10/29/19 Bird's Nest fungi, porcupine fish, 'shroom poisonings, Olympic Pipeline, Trump's emissions

Bird's Nest Fungi [Alex Harris]

Bird's Nest Fungi Nidulariaceae
Nidulariaceae, commonly referred to as the “Bird’s Nest Fungi” have cup-like 'nests', called peridia which contain spore-filled 'eggs' called periodoles. Nidulariaceae count on raindrops to splash their eggs out of nests and onto decomposing matter such as twigs, leaves or soil. Here, it is pictured growing on a fir cone. (Alex Harris)

'It's a first': Poisonous porcupine fish washes up on Vancouver Island
A rare poisonous fish, usually found in tropical waters, was found earlier this month washed up on shore near a Vancouver Island community. The tissues of the spotted porcupine fish contain tetrodotoxin, which can cause paralysis and eventually asphyxiation, according to Gavin Hanke, the curator of vertebrate zoology at the Royal B.C. Museum.  It's the first time the species has been found in B.C., he said. It's been preserved as part of the museum's collection. (CBC)

B.C. on a record pace for mushroom poisonings
The B.C. Centre for Disease Control says 2019 is tracking to be a record year for mushroom poisonings in the province. The centre has received 201 mushroom poisoning calls as of Sept. 30.  Comparatively, there were 202 calls for all of 2018, which was an increase from the 161 calls received in 2017... Amanita phalloides, also known as the death cap and the most poisonous mushroom in the world, has been increasingly popping up in parts of B.C., including Victoria and south Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley region. Scott Brown reports. (Vancouver rSun)

Work planned for Olympic Pipeline
About $7.3 million in maintenance work is being planned along the Olympic Pipeline in Skagit County. The 400-mile Olympic Pipeline runs north to south through Washington and into Oregon, carrying petroleum products as far as Portland. It is supplied by two refineries in Whatcom County and two in Skagit County at March Point. The pipeline is operated by BP, an international oil and energy company that also operates one of the refineries in Whatcom County, at Cherry Point. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

General Motors Sides With Trump in Emissions Fight, Splitting the Industry
Breaking with some of their biggest rivals, General Motors, Fiat Chrysler and Toyota said Monday they were intervening on the side of the Trump administration in an escalating battle with California over fuel economy standards for automobiles. Their decision pits them against leading competitors, including Honda and Ford, who this year reached a deal to follow California’s stricter rules. It represents the latest twist in one of the Trump administration’s most consequential rollbacks of regulations designed to fight climate change. It has also opened a rift among the world’s biggest automakers — the very industrial giants that the Trump administration maintains it was trying to help with regulatory relief. The Trump administration has proposed a major weakening of federal auto emissions standards set during the Obama administration, prompting California to declare that it will go its own course and keep enforcing the earlier, stricter standards. Hiroko Tabuchi reports. (NY Times)


Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  300 AM PDT Tue Oct 29 2019   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON   
TODAY  E wind 20 to 30 kt easing to 15 to 25 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 2 to 5 ft. W swell 4 ft at 14 seconds. 
TONIGHT  SE wind 5 to 15 kt becoming E to 10 kt after midnight.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 3 ft at 13 seconds.



--
"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