1/15 Earthworm, shoreline structures, orca tech, gray wolf, Site C dam safety, white greens, borders, climate poll

Earthworm [Dennis Paulson]

 
Earthworm Lumbricus sp.
Earthworms look like a cylinder pointed at both ends, but in fact they are bilaterally symmetrical and with much the same organ systems as we have. Above all, they are many-segmented, each segment much like the others in basic form and appendages. They have longitudinal muscles running along their bodies and circular muscles running around each segment, and by contracting and relaxing these muscles in turn, they burrow through the soil, crawl on the substrate, or even swim. Each segment has a set of tiny spines called chaetae that anchor parts of the body as it is pushed and pulled through the soil. (Slater Museum)

Repairs of bulkheads, docks and other structures now involve habitat assessment
In a major policy shift by federal authorities, waterfront maintenance and reconstruction projects are undergoing increased scrutiny — not only for their environmental impacts during and after construction but for effects that ripple through time. The change, imposed by NOAA Fisheries to protect threatened and endangered species, requires compensation for environmental damage calculated over the life of a shoreline structure. So compensation comes into play even where a structure is merely replacing an old one. Previously, in most cases, the agency did not require environmental compensation for repair and replacement projects permitted by the Army Corps of Engineers — unless the projects were some type of expansion. Chris Dunagan reports. (Puget Sound Institute)

Coast guard throws technology behind protecting southern resident killer whales
The Canadian Coast Guard is throwing technology behind an effort to better protect southern resident killer whales and other cetaceans in B.C. waters from ship traffic, vessel strikes and entanglements. Fisheries and Oceans Canada says a "first of its kind" marine mammal desk will work to "report whale sightings in real time and advise vessel traffic by providing enhanced situational awareness of the activities of endangered southern resident killer whales and other cetaceans, such as humpback and grey whales." Karin Larsen reports. (CBC)

Gray wolf to get its day in court after removal from endangered species list
Environmental groups have filed a flurry of lawsuits against the Trump administration over its removal of Endangered Species Act protections for the gray wolf. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officially removed the wolf from the endangered species list last week. The rule applies to all gray wolves in the lower 48 states, except for experimental packs of Mexican gray wolves living in the American Southwest. The Fish and Wildlife Service argues that gray wolves do not, by law, constitute a species and thus must be removed from the endangered species list. The lawsuits allege the administration acted prematurely and ignored the best available science in its decision. Bradley Parks reports. (OPB)

Horgan announces two new expert reviews amid mounting Site C dam safety concerns
In the first public update on the troubled Site C dam since last July, B.C. Premier John Horgan’s surprise announcement about a proposed fix to geotechnical problems raised yet more questions about the viability of the over-budget project. Sarah Cox reports. (The Narwhal)

The numbers don't lie': The green movement remains overwhelmingly white, report finds
A report released Wednesday by Green 2.0, an independent advocacy campaign that tracks racial and gender diversity within the environmental movement, found that while strides have been made in recent years, it has been at an incremental pace that begs for "improvement at all levels," said Andrés Jimenez, the campaign's executive director. Erik Ortiz reports. (NBC)

Poll finds most Canadians want borders closed to vacationers
As flights continue to whisk Canadians off to warmer climes, a majority of Canadians would be OK with the government closing borders to international travel given a rise in COVID-19, according to a new poll. The Angus Reid Institute poll, released Thursday, found 65 per cent say if the decision were up to them, they would prohibit personal travel. Tiffany Crawford reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Climate Change Survey: Majority of Voters Support Initiatives
A majority of registered voters of both parties in the United States support initiatives to fight climate change, including many that are outlined in the climate plans announced by President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr, according to a new survey. The survey, which was conducted after the presidential election, suggests that a majority of Americans in both parties want a government that deals forcefully with climate change instead of denying its urgency — or denying that it exists at all. John Schwartz reports. (NY Times)

Now, your weekend tug weather--West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  332 AM PST Fri Jan 15 2021   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING   
TODAY  SW wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. SW swell  12 ft at 14 seconds. 
TONIGHT  S wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell  14 ft at 16 seconds. 
SAT  SE wind 5 to 15 kt becoming to 10 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 14 ft at 15 seconds subsiding to  12 ft at 14 seconds in the afternoon. 
SAT NIGHT  SE wind 5 to 15 kt becoming E to 10 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 10 ft at 14 seconds  subsiding to 8 ft at 13 seconds after midnight. 
SUN  W wind 5 to 15 kt rising to 15 to 20 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 11 ft at 15 seconds.

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