3/13 Rockfish, weekend storm, WA lege, Whatcom air, Pacific salmon expedition, WA plastic, Canada plastic

Puget Sound rockfish [The Advocate]

Puget Sound rockfish Sebastes emphaeus
The Puget Sound rockfish is one of the smallest rockfish species.. It ranges from Prince William Sound, Alaska, to Punta Gorda, California. Adults have been found at water depths of 3 to 366 m (10-1,200 ft). They prefer high-relief rocky outcrops or boulder fields with high currents and often form small schools. Puget Sound rockfish can grow up to 18.3 cm (7.2 in) in length. Maximum age is at least 22 years old. (WDFW)

Late Winter Storm Set To Arrive In Puget Sound Friday
Forecasters say a cold, windy and wet late-winter storm will arrive in Western Washington Friday and linger in the area through at least Sunday. According to the National Weather Service, overnight temperatures at or below freezing are expected across the region through Monday. Lucas Combos reports. (Patch)

What passed, what died in the 2020 Washington Legislature
With Democrats in control of both the House and Senate, here’s a look at some of the higher-profile bills that passed and didn’t pass during the 2020 session. Austin Jenkins reports. (NW News Network)

A wood stove swap-out is helping clear the air in rural Whatcom County
Matt Benoit reports: "For nearly a decade, the Columbia Valley Air Quality Improvement Project has worked at reducing particulate pollution from wood smoke by replacing older, out-of-regulation wood stoves in residents’ homes with newer, more efficient ones — a home renovation worth thousands but available at no cost to residents. Matt Benoit reports. (Salish Current)

Second Pacific salmon expedition gets a chance to see the effects of cooler water
A second research cruise to study the winter travels of salmon in the Pacific Ocean got underway Wednesday, when 12 scientists from three countries left Victoria, B.C., aboard the trawler Pacific Legacy. Researchers say they have learned a great deal from the first salmon cruise a year ago, when 21 scientists from five countries ventured out into the Pacific to take samples of fish and other marine life. The samples are being shared with dozens of biologists trying to piece together the complex food web that supports five species of salmon struggling to find food, escape predators and survive a variety of environmental threats. Lower water temperatures this year should allow researchers to draw some conclusions about how salmon respond to changing ocean conditions, said Ed Farley, who heads the Ecosystem Monitoring and Assessment Program for NOAA’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center. Chris Dunagan reports. (Puget Sound Institute)

Paper or plastic? Washington lawmakers pass statewide ban on single-use plastic bags  
Washington is poised to become the ninth state in the nation to ban the use of thin plastic bags in retail sales. After passing both chambers of the Legislature with strong bipartisan support, it was signed by the president of the state Senate on Wednesday. Passage of this measure was one of four top goals set this legislative session by the statewide Environmental Priorities Coalition. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KNKX)

Canada is asking for more time to enact a promised ban on shipping plastic waste
The government of Canada has formally notified the United Nations that Canada's laws will not be in compliance with a treaty meant to stop rich countries from shipping their hazardous waste to poor countries. The specific amendments that Canada has asked for extra time to codify are intended to address a problem that is supposed to be a signature issue of the Trudeau government: plastic contamination. Evan Dyer reports. (CBC)


Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  243 AM PDT Fri Mar 13 2020   
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE  SATURDAY NIGHT   
TODAY  E wind 10 to 20 kt. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 4 ft  at 11 seconds. A chance of rain in the morning. 
TONIGHT  NE wind 25 to 35 kt rising to 30 to 40 kt after  midnight. Combined seas 5 to 8 ft with a dominant period of  10 seconds. 
SAT  NE wind 25 to 35 kt becoming E 20 to 30 kt in the  afternoon. Combined seas 5 to 7 ft with a dominant period of  11 seconds. 
SAT NIGHT  E wind 30 to 40 kt becoming NE 25 to 35 kt after  midnight. Combined seas 5 to 8 ft with a dominant period of  12 seconds. 
SUN  E wind 20 to 30 kt becoming 15 to 25 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 3 to 5 ft. W swell 2 ft at 11 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