4/29 Honeysuckle, saving sea stars, orca rights, marbled murrelets, ocean extinction, damaged ferry, Misery Pt Preserve, citizen science, bad frogs, Salmon Summit, canopy soils, week in review

Trumpet Honeysuckle [Plants of PNW]

Trumpet Honeysuckle Lonicera ciliosa
Honeysuckles have long been a garden favorite, grown mostly for their sweetly-scented, nectar-producing flowers. The common name, honeysuckle, comes from the fact that children enjoy sucking nectar from the base of the flowers for a sweet treat.

Scientists race to rescue world’s fastest sea star from oblivion
Scientists are racing to revive a critically endangered species that has succumbed to a mysterious underwater pandemic up and down the West Coast. The species is the sunflower star, a pizza-sized predator that can have two dozen arms. Since 2013, a wasting disease of unknown origin has turned some 5 billion sunflower stars, or 90% of the global population, into goo. John Ryan reports. (KUOW)

Can Southern Resident killer whales have legal rights?
Ecosystem conference: Advocates are promoting 'rights of nature' as orca numbers dwindle. Olivia Palmer reports. (Salish Current)

Environmental groups sue Canadian government over B.C. bird
Two environmental groups are suing the Canadian government over claims it failed in its duty to protect the habitat of over two dozen migratory bird species, including the marbled murrelet, a seabird that nests in the coastal old-growth forests of British Columbia. As few as 263,000 marbled murrelets are left, including at least 50,000 in British Columbia. Stefan Labbé reports. (Times Colonist)

Research highlights a choice about the fate of ocean life
“Avoiding Ocean Mass Extinction From Climate Warming” published in Science... is the latest research that crystallizes the powerful yet paralyzed moment in which humanity finds itself. The choices made today regarding greenhouse gas emissions stand to affect the very future of life on Earth, even though the worst effects may still feel far away. Catrin Einhorn reports. (NY Times)

Loose anchor damages ferry in San Juan Islands
Ferry service in the San Juan Islands is currently severely reduced, after the anchor on the Yakima ferry came loose, dropping several feet down the side of the boat and swinging in place. The loose steel anchor, which weighs many hundreds of pounds, bent metal on the ferry and punctured the ship’s hull above the waterline. David Kroman reports. (Seattle Times)

Great Peninsula Conservancy to celebrate opening of new Misery Point Preserve to the public
Great Peninsula Conservancy will celebrate the opening of the new Misery Point Preserve to the public on Saturday. The preserve is important to local wildlife and can now be visited on foot and by kayak. The preserve is located at the tip of Seabeck's Misery Point peninsula. Nathan Daniel, executive director of GPC, said the preserve is valuable because of some very healthy eelgrass beds. The reason those are there, he said, is because there’s a steep feeder bluff providing nutrients to the beach in the area, which helps the eelgrass thrive. The bluff is about 85 feet tall and drops straight into the Hood Canal where the beds are. Jesse Darland reports. (Kitsap Sun)

With citizen science apps, amateurs and experts both expand their horizons
Canada is too big for researchers to track all of its flora and fauna. Nature apps provide valuable wildlife data for scientists, who return the favour by sharing expertise. Ziya Jones reports. (The Narwhal)

Wildlife officials warn of invasive frogs in Washington
An invasive species is consuming and competing with native species in western Washington, including salmon. Scientists have spotted African clawed frogs in Issaquah, Lacey and Bothell, KING5 reported. The frogs were initially brought into the United States to be used in pregnancy tests and later became pets, said state wildlife scientist Max Lambert. (Associated Press)

Salmon Summit teaches kids about conservation, science
For four months, fourth grade students at Cascade Elementary School in Kennewick watched as salmon in their classroom developed from a transparent egg – the kids could see the eyes of the salmon even before it hatched to a salmon fry, ready to migrate downstream. Now, these students are learning how researchers will track young fish on their journey down the Columbia River using what’s known as a PIT tag, or Passive Integrated Transponder. Courtney Flatt reports. (NW News Network)

Human Elements: What we can learn from the canopy soils of the Olympic rainforest
From beneath our feet to the tallest trees, Korena Mafune can study resiliency through a close look at the forest's fungal networks. Sarah Hoffman reports. (Crosscut)

Salish Sea News Week in Review 4/29/22: Arbor Friday, decolonizing conservation, container ships, old-growth, tire pollution, Oly Mtn glaciers, cold-water corals, Totem Pole journey, BC fish farms, Tokitae, Green River salmon, First Nation forestry, heat dome survival, ocean extinction, saving sea stars, suing for marbled murrelets

Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  255 AM PDT Fri Apr 29 2022   
TODAY  SE wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell  2 ft at 8 seconds. 
TONIGHT  SE wind to 10 kt becoming E 10 to 20 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 1 ft or less building to 1 to 3 ft after  midnight. W swell 2 ft at 11 seconds. A chance of rain in the  evening then rain after midnight. 
SAT  SE wind 10 to 20 kt becoming NW 5 to 15 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. SW swell 4 ft at 9 seconds. Rain  likely in the morning then a slight chance of showers in the  afternoon. 
SAT NIGHT  W wind 5 to 15 kt becoming to 10 kt after midnight.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 7 ft at 12 seconds. 
SUN  Light wind becoming NW 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon. Wind  waves less than 1 ft becoming 2 ft or less in the afternoon. W  swell 6 ft at 11 seconds.

--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to mikesato772 (@) gmail.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter. 

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told