3/8 Silver salmon, marbled murrelets, spotted owl, Nooksack chinook, derelict boats, sea cukes, 'Of Time and Place,' Songhees Nation, whale watch, coyotes

Silver salmon [Oregon Zoo]

 
Silver salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch
The coho salmon is a species of anadromous fish in the salmon family and one of the five Pacific salmon species. Coho salmon are also known as silver salmon or "silvers". The scientific species name is based on the Russian common name kizhuch. (Wikipedia)

Searching for the most elusive bird in the Northwest
Marbled murrelets have long been a mystery to science. But now their survival and the fate of millions of acres of coastal forests depend on discovering what these seabirds need to survive. Aaron Scott reports. (OPB)

Timber industry challenges the Biden administration’s delay and review of northern spotted owl federal protections
The timber industry is challenging the Biden administration’s decision to halt and reconsider the removal of millions of acres of federal protections for the northern spotted owl. The American Forest Resource Council along with the Association of O&C Counties, and counties in Oregon, Washington, and California filed a lawsuit on Friday challenging the decision to delay and review the implementation of the Trump administration’s last-minute federal protections rollback. Monica Samayoa reports. (OPB)

Here’s what state Fish and Wildlife says about 2021 Nooksack salmon runs
Forecasts for this year’s salmon runs show a doubling of spring chinook in the Nooksack River, giving room for hope even though the species remains threatened across the Puget Sound region, according to fisheries managers and environmental officials. Projected runs for 2021 show 7,540 spring chinook returning to the north fork of the Nooksack River, almost double the 3,949 fish that returned in 2020, according to Fish and Wildlife data published in late February. Numbers were similar for the Nooksack’s south fork, with a forecast of 7,248 spring chinook in 2021 against 3,619 fish that returned in 2020. Robert Mittendorf reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Federal funding boosts volunteer efforts to remove thousands of abandoned boats in B.C.
The pandemic has spurred a wave of boat sales along with concerns about an increasing number of abandoned vessels washing up on B.C. shorelines. Now, the federal government is contributing $1.7 million to remove the boats and hold owners responsible in an effort to prevent the wrecks from wreaking havoc on the environment. John Roe is the director of the Dead Boats Disposal Society, a non-profit volunteer cleanup crew in Victoria. He says there are thousands of abandoned boats along B.C.'s coastline — everything from little dinghies to old fishing boats and 70-foot vessels. (CBC)

A slimy, squishy invertebrate could create a more sustainable aquaculture industry, researcher says
The humble sea cucumber could be a sustainable superhero for the aquaculture industry because of its seabed-cleaning qualities.  The squishy, slimy, tubular invertebrate doesn't get as much love as orcas or sea lions, but the bottom-feeders could play a big role in fish farming, scientists say.  Giant red sea cucumbers are like the janitors of the ocean floor — they feed on organic materials in the sediment, said Emaline Montgomery, a marine biologist and research associate at North Island College in Courtenay, B.C. (CBC)

If you like to watch: "Of Time and Place"
Avian conservator and artist Tony Angell’s approach to art making has always centered around revealing not just the anatomical attributes of his subjects, but their unique characteristics, temperaments, and even, if possible, the mood of the creatures he depicts. With this body of work, Of Time and Place , Angell takes it a step further, telling a complete story of a moment, allowing viewers to truly see beyond the creature into a full narrative. (Foster/White Gallery)

Songhees Nation secures funding for marine trail tours that will highlight culture, history
By the time B.C. can accept visitors again with open arms, the Songhees Nation plans to be running a new tourism venture on southern Vancouver Island that will give people the opportunity to explore the history and culture of its people by boat. The nation has received $630,000 from the provincial government to develop an Indigenous marine trail along Greater Victoria's shoreline. The trail will include 12 cultural and recreational sites that are significant to the Lekwungen-speaking peoples. Tourists will travel in a near-eight metre-long vessel from Esquimalt, through the Inner Harbour, along the Victoria and Oak Bay waterfront and up to Cadboro Bay. (CBC)

11 breathtaking spots for whale watching in Washington state
From the iconic cherry blossoms blooming to the sea of colorful tulips, spring in the Pacific Northwest is abundant with natural beauty. And in our waters, there is another natural phenomenon that occurs every spring: the return of the gray whales. From March to June, approximately 18,000 gray whales migrate north from their breeding grounds in Baja California up to the Bering Sea.
Gray whales aren't the only species you can spot this time of year. Callie Craighead reports. (Seattle P-I)

Coyote attacks prompt possible ban on feeding wildlife in Vancouver
Vancouver councillors are being asked to support a ban on the feeding of wildlife as warnings continue of encounters between people and aggressive coyotes in Stanley Park. The B.C. Wildlife Act, the Fisheries Act, and parks bylaws already prohibit feeding various animals within city limits, but there is no municipal bylaw that covers the act, according to a motion by Councillor Pete Fry that is set to be debated during Tuesday’s council meeting. Matt Robinson reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  313 AM PST Mon Mar 8 2021   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON   
TODAY  E wind 15 to 20 kt becoming SE 10 to 20 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 13 ft at 14 seconds  subsiding to 10 ft at 13 seconds in the afternoon. A slight  chance of showers in the morning. 
TONIGHT  SE wind 5 to 15 kt becoming to 10 kt after midnight.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 8 ft at 12 seconds. A chance of  showers.

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