12/6 Saltery Bay, Canada carbon tax, Port Moody sea lions, underwater robot, hermit crab deaths

Saltery Bay

Saltery Bay Provincial Park
Saltery Bay Provincial Parkwas established in 1962 to provide ocean access on the Sunshine Coast of Georgia Strait....Lush forests with large, old trees create a quiet setting for the campground at Mermaid Cove. At low tide, the rocky shoreline often has tidal pools with starfish, sea urchins, small fish and crabs. Scuba diving provides a close-up look at the abundant marine life and a 3-metre bronze mermaid statue. The Emerald Princess statue and wheelchair access ramp were placed in the park through efforts of local scuba enthusiasts. From the shore, killer whales and sea lions can sometimes be seen. Mounds of seashells called “middens” indicate that this was a traditional gathering area for First Nations. Scuba divers will find a 9 ft. bronze mermaid at 10 fathoms in front of Mermaid Cove. (BC Parks)

B.C. municipalities join federal government's side in carbon tax court fight
The Supreme Court of Canada has granted intervener status to six B.C. municipalities in the federal government's carbon pricing court case. Vancouver, Victoria, Richmond, Squamish, Nelson and Rossland have joined the federal government's side in a court case expected to be heard by the Supreme Court in March 2020. At issue is whether the federal government can impose a carbon tax on provinces that have chosen not to implement one. The province of Saskatchewan lost its initial lawsuit against the tax in June but has appealed.  Justin McElroy reports. (CBC)

As Port Moody sea lion facility prepares to close, supporters look to an expanded future
A sea lion research station on the Port Moody waterfront that has struggled to secure funding will shut down before the end of the year, an event that will trigger the return of the four resident Steller sea lions to captivity at the Vancouver Aquarium.  But while the transfer of the four pinnipeds into full-blown captivity marks a turning point for the one-of-a-kind research facility, a community of supporters has sprung up in defence of the Open Water Research Station after  The Tri-City News in September first reported revelations of its likely demise. The sea lions have spent the last 16 years at the centre of the facility’s open-water research program, one that has played a pivotal role in conservation efforts as far away as Alaska. But Ocean Wise Conservation Association recently pulled its share of the funding — the Vancouver Aquarium program has long paid trainer salaries, vet bills and the cost of fish at the research station — and the facility had no choice but to close, said director Andrew Trites. Stefan Labbe reports. (Tai-City News)

'Sneaky' underwater robot spent 18 days recording sea creatures -- and noisy humans, too
For 18 days, an underwater robot dived and surfaced and dived and surfaced — some 402 times in all — listening to the ocean’s depths as it traveled hundreds of miles along the continental shelf off the Washington and Oregon coastline. The torpedo-shaped robot, called a glider, captured the percussive roar of a research ship’s air gun, which reverberated like a muffled bass drum. It listened to what sounded like the churn of a wobbly washing machine, which indicated the presence of a ship passing nearby. The 120-pound robot even caught the delightful, baritone whining of humpback whales. Evan Bush reports. (Seattle Times)

What happens when hermit crabs confuse plastic trash for shells? An ‘avalanche’ of death.
A study that called attention to a remote cluster of islands off Australia’s coast was met with international concern when it published in May. In a harrowing account of their trip to the Cocos (Keeling) Islands two years prior, researchers recalled seeing beaches that were “literally drowning in plastic.” An estimated 414 million pieces of it, to be exact. But Jennifer Lavers and her research team now say they made another startling observation while digging through copious amounts of litter on that 2017 trip: Many of the bottles, cans and containers were not empty. Scores of hermit crabs, mostly dead, were trapped inside. Michael Brice-Saddler reports. (Washington Post)


Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  216 AM PST Fri Dec 6 2019   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON   
TODAY  SE wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 6 ft  at 15 seconds. A chance of showers in the morning then showers  likely in the afternoon. 
TONIGHT  E wind to 10 kt becoming SE after midnight. Wind waves  1 ft or less. SW swell 6 ft at 12 seconds. Rain in the evening  then rain likely after midnight. 
SAT  Light wind. Wind waves less than 1 ft. SW swell 7 ft at  10 seconds. Showers likely. 
SAT NIGHT  W wind to 10 kt in the evening becoming light. Wind  waves 1 ft or less. SW swell 6 ft at 11 seconds. 
SUN  Light wind. Wind waves less than 1 ft. SW swell 6 ft at  10 seconds.



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