7/15 Fire ants, WA drought, seismic ship, Stanley Park coyotes, Youth Ocean Advocates, saving Tongass NF, tricking murrelets, octopus talk, 2030s flooding

Fire ants [Stephan Ausmus/USDA]

Fire ants
Fire ants are several species of ants in the genus Solenopsis. They are, however, only a minority in the genus, which includes over 200 species of Solenopsis worldwide. Solenopsis are stinging ants, and most of their common names reflect this, for example, ginger ants and tropical fire ants. (Wikipedia)

Drought emergency declared in Washington state
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee on Wednesday declared a statewide drought emergency because of hot, dry conditions that have plagued the region and water supply. Citing recent record temperature that killed at least 91 people in the state, increased wildfire activity and drought, Inslee called it “the summer of climate change.” “This is not political hyperbole,” Inslee said. “It is a scientific consensus that is jarring the life of every Washingtonian in some way.” A drought emergency declaration is issued when water supply is projected to be below 75% of average, and poses a hardship to water users and the environment. The declaration allows expedited emergency water right permitting and allows the state to aid state agriculture, protect public water supplies and boost stream flows to safeguard fish.  Rachel La Corte reports. (Associated Press)

Seismic research ship goes boom-boom to seek answers at origin of the next Big One
Earthquake researchers are eager to dig into a trove of new data about the offshore Cascadia fault zone. When Cascadia ruptures, it can trigger a megaquake known as "the Big One." The valuable new imaging of the geology off the Oregon, Washington and British Columbia coasts comes from a specialized research vessel.The National Science Foundation seismic research ship Marcus Langseth zigged and zagged for nearly six weeks over the full-length of the undersea Cascadia Subduction Zone -- from the Oregon-California border north to Vancouver Island. The research expedition departed from Newport, Oregon, on June 1 and returned to shore in Seattle late Sunday. Tom Banse reports. (NW News Network)

Conservation officer advises the public to stay away from Stanley Park following another coyote attack
The B.C. Conservation Officer Service is advising the public to avoid a popular park in downtown Vancouver as aggressive coyotes continue unprovoked attacks on visitors...More than 30 people have been attacked by coyotes in the park since December 2020, including a two-year-old child who was taken to hospital after an attack Monday. Courtney Dickson reports. (CBC)

Seattle Aquarium inspires the younger generation
The Seattle Aquarium is helping to educate hundreds of young volunteers about meaningful action for preservation. Passionate about the marine environment, Samantha Lynn Martinez is excited to share her knowledge with each visitor she encounters at the Seattle Aquarium...A dedicated Youth Ocean Advocate, Martinez is completing her third and final summer in the program at the aquarium. The Youth Ocean Advocate program is geared towards high school students. It has attracted more than 2,100 young people in the Puget Sound region since it began in 1994. Tracey Leong reports. (KIRO)

Biden to Restore Protections for Tongass National Forest in Alaska
Former President Donald J. Trump invited mining and logging to a vast wilderness of bald eagles, black bears and 800-year-old trees. President Biden is reversing course. Coral Davenport reports. (NY Times)

Scientists Are Tricking Birds into Finding New Homes
New research has added marbled murrelets to the list of seabirds that can be manipulated with misinformation... In recent experiments, the team, led by OSU biologist Jonathon Valente, showed that a marbled murrelet’s choice of where to nest is strongly influenced by hearing the calls of other murrelets in the area. The authors suggest this could be leveraged to attract marbled murrelets away from stretches of threatened forest into currently unoccupied stands that offer prime breeding habitat. Their research shows that the simple act of playing marbled murrelet calls through a speaker is enough to spur the birds to relocate. Carolyn Cowan reports. (Hakai Magazine)

If you like to listen: How Octopuses Upend What We Know About Ourselves
What these mysterious sea creatures can teach us of the wonders of consciousness. Ezra Klein interviews Sy Montgomery. (NY Times podcast)

A Study Predicts Record Flooding In The 2030s, And It's Partly Because Of The Moon
A new study on high tide flooding predicts that the mid-2030s could be catastrophically wet in U.S. coastal regions — and it could stay that way for an entire decade. Led by members of the NASA Sea Level Change Team from the University of Hawaii, the study says that high tide flooding could happen more frequently on several U.S. coasts. Flooding at high tide, often called nuisance flooding, already occurs with regularity in many coastal communities as water routinely sloshes into streets, yards and businesses. Two factors could converge to worsen flooding at high tide, the study says: rising sea levels fueled by climate change — and the moon. Josie Fischels reports. (NPR)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  236 AM PDT Thu Jul 15 2021   
TODAY  SE wind to 10 kt becoming NW 10 to 20 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 1 ft or less building to 1 to 3 ft in the  afternoon. W swell 4 ft at 7 seconds. 
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell  3 ft at 8 seconds. A slight chance of drizzle after midnight.

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