2/14 Love apples, better sewage, COVID sewage, crab season, Zim Kingston, pinto abalone

Love apple

Tomato - the fruit of love?
When the Spanish conquistadors came to the Americas, they returned home not only with gold, but also the seeds of the tomatl. The Spanish adopted the fruit and adapted its name to tomate. At one point, because of their heart shape, tomatoes were thought to be an aphrodisiac - hence the name "love apples." The Italians named the fruit pomodoro, meaning golden apple. Cathy Wilkinson Barash writes. (Christian Science Monitor)

Scientists question state plan that doubles sewer bills at Puget Sound treatment plants
Sewer bills could double by the end of the decade under a state plan that will require billions of dollars to construct new systems at wastewater treatment plants that discharge into Puget Sound. Officials at the state's Department of Ecology say it's time to require the plants, including those on the Kitsap Peninsula, to remove nitrogen that comes from urine. They believe the nitrogen could lead to "dead zones" of little to no dissolved oxygen in the water, which is harmful to sea life.  But some experts at the University of Washington say the new requirements will produce little environmental benefit. They believe there are better ways to spend money to help the health of Puget Sound. "The idea that the Salish Sea is a heartbeat away from having a dead zone is just nonsense," according to Joel Baker, an environmental engineer who is the director of the University of Washington's Puget Sound Institute. Josh Farley reports. (Kitsap Sun)

These scientists are fighting the pandemic with sewage
Sewage stinks, and it’s often laden with disease. But it can also be of tremendous value to public health. Cutting-edge biomedical research sometimes begins with prying a heavy steel lid off a sewer hole, to gain access to the data gushing below. Studies of wastewater have helped scientists pinpoint where Covid-19 variants have popped up, even before people know they’re infected. John Ryan reports. (KUOW)

Ecology again fines boat owner $70K for fuel spill in river
The state Department of Ecology has fined a Lake Stevens boat owner $70,000 for an oil and gas spill in Steamboat Slough, a branch of the Snohomish River. Ron Barber owns a 75-foot fishing vessel called the Elusive Dream that has been derelict for over a decade. In August 2020, the vessel rolled over during a low tide and pushed a small boat underwater, causing both to sink. The Elusive Dream also capsized in 2009 and the state slapped Barber with a $750 fine for spilling 50 gallons of diesel fuel into the waterway. Back then, Ecology officials practiced mercy, calling the tipping of the vessel a fluke. The fine was typical of small spills where negligence wasn’t suspected, they said. But the Elusive Dream has remained derelict in the slough since then. Zachariah Bryan reports. (Everett Herald)

Oregon Dungeness crab season breaking records
After starting on time for the first time in years, Oregon's Dungeness crab season is bringing in a record-breaking haul. Fishermen have brought in about $80 million this season, which began Dec. 1, according to Tim Novotny with the Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission. It's the most revenue since the 2017-2018 season, which brought in $74 million for the entire season, according to the commission. Bryant Clerkley reports. (KGW)

Cargo-spilling ship leaves Northwest, returns to Asia. Its debris remains
Nearly four months after spilling 109 shipping containers off the Washington and British Columbia coasts, the Zim Kingston left North American waters on Wednesday. There’s still no sign of 105 containers that the cargo ship lost during a storm in October, about 40 miles west of Washington’s Olympic Peninsula and 30 miles southwest of British Columbia’s Vancouver Island. John Ryan reports. (KUOW)

Can a Salish Sea snail return from the brink of extinction? Whatcom scientists, tribe hope so
A marine snail on the brink of extinction is getting help from Whatcom researchers and the Lummi Nation as Washington expands restoration efforts for the pinto abalone. The pinto abalone is the only abalone species native to Washington waters, contributing to healthy kelp forests that support a food web including orca and salmon. They are culturally significant to and a traditional food for Coast Salish tribes. Ysabelle Kempe reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  241 AM PST Mon Feb 14 2022   SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM PST THIS MORNING   TODAY  W wind 15 to 25 kt becoming 15 to 20 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 3 ft at 13 seconds. Rain  in the morning. 
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell  4 ft at 7 seconds.

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