9/2 Bumble bee, Roberts Bank Terminal, Jpod back, Canadian fisheries, BC coast cleanup, pregnant orcas, Trump's coal, Trump's NEPA, green crabs, Koktuli R sockeye, Van Aqua closed, whale dog, weather watchers, marmot, cottontail

Western bumble bee
[Stephan Ausmus/USDA]

 
Western Bumble Bee Bombus occidentalis
Historically broadly distributed in western North America. Bombus occidentalis occurs along the Pacific coast and western interior of North America, from Arizona, New Mexico and California, north through the Pacific Northwest and into Alaska. Eastward, the distribution stretches to the northwestern Great Plains and southern Saskatchewan. All bumble bees belong to the genus Bombus within the family Apidae. The family Apidae includes the well-known honey bees and bumble bees, as well as carpenter bees, cuckoo bees, digger bees, stingless bees, and orchid bees. Formerly common throughout much of its range, populations from central California to southern British Columbia and west of the Sierra-Cascade Ranges have declined sharply since the late 1990s. There have been significant range losses in these regions, particularly from lower elevation sites in California, western Oregon and western Washington. (Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation)

Proposed Roberts Bank terminal will add cargo capacity — but at what cost to Salish Sea
In the shadow of the contested Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion is another major Canadian infrastructure project that could bring major changes to shipping traffic in waters shared by British Columbia and Washington. This lesser-known project, a proposal to build Roberts Bank Terminal 2, would enable Canada to move another 2.4 million shipping containers per year through its southernmost terminal about 1 mile from the Washington state border. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Salish Current)

Rare treat: endangered orcas return to Salish Sea in search of scarce salmon
After six weeks away from its usual summer splashing grounds, the J pod of endangered orcas returned en masse to the west side of San Juan Island Tuesday morning. While the endangered orcas’ other pods, K and L, were still roaming the open ocean, researchers spotted all 22 members of J pod returning to the inland waters that the southern resident killer whales are named for, south of Vancouver Island. John Ryan reports. (KUOW)

Closing Canadian fisheries would help rebuild stocks and lead to economic gains: study
At least a quarter of major fish stocks in Canada are in decline, but efforts to rebuild them  — such as closing fisheries or setting catch limits — are often met with strong opposition due to negative socioeconomic effects. Now a new study by University of British Columbia researchers shows the short-term financial pain can lead to long-term gain — and that pain can be eased by providing fishers with social and economic assistance. The study, published in the September 2020 issue of Ocean & Coastal Management, found the most optimistic rebuilding scenario would lead to economic gains of up to 10 times above the status quo after 30 years for five of the six studied species. The analysis also found the gains would continue to climb over 50 and 100 years. Matt Simmons reports. (The Narwhal)

B.C. announces $3.5-million fund to clean up shores of central coast
The British Columbia government has announced a fund to clean up the shoreline of the central coast in a bid to create jobs as communities try to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. It says the $3.5-million fund will allow small ship tour operators, First Nations and local communities to help in the removal of debris and plastic along the shores of the central coast and the Great Bear Rainforest. (Canadian Press)

Here’s what pregnant orcas are up against in Puget Sound
When Dr. Holly Fearnbach and Dr. John Durban noticed the bodies of two female southern resident orcas widening just behind their dorsal fins, they knew it could mean only one thing: babies. On July 26, they announced that a killer whale identified as L72 was pregnant. Soon after, they delivered news that Tahlequah, whose traumatic journey with her dead calf captured international attention two years ago, is also expecting. The world erupted in celebration. Adding newborn whales to the endangered southern resident population, which has dwindled to 73 animals, would be a big deal, and Fearnbach says she can now confirm there are pregnancies in all three pods that make up the population. But Fearnbach, marine mammal research director of Sealife Response, Rehabilitation and Research, and many whale researchers like her hesitate to celebrate. Hannah Weinberger reports. (Crosscut)

Trump administration rolls back Obama-era rule aimed at limiting toxic wastewater from coal plants
The Trump administration on Monday weakened a 2015 regulation that would have forced coal plants to treat wastewater with more modern, effective methods in order to curb toxic metals such as arsenic and mercury from contaminating lakes, rivers and streams near their facilities. Brady Dennis and Juliet Eilperin report. (Washington Post)

Oregon joins multi-state lawsuit against Trump administration changes to NEPA
Oregon has joined a multi-state federal lawsuit against the Trump Administration, over changes to a bedrock environmental law — rule revisions that eliminate environmental review and reduce public input for projects. The states of Washington and California are leading a coalition of 27 states, commonwealths, territories, counties and cities — claiming last month’s changes to the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, abandon the principles of informed decision-making, public accountability and environmental protection. Monica Samayoa reports. (OPB)

Fight underway against invasive crab in Samish Bay
The invasion of the European green crab in local waters continues. In Samish Bay, what began as the discovery of a few of the crabs in Taylor Shellfish Farm’s aquaculture beds in January 2019 has this summer grown into a full-fledged trapping effort. As of Thursday, 88 non-native crabs had been pulled from the water. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

A Rare Salmon Type Is in the Crosshairs of Alaska’s Proposed Pebble Mine
The sockeye salmon that come from the Koktuli River aren’t like most other fish in Alaska’s Bristol Bay, where a thriving fishery provides nearly half of the world’s wild sockeye. These salmon represent a rare class of sockeye with unique genes and a singular life strategy that sets them apart from the millions of fish that spawn in the rivers and streams that feed into Bristol Bay. Now, Koktuli River sockeye are in the spotlight because the Pebble Mine, a copper and gold mine proposed for southwest Alaska, is slated for the water in which they live. Ashley Braun reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Vancouver Aquarium closing to the public until further notice as COVID-19 losses continue
The Vancouver Aquarium announced Monday more than 200 staff members are being laid off, primarily from the operations sector, as the aquarium closes to the public in an effort to save money after months of financial loss. The Ocean Wise Conservation Association, which runs the facility, said in a statement all public programming will be "paused" until further notice as of Sept. 7. The closure means dozens of people, from full-time to part-time to casual workers, are losing their jobs. (CBC)

Coastal Job: Whale Dog
Eba, a five-year-old mutt, and her human companion Deborah Giles work for the University of Washington’s Center for Conservation Biology in Seattle and are studying the endangered killer whales of the Salish Sea. Eba is trained to locate scat, detecting it from up to 800 meters away. The floating feces contain a wealth of information about the whales’ diet, reproductive health, and overall well-being. The researchers, led by Samuel Wasser, are currently investigating why the whales have so few calves. Eba lives on San Juan Island, Washington, with Giles, who acted as her translator for this atypical Coastal Job profile. As told to Amy Sutherland. (Hakai Magazine)

Raining champions: 4 PNW weather bloggers you should read
Cliff Mass isn't for everyone. Fortunately there are other smart people in the region with their eyes on the skies: Justin Shaw, Joe Zagrodnik, Nick Bond and Karin Bumbaco, and Kelsie Knowles. Hannah Weinberger reports. (Crosscut)

Bringing the endangered Vancouver Island marmot back from the brink
One of the rarest mammals in the world was almost wiped out two decades ago, sparking an elaborate and costly recovery program that has boosted numbers and offers hope for other at-risk species. Sarah Cox reports. (The Narwhal)

Eastern Cottontail population in Puget Sound booms as Seattle is ‘bunny nirvana’
You may have noticed more rabbits in your lawn, on the sidewalk, crossing the street, or on the bike trails because there’s a bunny boom in the Pacific Northwest. Wildlife biologist and professor at the University of Washington, Aaron Wirsing, is an expert on the growing rabbit population. “Most of the rabbits you’re seeing now are Eastern Cottontail rabbits,” Wirsing told KIRO Nights. “So native to the Eastern United States, not native to the West....” This species has been in Washington for nearly a century, Wirsing explained. In the last several years, however, their numbers do appear to really be taking off in the Puget Sound region. (My Northwest)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  300 AM PDT Wed Sep 2 2020   
TODAY  W wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 7 ft  at 13 seconds. Patchy fog. 
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 15 kt becoming SW after midnight. Wind  waves 2 ft or less. W swell 6 ft at 12 seconds.

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"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.

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