becoming to 10 kt after midnight.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 2 ft at 8 seconds.



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