3/29 Sturgeon poacher, sea lice, seaweed farming, trees and housing, pollen season, wildfire smoke, Salish Sea wonders, Bear Creek Park, Skagit birds, Tarboo Cr

Sturgeon Poacher

Sturgeon Poacher Agonus acipenserinus
The Sturgeon Poacher can grow up to 12 inches in length. They have a slender, tapering body that is covered with scales that are actually modified bony plates. Found from Northern California to the Bering Sea in Alaska, in shallow waters to depths of about 200’, these fish have very small mouths, that are surrounded by clumps of cirri. These cirri actually contain their taste buds which are used to grovel through the sand and silt bottoms it prefers to inhabit in search of a tasty shrimp or other very small invertebrate. (Scott Boyd)

Sea lice are becoming more resistant to pesticides — that’s a problem for B.C.’s beleaguered salmon farms
Open-net fish pens are the perfect breeding grounds for the parasites, which feast on the mucus, skin and flesh of wild salmon, causing infection and even death. But the tools industry has to deal with the legions of sea lice are becoming less effective. Judith Lavoie reports. (The Narwhal)

WA seaweed farming could boom but permitting remains difficult
Like much of the West Coast, the state needs a regulatory overhaul if it wants to take advantage of emerging ocean aquaculture. Alex Brown reports. (Stateline/Crosscut)

In a Dense Landscape Can Trees and Housing Co-Exist?
In the face of rapid residential development, Seattle's urban trees are in the crosshairs. 60% of the city's urban canopy is on residential lots. Tree advocates say housing and trees can co-exist, but have yet to convince the city's Department of Construction and Inspection, who recently issued a new draft tree protection code. As in previous drafts, maximizing a lots development potential outweighs protecting existing trees on site. Martha Baskin reports. (PRX)

Climate change is making pollen season even worse across the country
The Northeast and Southeast will experience more pollen production, while allergy season in the Pacific Northwest could start a month earlier. Kasha Patel reports. (Washington Post)

Wildfire smoke can change the atmosphere, even a week later
Smoky skies can harm our lungs and the environment. But even when the sky seems to clear of smoke, authors of a new study say leftover smoke particulates can continue to impact the atmosphere for more than a week. April Erlich reports. (OPB)

Wonders of the Salish Sea 2022
The Wonders of the Salish Sea is an environmental education program designed to awaken a sense of wonder and foster a deep connection in the Salish Sea ecosystem. Programs: 4/4: The Salish Sea: Our Wondrous Home and Oceanography and Plankton Dynamics; 4/11: Shorebirds, Biofilm, and Robert’s Bank and juvenile Salmon in the Fraser Estuary; 4/25: Gray Whales of the Salish Sea and The Curious World of Seaweeds; and 5/2: Toward an Atlas of Salish Sea Biodiversity and Nudibranchs – Up Close and Personal. All programs via Zoom; 7 - 9 p.m. Ages 16+, $25 for the series, or by donation. Scholarships available. For information and to register, go here. wondersofthesalishsea.com

Surrey's proposal for Bear Creek Park connector will result in fish deaths, DFO says
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans says construction of an 84th Avenue connector through Bear Creek Park will kill fish and it's asking the city to submit a new engineering proposal. The city asked the DFO to review its proposal last fall as part of the planning to fast-track the highly controversial road through the park. Kiran Singh reports. (CBC)

Skagit Land Trust counts birds for wetland conservation
Skagit Land Trust and Skagit Audubon Society hosted an introduction to bird surveys Monday at a Skagit Land Trust wetland. Tim Manns led a group of about 10 birders through the wetland, pointing out savannah sparrows, red-winged blackbirds and northern harriers spotted through his scope. Maddie Smith reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Volunteers plant trees to save Tarboo Creek habitat
Intrepid volunteers from three area schools braved a soggy 16th annual Plant-A-Thon to plant 1,200 native plants along Tarboo Creek, the Northwest Watershed Institute reported. The volunteers on March 19 shared the same goal as those who have worked on this annual project since 2005: to help restore native salmon and wildlife along the creek. (Peninsula Daily News)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  243 AM PDT Tue Mar 29 2022   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH  WEDNESDAY MORNING   TODAY  E wind to 10 kt becoming NW 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 4 ft at 8 seconds. TONIGHT  SW wind 5 to 15 kt rising to 15 to 25 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 2 ft or less building to 2 to 4 ft after  midnight. W swell 2 ft at 8 seconds. Rain likely after midnight.

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