8/10 Elwha nearshore,Lolita, bull kelp, Puget Sound art, shellfish update, BC COvID, Sunset Beach, cooling Vancouver

 

Elwha nearshore, 8/7/20, Coastal Watershed Institute

Taken from her pod 50 years ago, Lolita is the sole Puget Sound orca surviving from the capture era  
Fifty years ago on Aug. 8, Lolita was a baby orca, without a stage name. That changed forever that day in Penn Cove, when she was rounded up and captured for sale to the Miami Seaquarium, where she still lives today. Lolita is the sole survivor of the southern resident orcas captured for the aquarium trade, which took a third of the J, K, and L pods beginning in the late 1960s until Washington leaders worked to outlaw the hunts in 1976. The southern residents rebuilt in population, but are now at the lowest number since the capture era because of a triple threat to their survival of decreasing chinook salmon runs, vessel noise and disturbance, and pollution. There are only 72 left in the wild, plus Lolita. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)

British Columbia’s looming extinction crisis
Canada’s westernmost province markets itself as 'Super, Natural, B.C.,' but more than 2,000 species of animals and plants are at risk of disappearing — and unlike six other provinces, B.C. still has no endangered species law, despite the NDP's election promise to introduce one. Sarah Cox reports. (The Narwhal)

As bull kelp declines continue, collaboration is key
Efforts to understand what affects the health of bull kelp in the Salish Sea continue, with the recent publication of a recovery plan, the launch of annual kayak surveys and plans by the Samish Indian Nation to expand its research. Many are interested in kelp because of its connection with culturally and economically important wildlife including crab, rockfish, salmon and orcas. It provides refuge for some wildlife and food for others... Little is known about this palm tree-like algae beyond its role in the ecosystem and the fact that is has disappeared from some areas — including a recently noted decline near a local island. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Art contests help to carry the clean-water message to people around Puget Sound
Chris Dunagan writes: "’m impressed with artists who combine their passion for nature with a message about protecting the environment and how we all have a role to play. This week, I’d like to share winning artwork from two recent contests. One is a poster competition inspired by the “We are Puget Sound” (Water Ways) book and campaign. The other is a project that involves placing whimsical pictures of sea life on storm drains in Kitsap County. (Puget Sound Institute)

Updates on Crabbing, Clamming from Washington, Oregon Coast
For those who love crabbing and clamming along either the Washington coast or the Oregon coast, there’s mostly good news. An area between Washington and British Columbia will open up to crabbing a little bit later, while the southern Oregon coast resumes razor clamming. (Oregon Coast Beach Connection)

B.C. is no longer a model for COVID-19 prevention — and getting back to that stage is no guarantee
The months when British Columbia could pat itself on the back for dealing with COVID-19 better than nearly any other place in Canada or the entirety of the United States have come to an end. In the past month, the number of daily active cases in the province has quadrupled from about 10 a day to more than 40. The number of active cases has more than doubled, reaching levels not seen since May. Outbreaks are now widespread enough to require the self-isolation of more than 1,500 British Columbians. There are now more active cases per capita in B.C. than Ontario. In other words, it's not good. Justin McElroy reports. (CBC)

Vancouver's Sunset Beach closed to swimming due to E. coli
Sunset Beach in downtown Vancouver has been closed for swimming because of high E. coli levels. Swimming beaches in Metro Vancouver may be required to close when E. coli levels exceed 400/100 ml. According to Vancouver Coastal Health, by 3 p.m. on Friday E. coli clocked in at 1375/100 ml. By comparison, the water at Kitsilano Point tested at 63/100 ml around the same time that day. (CBC)

How Vancouver plans to cool down the hottest parts of the city amid global climate change
A horde of cyclists and electric vehicle drivers will soon take to the streets of Vancouver to map out the hottest and coolest parts of the city — a move that will help inform future plans to mitigate rising temperatures. It's called heat mapping, which is an urban planning tool other cities across the world have used to identify which neighbourhoods are most susceptible to increased temperatures amid global climate change. Jon Hernandez reports. (CBC)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  237 AM PDT Mon Aug 10 2020   
TODAY  W wind 5 to 15 kt becoming 10 to 20 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 5 ft at 10 seconds. 
TONIGHT  W wind 10 to 20 kt becoming SW 5 to 15 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 7 ft at 12 seconds.

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