2/25 Marigold, Skeena sockeye, WA bag ban, Mukilteo research station, GBHs, OR kelp, 'dark vessels'

Marigold [Kurt Steuber/WikiMedia]

 
Mexican marigold Tagetes erecta
The Mexican marigold or Aztec marigold is a species of the genus Tagetes native to Mexico. In Mexico, this plant is found in the wild in the states of México, Michoacán, Puebla, and Veracruz. The Aztecs gathered the wild plant as well as cultivating it for medicinal, ceremonial and decorative purposes. It is widely cultivated commercially with many cultivars in use as ornamental plants and for the cut-flower trade. (Wikipedia)

Unique Skeena sockeye populations at risk of dying out, threatening biodiversity: study
There’s an urgent need to increase the biodiversity of sockeye salmon stocks in the Skeena watershed if they are to adapt to challenges like climate change, according to a study published today in the Journal of Applied Ecology. The Skeena River, Canada’s second-largest salmon-producing watershed, enters the Pacific just south of Prince Rupert. Its tributaries include major salmon-bearing watersheds like the Bulkley, Babine and Kispiox, which support commercial, Indigenous and sport fisheries.  Amanda Follett Hosgood reports. (The Narwhal/The Tyee)

Washington’s plastic bag ban on hold during COVID-19
On March 9, 2020, 33 state senators voted to pass Senate Bill 5323, making Washington the ninth state to ban single-use plastic bags. Two days later, the World Health Organization classified the COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic. Along with in-person gatherings, the statewide plastic bag ban became an early victim of the pandemic. The new law, which was scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, 2021, isn’t dead, supporters say, but enforcement has been indefinitely postponed. Hannah Kreig reports. (Crosscut)

Oh, crab! NOAA’s Mukilteo waterfront fish lab won’t be rebuilt
Plans were scrapped when bids came in too high for a new Mukilteo Research Station to replace the weathered two-story hovel where scientists studied climate change effects, ocean acidification and impacts on fish health. “We sought contractor bids to rebuild the facility on-site. Unfortunately, the bids greatly exceeded the funds available for the project,” Michael Milstein, a spokesperson for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said Wednesday. He would not give any bid figures. The future of the 1.1-acre federal property on Front Street is uncertain. It could possibly end up in private hands and become condos or a parking lot. Andrea Brown reports. (Everett Herald)

Pacific Great Blue Herons return to Stanley Park for 21st year
THE Pacific Great Blue Herons are nesting again in Stanley Park for the 21st consecutive year! They began returning February 18 to a colony located at the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation office on Beach Avenue. It’s one of North America’s largest urban heron colonies. (VoiceOnLine)

Can Oregon stem the loss of complex kelp ecosystems?
...Scientists suspect that if there’s less kelp, potentially there could be fewer shrimp, which could mean fewer gray whales will come here to find them. And these days there’s less kelp. In some places along the Pacific Coast, a lot less. One study shows more than 90% of a kelp forest in Northern California was depleted in 2014. Kate Kaye reports. (Jefferson Public Radio)

Canada launching $7M project to track international 'dark vessels' at sea 
A new Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) project is setting its sights on the people who sail the high seas, illegally cast their nets and pull fish from the ocean near places like Ecuador's Galapagos Islands.  The plan is to use satellites to detect and track so-called 'dark vessels' — ships that have switched off their location transmitters to evade authorities. Rafferty Baker reports. C
(CBC)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  258 AM PST Thu Feb 25 2021   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON 
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH  FRIDAY AFTERNOON   TODAY  W wind 20 to 30 kt rising to 25 to 35 kt in the  afternoon. Combined seas 9 to 10 ft with a dominant period of  8 seconds building to 14 to 15 ft with a dominant period of  11 seconds in the afternoon. A chance of showers. 
TONIGHT  W wind 25 to 35 kt. Combined seas 17 to 19 ft with a  dominant period of 14 seconds. A chance of showers.

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