12/14 Burke Ichthyology, Wiley Slough, Elwha and Snake, seagrass wasting, BC Indigenous Rights Act, WA EV rebates, Antarctic glaciers, dispersants

Burke Museum Ichthyology [Burke Museum]

 
Burke Museum Ichthyology: Early Life History
The early life history collection continues to grow rapidly. There are approximately 115,000 lots, representing 53 families, 130 genera, and 181 species, including 35 identified only to "type.” Most lots were taken in the eastern North Pacific Ocean, primarily from the Gulf of Alaska, the Bering Sea and the U.S. Pacific Northwest Coast... The habitats represented range from the nearshore intertidal zone to offshore oceanic waters. The eggs are stored in glass vials of 3% buffered formalin. Specimens of different species taken together in a haul are frequently stored in the same vial, so the egg collection is arranged by year, cruise, station, haul, etc. (Ichthyology at the Burke Museum)

State proposes raising dike around Wiley Slough to prevent flooding
In the south Skagit River delta, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife is proposing to again reshape the landscape around Wiley Slough. The slough is one of several freshwater ribbons that pull away from the Skagit River on Fir Island and fan into Skagit Bay.More than a decade ago, Fish and Wildlife undertook a project to restore the reach of the bay’s tides to about 160 acres of land around Wiley Slough that had previously been closed in by dikes and used as farmland. The project was a compromise between Skagit River salmon and Skagit Valley farming. The problem is that while successful for fish, a new diking system built at the site has proven problematic for neighboring farms and for flood protection. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

In western Washington’s Elwha River, the removal of two dams led to a resurgence of fish runs; could a similar scenario play out on the Snake River?
Mel Elofson thought of his ancestors when he spotted a chinook salmon swimming past the old Glines Canyon Dam site on the Elwha River here...For decades, members of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe called for the removal of two dams blocking the river and preventing several species of salmon and steelhead from reaching spawning grounds and they worked to make that vision a reality...In 2012, the Elwha Dam came down. Two years later, Glines Canyon Dam was gone and the intrepid chinook spotted by Elofson pushed upstream just a day and a half later...Members of the Nez Perce Tribe share a similar vision. They have led a decadeslong fight to breach the four lower Snake River dams and free the lower Snake River so its salmon, steelhead and lamprey can thrive. Eric Barker reports. (Lewiston Tribune)

Seagrass wasting disease is fueled by climate change
Seagrass is suffering from a wasting disease across the Pacific Northwest, and climate change is driving the destructive outbreak, according to a new study from Cornell University. Seagrass wasting disease (SWD) is particularly threatening to a temperate species known as eelgrass. In the new study, experts report that the pathogen responsible for SWD, Labyrinthula zosterae, is thriving in warmer ocean temperatures. According to the study authors, the heat sensitivity of Labyrinthula zosterae prompts the need for a greater understanding of the impacts on host health under climate change. Chrissy Sexton reports. (Earth.com)

Two years after B.C. passed its landmark Indigenous Rights act, has anything changed?
Two years after B.C. legislated the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), busloads of RCMP officers arrived on Wet’suwet’en territory in northwest B.C. They were there to enforce a civil injunction against land defenders acting on the authority of Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs to prevent the Coastal GasLink pipeline from being built on unceded Indigenous land. The ensuing conflict saw more than 30 people, including journalists, arrested. For those who, on Nov. 26, 2019, celebrated the introduction of B.C’s landmark legislation — the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) — the events cast a deep shadow over B.C.’s stated commitment to reconciliation. Matt Simmons reports. (The Narwhal)

Jay Inslee, Washington lawmakers propose electric vehicle rebates and other climate initiatives ahead of legislative session
Gov. Jay Inslee Monday rolled out his latest plans to fight climate change, including an idea to spend $100 million annually to fund rebates for people buying electric vehicles. The latest measures are part of the governor’s proposed supplemental budget package, which is being unveiled this week. Washington state lawmakers will return for the regularly scheduled legislative session in January. Joseph O'Sullivan reports. (Seattle Times)

Crucial Antarctic ice shelf could fail within five years, scientists say
Scientists have discovered a series of worrying weaknesses in the ice shelf holding back one of Antarctica’s most dangerous glaciers, suggesting that this important buttress against sea level rise could shatter within the next three to five years. Until recently, the ice shelf was seen as the most stable part of Thwaites Glacier, a Florida-sized frozen expanse that already contributes about 4 percent of annual global sea level rise. Because of this brace, the eastern portion of Thwaites flowed more slowly than the rest of the notorious “doomsday glacier.” But new data show that the warming ocean is eroding the eastern ice shelf from below. Sarah Kaplan reports. (Washington Post)

A Key Tool for Cleaning Up Oil Spills Is More Hazardous Than Helpful
In the decade since the record-breaking use of oil dispersants in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill response, science shows they’re dangerous, potentially deadly, and rarely useful. A new court case is forcing the US EPA to reconsider their use. Ryan Stuart reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  250 AM PST Tue Dec 14 2021   
TODAY  S wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 8 ft  at 14 seconds. A chance of showers. TONIGHT  S wind 5 to 15 kt becoming SE 10 to 20 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 7 ft at 12 seconds. A  chance of showers in the evening then rain likely after midnight.

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