9/21 Anemone, orca cams, rough orcas, BC reforestation, oil guys lie, Islands Trust, Prince George bugs, Snuneymuxw First Nation deal

Brooding anemone [Mary Jo Adams]

Brooding anemone Epiactis sp.
This is a small anemone, with the crown up to 2 inches in diameter. (The base may be somewhat wider than the crown.) The color varies. It is often red or pink when on rocks and green or brown when on eelgrass. Look for the radiating white lines originating from the oral disk and on the base and column. Also, watch for baby Epiactis attached to the base of the mother. They look like little buds and will stay attached to her for several months until they're large enough to live on their own. There are several similar species of Epiactis. (Mary Jo Adams/Sound Waters Stewards)

Researchers attach cameras to Pacific Northwest orcas, revealing a marvelous underwater world 
For nearly a month the team has been at sea, marveling at the prowess of southern and northern resident killer whales as they follow the orcas’ foraging rounds, using a drone and stick-on cameras to record the daily lives of orcas, even underwater. The surprises keep coming: How far the orcas, especially the southern residents, travel in their hunt for salmon. How affectionate the orca families are with one another, constantly touching. And their incredible athleticism, as orcas hunt down and kill their prey. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)

Rough Play or Bad Intentions? Orca Encounters Off Iberia Baffle Experts
Nobody knows why the marine mammals have been ramming boats in waters from Gibraltar to Galicia, Spain, in recent months. Some vessels were so badly damaged that they had to be towed to port. Elian Peltier reports. (NY Times)

Clear-cutting, climate change threaten fir reforestation in B.C. Interior, report says
Climate change and poor logging practices are threatening the regeneration of dry-belt forests in B.C.'s southern Interior, according to a report by an independent forestry watchdog. Sixty per cent of reforested land examined by researchers from the B.C. Forest Practices Board had not grown back to a healthy height and clear-cutting may be to blame, said the board's chair Kevin Kriese. The drying power of hotter summers means replanted seedlings need extra shade, which is in short supply in clear-cut areas, he said. (CBC)

How the oil industry made us doubt climate change
As climate change becomes a focus of the US election, energy companies stand accused of trying to downplay their contribution to global warming. In June, Minnesota's Attorney General sued ExxonMobil, among others, for launching a "campaign of deception" which deliberately tried to undermine the science supporting global warming. So what's behind these claims? And what links them to how the tobacco industry tried to dismiss the harms of smoking decades earlier? To understand what's happening today, we need to go back nearly 40 years. Phoebe Keane reports. (BBC) See also: U.S. and European Oil Giants Go Different Ways on Climate Change While BP and other European companies invest billions in renewable energy, Exxon and Chevron are committed to fossil fuels and betting on moonshots. Clifford Krauss reports. (NY Times)

Islands Trust Conservancy gets funding for protection of at-risk species
With $597,000 from the federal government, Islands Trust Conservancy will be able to launch a program for endangered species protection. The conservancy, part of the Islands Trust, will use the money for such initiatives as “conducting surveys and monitoring, restoring critical habitat, providing outreach materials and events, assisting landowners wishing to protect species at risk on their land” and engagement and work with First Nations. (Nanaimo News Bulletin)

Researchers discover undocumented insects, including parasitic wasp, near Prince George, B.C
Entomologist Lisa Poirier is excited. Poirier, an associate professor at the University of Northern British Columbia, is part of a team of researchers who have collected insect samples in and around Prince George, B.C. — and, by the looks of it, they have uncovered some creepy crawlers never documented before. The team collected more than 200 different insects and while Poirier says other experts will need to review the samples before saying anything definitive, she believes many of them have been going about their bug business undetected by scientists until now. (CBC)

First Nation near Nanaimo drops litigation as part of land deal
The B.C. government has agreed to transfer thousands of acres of Crown land overlooking Nanaimo to the Snuneymuxw First Nation, which will drop litigation against the government. In a statement, nation Chief Mike Wyse and Premier John Horgan said the reconciliation and land transfer agreements included 3,000 acres (12 square kilometres) of land near the City of Nanaimo, including the culturally and economically significant Mount Benson and Mount McKay. David Carrigg reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  303 AM PDT Mon Sep 21 2020   
TODAY  E wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 3 ft  at 12 seconds. Patchy fog in the morning. A slight chance of  showers in the morning then a chance of showers in the afternoon. 
TONIGHT  W wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 3  ft at 12 seconds. A slight chance of showers in the evening.

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