10/11 Bull kelp, bird climate woes, laundry microfibres, Duwamish Tribe, Seaport Alliance noise

Bull kelp [Mary Jo Adams]

Bull kelp Nereocystis luetkeana
Attaches to rocks just beyond lowest tides. Entire growth takes place from spring to fall (to several inches per day). Most plants die off during the first winter; release spores that become the microscopic, overwintering gametophyte generation. Bull kelp beds shelter schools of fishes; seabirds rest in calmed sea around fronds. Large tangled are washed ashore by winter storms; leathery stalks may last months. Hollow bulbs were used by coastal Indians as water vessels; long stiles were knotted end-to-end as fishing line for halibut. (Marine Wildlife of Puget Sound, the San Juans, and the Strait of Georgia)

Audubon study finds harm to most Washington bird species as global temperatures rise 
If climate change continues on its current trajectory, more than half of 296 Washington bird species face trouble as forests shrink, sea levels rise and the seasons warm, according to an Audubon study released Thursday. The Washington outlook for the year 2100 includes population declines for many species as well as the potential for some localized extinctions as birds try to adapt to a warming world. The state assessment is part of an Audubon study of  U.S. bird populations in a world where temperatures climb by 3 degrees Celsius (5.4 degree Fahrenheit). That’s the forecast for the century’s end without major reductions in fossil-fuel emissions that scientists say are spurring climate change. Hal Bernton reports. (Seattle Times)

Heavy load: Study breaks down toll of laundry microfibres on ocean ecosystems
A new report from Vancouver researchers suggests laundry machines in Canada and the U.S. release 878 tonnes of potentially harmful microfibres into aquatic environments every year. That's the equivalent to the weight of 10 blue whales flowing into oceans, lakes and rivers even after wastewater treatment, according to the study from Ocean Wise. These tiny fibres, which break off clothing and other textiles during the wash cycle, include a large volume of plastics that don't degrade and could cause serious problems in aquatic ecosystems, according to Peter Ross, vice-president of research at the conservation organization. Bethany Lindsay reports. (CBC)

Seattle was named after a tribal chief. Now his descendants own less than an acre of city land.
The Native American tribe whose former leader inspired this city’s name plans to kick off its celebration of Indigenous People’s Day with a Friday gala on the downtown Seattle waterfront, a central location designed to remind the public that the tribe persists. The event also celebrates the 10th anniversary of the tribe’s longhouse, a traditional shelter built with Western red cedar that sits on less than an acre of land — all that the Duwamish tribe still owns of its ancestral home. For decades, the tribe’s leaders have fought for federal recognition and to regain some of the land that their ancestors inhabited along Puget Sound, once populated with more than 50 traditional village sites. But after Chief Si’ahl greeted early pioneers in 1851, the settlers adopted not only his name — Anglicized to Seattle — but also his tribe’s home. Greg Skugges reports. (Washington Post)

NW Seaport Alliance Joins Underwater Noise Partnership
The Northwest Seaport Alliance is working with the Port of Seattle, Port of Tacoma, Washington State Ferries, NOAA, and the Puget Sound Partnership to find ways to reduce underwater noise - a key factor in the continued survival of Southern Resident orcas, the non-migratory population that inhabits the Salish Sea. Underwater noise hinders killer whales' ability to find food and communicate. The competing seaport of Vancouver, British Columbia has already established a voluntary noise reduction program, and NWSA and other stakeholders gathered at a conference October 3 to look at ways to take up similar measures. (Marine Executive)




Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  213 AM PDT Fri Oct 11 2019   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON PDT TODAY   
TODAY  E wind 15 to 25 kt easing to 10 to 20 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. SW swell 2 ft at 14 seconds. 
TONIGHT  SE wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. SW swell  2 ft at 13 seconds. 
SAT  E wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 4 ft  at 9 seconds. A slight chance of rain. 
SAT NIGHT  N wind to 10 kt becoming W after midnight. Wind  waves 1 ft or less. W swell 4 ft at 9 seconds. 
SUN  W wind to 10 kt becoming NW 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 6 ft at 10 seconds.



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