5/14 Dipper, cold dam water, Mount St. Helens, WSF aid, ocean plastic, lion's mane jelly, coral bleaching

American dipper [Tony Mitra/BirdNote]

Dippers on the Elwha
In 2014, the dams on the Elwha River in Washington State were removed. As the river ran free again, salmon from the Pacific were able to spawn upstream for the first time in 100 years, dramatically improving conditions for American Dippers. Recent research has demonstrated that birds with access to salmon have higher survival rates. And they are 20 times more likely to attempt to raise two broods in a season, the most important contributor to population growth. (BirdNote)


*EDITOR'S NOTE: Access updates on the COVID-19 virus at national and regional print publications like the CBC, the Seattle Times, the New York Times, and the Washington Post.



Columbia, Snake river dam operators must make plan to keep waters cold enough for salmon survival
The Washington state Department of Ecology, in a historic move, has required federal operators of eight dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers to create a plan to keep the waters cold enough for adult salmon survival. Conservation groups said the “game-changing decision” is needed to protect endangered salmon species, which struggle when river temperatures exceed 68 degrees. Hydropower proponents said they are concerned that meeting the temperature standards could be unattainable without costly rate hikes for utility customers in hydropower-reliant areas, The Daily News reported. (AP)

Eruption anniversary plans blown up and reborn, kinda like subject Mount St. Helens 
There were once big plans for many public events to mark the 40th anniversary of the catastrophic 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. The coronavirus pandemic blew up those plans, but many are resurfacing online this week and next. There will be no public observances at the volcano on Monday, the exact anniversary day. The main highway into the national volcanic monument is closed. The state, federal and Weyerhaeuser visitor centers are closed. Museums that organized special exhibits for the milestone anniversary are, you guessed it, closed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Tom Banse reports. (NW News Network)

A big chunk of federal coronavirus help for Washington State Ferries
A $39.2 million federal grant, part of Congress' big COVID-19 relief package, will go to the Washington Department of Transportation to maintain commuter ferry service across Puget Sound. Crossing waters is vital to commuting and recreating in Washington state. Washington State Ferries served 23.9 million passengers in 2019, but has been hit with a ridership decline of as much as 75% during stay-at-home orders enacted to curb spread of the novel coronavirus. Joel Connelly reports. (SeattlePI)

Hoovering the ocean
Plastic pollution threatens marine life, humans and ecosystems. Enter FRED, a future vacuum of the seas. Hugo Kuglya reports. (Washington Post)

Giant jellyfish in Boundary Bay gives dog more than it bargained for
A Boundary Bay resident is warning others after her dog fell ill following an interaction with a giant jellyfish earlier this week. The woman was on a sandbar north of the boat ramp during the outgoing tide Monday morning when her dog stuck its nose into a lion’s mane jellyfish and immediately started vomiting. She took the dog to the vet as a precaution... The lion’s mane jellyfish is the largest known species of jellyfish with a typical size of 50 cm or so for its bell diameter. The species is common in the Strait of Georgia and offshore of Vancouver Island. They live for about one year, and usually are found along beaches of the Salish Sea in late summer. Ted Murphy reports. (Delta Optimist)

Coral bleaching: Scientists 'find way to make coral more heat-resistant'
Scientists in Australia say they have found a way to help coral reefs fight the devastating effects of bleaching by making them more heat-resistant. Rising sea temperatures make corals expel tiny algae which live inside them. This turns the corals white and effectively starves them. In response, researchers have developed a lab-grown strain of microalgae which is more tolerant to heat. When injected back into the coral, the algae can handle warmer water better. (BBC)


Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  257 AM PDT Thu May 14 2020   
TODAY  Light wind becoming NW 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon. Wind  waves 2 ft or less. W swell 5 ft at 13 seconds. A chance of rain.   
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell  4 ft at 12 seconds. A chance of rain in the evening.




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