10/31 Ghost shrimp, cedar, salmon water, leaded gas, rat poison, Lime Bay, Sue Gunn, Rodney Smith, BC dikes, beach trash, climate reality, drone reforestation, Salish Current

Bay ghost shrimp [Dave Cowles/WallaWalla U]

 

Burrowing ghost shrimp Neotrypaea californiensis
Fall’s chill is in the air (finally!), leaves are turning colors, and skeletons and spider webs are popping up in yards all over town. Meanwhile, under the mud of Puget Sound, there’s a strange critter that stays in its ethereal costume all year long – the burrowing ghost shrimp. (Dept. of Ecology)

Has this iconic Northwest tree reached a tipping point?
Diebacks have felled countless trees throughout the region but, according to emerging research, perhaps never so prominently among Western red cedars or in such noticeable concentrations west of the Cascades. Nicholas Turner reports. (Seattle Times)

Heavy rain boosts water levels for salmon seeking to spawn
Rainfall, which is expected to last until Monday in some areas, will be heavier than the season’s initial atmospheric river on Thursday that knocked out power to more than 18,000 homes and caused dangerous driving conditions. But it’s good news for salmon that are starting to mass in estuaries of Island rivers, eager to spawn. Darron Closter reports. (Times Colonist)

Where leaded gas still flies in the United States
The United States banned leaded paint and leaded gasoline decades ago, but many floatplanes and other small aircraft still run on leaded fuel...Small airplanes are the largest source of lead pollution in the air of Washington state, pumping about 17 tons of the brain-damaging substance into the air each year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. This month, the agency said that leaded aviation fuel endangers public health, especially that of children living or attending school near airports that dispense the harmful fuel. John Ryan reports. (KUOW)

B.C. permanently bans use of rat poison
The province of B.C. has decided to make a temporary ban on the use of rat poison permanent.The permanent regulatory changes announced Friday will ban the widespread sale and use of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs), which the province says risk the secondary poisoning of animals who consume poisoned rodents. (CBC)

Surf smelts spawning again in Lime Bay, after restoration project
Four surf smelt eggs have been found in Victoria Harbour’s Lime Bay, where habitat was recently restored to lure the silvery fish back. It’s not many, but it was enough for biologists to celebrate. Carla Wilson reports. (Times Colonist)

Former Port of Olympia Commissioner Sue Gunn is dead at 74
Sue Gunn, a committed environmentalist who set out to shake up the status quo when she served on the Port of Olympia Commission from 2013 to 2015, died this week in Seattle. Gunn was 74...Friend Cynthia Stewart described her as a brilliant woman who cared passionately about a lot of things, including the environment. Stewart said Gunn had most recently served on the board at the Center for Sustainable Forestry. She also was an avid hiker, camper and kayaker and had earned a doctorate in geology. She moved to Bellingham in 2019, Stewart said. Rolf Boone reports. (Olympian)

Washington renames Mason County swamp for Black pioneer whose home was known by racial slur
The state's Department of Natural Resources has renamed an 18-acre Mason County swamp for a Black pioneer whose homestead there was branded as a racial slur for decades after his death. Rodney White Slough will honor a man born into slavery in Missouri who farmed a property near the Tahuya River until his death in 1913, DNR's Washington State Committee on Geographic Names announced Thursday. The slough had been formerly known by the N-word because White lived there. Josh Farley reports. (Kitsap Sun)

Enough reports, start fixing the dikes, say B.C. dairy farmers
After the release of another report calling for increased flood protection in B.C., Fraser Valley dairy farmers says it’s important to start the physical work needed to do just that. After the catastrophic flooding in B.C. last November, a Senate committee on agriculture and forestry recently called on Ottawa to work with the B.C. government and municipalities to develop a comprehensive plan for flood control in the Fraser Valley. Gordon Hoekstra reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Researchers complete study on trash found on beaches
Over the course of five years, citizen scientists throughout Oregon and Washington collected data on the distribution of garbage found on beaches. Scientists at the University of Washington analyzed the data to look for trends, and published their findings in the Marine Pollution Bulletin in August. Surveys from Anacortes beaches contributed to the data from beaches in the Puget Sound. Scientists compared Puget Sound data with beach surveys on the coasts of Washington and Oregon. Maddie Smith reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

The New World: Envisioning Life After Climate Change
Not very long ago, scientists warned that this could cause four or five degrees Celsius of warming, giving rise to existential fears about apocalyptic futures. But in just the past few years, the future has begun to look somewhat different, thanks to a global political awakening, an astonishing decline in the price of clean energy, a rise in global policy ambition and revisions to some basic modeling assumptions. David Wallis-Wells reports. (NY Times)  See also: Beyond Catastrophe: A New Climate Reality Is Coming Into View David Wallis-Wells reports. (NY Times)

How drones are replanting B.C.'s burned forests
With promises to rejuvenate forests from the air, tree-planting start-ups are looking to supplement shovels and long days of labour with swarms of seed-bearing aerial drones. A growing target: B.C.'s burnt forests. Stefan Labbé reports. (Times Colonist)

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Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  241 AM PDT Mon Oct 31 2022   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT   
TODAY  W wind 10 to 20 kt. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 14 ft  at 15 seconds. A chance of showers. 
TONIGHT  SW wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell  12 ft at 14 seconds. A slight chance of showers in the evening  then a chance of showers after midnight.

--
"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.

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10/28 Pea crab, shellfish closure, DNR timber sales, Everett wastewater, Indigenous art, mola, week in review

Pea crab [Dave Cowles/Walla Walla U]

Pea crab Pinnixa faba
The pea crab lives symbiotically with clams, tube worms, sea cucumbers, and other fauna. Usually they feed on the results of their host's filtering, or in the case of sea cucumbers they live in the cloaca feeding off of the results of digestion and reproduction. They have no rostrum and no teeth between the eyes. (Wikipedia)

Shellfish contamination prompts harvesting closure off Vancouver Island's west coast
Canadian officials are warning the public not to harvest shellfish near Barkley Sound, off Vancouver Island's west coast, due to contamination. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) says intense rain following a lengthy drought in the area has created health and safety risks, including the possibility of paralytic shellfish poisoning. (CBC)

Court halts DNR timber sales in Jefferson County
A Jefferson County Superior Court judge has ruled against the state Department of Natural Resources in a case plaintiffs say will have broad implications for how the agency manages its forests. Superior Court Judge Keith Harper ruled Wednesday in favor of plaintiffs Center for Sustainable Economy and Save the Olympic Peninsula who argued Department of Natural Resources (DNR) had violated the state Environmental Policy Act by failing to consider the impacts of climate change from two timber sales in the county. Peter Segall reports. (Peninsula Daily News) See also: Jefferson County considers carbon offset program (Peninsula Daily News)

State fines Everett $13K for incompletely treated wastewater
The state Department of Ecology fined Everett $13,000 for almost 10 million gallons of wastewater discharge that wasn’t completely treated in June. Most of the treatment process happened normally, except for a 19-hour failure of the pump to inject sodium hypochlorite, which is similar to concentrated bleach and sanitizes the wastewater before it enters the Snohomish River. Ben Watanabe reports. (Everett Herald)

VCA offers exhibition of current work by Indigenous artists
Marking November’s designation as Native American Heritage Month, Vashon Center for the Arts (VCA) will present a month-long group show of Native artists from or working in the Salish Sea and Alaska regions, in collaboration with Seattle’s Stonington Gallery. The exhibit will have an opening reception at 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 4, and run through Nov. 27. (Vashon Beachcomber)

'Surreal': Rare fish spotted in Alert Bay, British Columbia
As a whale scientist, Jared Towers is used to getting up close and personal with cetaceans on the coast of British Columbia and around the globe. But he was surprised this week when a giant sub-tropical fish from half a world away showed up just a few metres from his waterfront home in Alert Bay. The massive mola sunfish — two metres wide and three metres across, and a third of a metre thick — was basking and swimming in the calm bay just a stone’s throw from the front of his house. Darron Kloster reports. (Times Colonist)

Salish Sea News Week in Review 10/28/22: Lemur Friday!, drought salmon, BC island gems, Indigenous science, plastic recycling, BC spotted owls, fossil fuel revolving door, endangered Fraser, 'forever chemicals,' timber sales

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Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  303 AM PDT Fri Oct 28 2022   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON   
TODAY  S wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 to 2 ft. W swell 10 ft at  13 seconds. A slight chance of rain in the morning. 
TONIGHT  SW wind to 10 kt becoming S 5 to 15 kt after midnight.  Wind waves 1 to 2 ft. W swell 10 ft at 14 seconds. A chance of  showers after midnight. 
SAT  S wind 5 to 15 kt becoming 10 to 20 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 10 ft at 13 seconds. Rain likely. 
SAT NIGHT  S wind 10 to 20 kt. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell  9 ft at 13 seconds. 
SUN  SW wind 15 to 25 kt easing to 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 7 ft at 12 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.

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10/27 False holly, wind&rain, Fraser R, 'forever chemicals, GasLink risks, kelp, animal ban, Eagle Wing, bubonic plague

False holly [MyGardenPlot]

 

False holly Osmanthus heterophyllus
O. heterophyllus blooms in late September and October, with intensely fragrant flowers that are mostly hidden by the foliage. They’re small, white, tubular, 4-lobed, and held in small clusters. Fruiting is uncommon. It grows at a moderate rate to about 8-10 feet in height, with an upright habit when young, spreading wider at maturity. In time, it can become treelike -- to 15 or more feet tall. Hardy to USDA Zone 6 (average winter temperature, -10 to 0 degrees F.), it’s widely planted in Japan -- both pruned as a hedge and as a specimen shrub or tree in a mixed planting, allowed to retain a natural form. It was first mentioned, in the 8th century, in Japan’s oldest surviving historical record, the Kojiki. (Corinne Kennedy/Seattle Japanese Garden)

Residents on B.C. coast warned to prepare for heavy wind, rain, possible outages after drought
Experts are warning British Columbians near the coast to be prepared for strong winds and heavy rain on Thursday as an atmospheric river packing "narrow bands of heavy precipitation'' heads west. (CBC)

BC's 'most endangered' Fraser River in dire need of protection: report
‘Eden in our midst’: Outdoor Recreation Council of B.C. calls for urgent action to protect section of the river between Hope and Mission that faces threats from industry and climate change. Tiffany Crawford reports. (Vancouver Sun)

'Forever chemicals' detected in almost all U.S. waterways
The new study, published last week by the Waterkeeper Alliance Initiative and Cyclopure, found that 83% of waterways in the United States are contaminated with PFAS, including several rivers and lakes in Washington...These forever chemicals, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), are compounds found in everyday items, including laundry detergent, food wrappers, Teflon frying pans and even furniture and rugs. Julia Lerner reports. (CDN)

Confusion Swirls Around CGL’s Environmental Risks
BC ordered Coastal GasLink to ‘cease’ variations from approved work plans. The company insists it hasn’t broken any rules. Amanda Follett Hosgood reports. (The Tyee)

With cash boost from government, Cascadia Seaweed dives into cattle feed
Sidney-based Cascadia Seaweed has been given $4.3 million by the federal government to establish a 100-hectare seaweed farm and agri-feed processing facility close to Prince Rupert. Cascadia, which combines cultivation expertise, First Nations partnerships and brand development, currently has about 26 hectares of seaweed under cultivation in waters off the province’s coast. Andrew Duffy reports. (Times Colonist)

Everett eyeing bans on rabbit sales, peafowl and roosters
The city is considering several code changes that would ban peafowl and roosters, allow more neutered and spayed cats and dogs in a home, and prohibit rabbit sales among other modifications. Ben Watanabe reports. (Everett Herald)

Eco-tourism operator, schools join forces to teach kids about Salish Sea
Eagle Wing’s Exploring the Salish Sea floating classroom program combines classroom curriculum, on-water research, beach field trips and experiential learning to ignite kids’ passion for the ocean and its ecosystems. Darron Kloster reports. (Times Colonist)

Bubonic Plague in Seattle
David Williams in Street Smart Naturalist writes: "Here’s today’s unpleasant thought. “Two rats are probably having sex fairly close to you and three weeks from now, she will give birth to between eight and ten pups. This time next year, your fecund neighbors might have 15,000 descendants.” I wrote those lines in 2004, for the opening of a review of Robert Sullivan’s Rats: Observations on the History & Habitat of the City’s Most Unwanted Inhabitants. Although those facts still disturb me, I thought I’d write about rats, as they seem an appropriate lead in to Halloween." (Street Smart Naturalist)

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Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  338 AM PDT Thu Oct 27 2022   
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON   
TODAY  S wind 25 to 35 kt. Wind waves 4 to 6 ft building to 6  to 8 ft in the afternoon. NW swell 5 ft at 7 seconds. A slight  chance of rain in the morning then rain in the afternoon. 
TONIGHT  W wind 10 to 20 kt becoming SW to 10 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 1 to 2 ft. W swell 11 ft at 9 seconds. Rain  in the evening then a chance of rain after midnight.

--
"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.

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10/26 Red octopus, Skagit carbon, dead humpback, fewer 'shrooms, climate pledges, oil gas revolving door

 

Red ruby octopus [Edmonds Underwater Park]

Red ruby octopus Octopus rubescens
The smallest of Pacific northwest octopus species. Like many octopuses, the red octopus makes its home in dens. They can be found in kelp beds, sandy mud bottoms, rocky areas, and under stones at low tide in the rocky intertidal zone of the Pacific northwest. The octopus can change its color and texture depending on the situation. When provoked, it can expel ink in defense to distract predators. The red ruby octopus hunts for crustaceans, fish, and mollusks at night, then returns to its den to feed. (Edmonds Underwater Park)

Skagit County sites considered for state Carbon Project
Five Skagit County sites are being considered for the next stage of the state’s Department of Natural Resources’ Carbon Project. The project is looking to set aside a total of 10,000 acres of state land for conservation and carbon sequestration. Racquel Muncy reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Female humpback whale found dead off B.C.'s Malcolm Island
Scientists are investigating the death of a juvenile humpback whale discovered off the north side of Malcolm Island. Darron Kloster reports. (Times Colonist)

Mushroom foragers, businesses in parts of B.C. lament low yield due to drought
Fungi flourish with moisture, but historically low rainfall means fewer have grown this year. Winston Szeto reports. (CBC) 

Climate Pledges Are Falling Short, and a Chaotic Future Looks More Like Reality
Countries around the world are failing to live up to their commitments to fight climate change, pointing Earth toward a future marked by more intense flooding, wildfires, drought, heat waves and species extinction, according to a report issued Wednesday by the United Nations. Just 26 of 193 countries that agreed last year to step up their climate actions have followed through with more ambitious plans. Max Bearak reports. (NY Times)

How oil and gas lobbyists build ‘very close relationships’ with politicians and governments
The relationship between governments and the fossil fuel industry in Canada is under the spotlight again after a high-profile staffer jumped straight from the Alberta premier’s office to one of the country’s most powerful oil and gas companies. Critics say the move by Brock Harrison to TC Energy — the company behind the Coastal GasLink pipeline and one of the firms that pressured RCMP to enforce an injunction on Wet’suwet’en territory — is the latest example of a “revolving door” culture between government and industry, one that is threatening climate progress. Carl Meyer reports. (The Narwhal)

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Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  306 AM PDT Wed Oct 26 2022   
TODAY  W wind 5 to 15 kt becoming SW in the afternoon. Wind  waves 1 to 2 ft. W swell 9 ft at 11 seconds. A chance of rain in  the afternoon. 
TONIGHT  SW wind 5 to 15 kt becoming S 15 to 25 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 1 to 2 ft building to 2 to 4 ft after  midnight. W swell 5 ft at 10 seconds. Rain likely in the evening  then a chance of rain after midnight.

--
"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.

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10/25 Opossum shrimp, David Eby, WDNR carbon storage, spotted owls, recycling plastic, community land trust, climate suits

Opossum shrimp [Vic High Marine]

Opossum shrimp Order Mysida
Mysida is an order of over 1000 species of similar shrimp-like crustaceans. The creatures get their name from the presence of a ‘brood pouch’ – an egg chamber attached to the female. This pouch gives the female Mysida a distinctive ‘bulge’, allowing them to be easily identified. While there are many types of Mysida that are pale, and even transparent, there are also varieties that have bold orange and brown colourations. Additional features include compound eyes protruding from stalks, and a rigid carapace that covers the creature’s head and the thorax. While very similar in appearance to shrimp, Mysida don’t have free-swimming larvae, and are hence classified differently. (Jamie Lenihan/Victoria High School)

David Eby’s Plan for BC
Before the NDP leadership race came to an abrupt end, Eby shared his plans for climate action, health care and housing with The Tyee. Andrew MacLeod reports. (The Tyee)

State Department of Natural Resources proposes forest lands set aside to store carbon
A webinar is set for Wednesday on a state Department of Natural Resources proposal to add 7,500 acres of Western Washington state trust lands, including property on the North Olympic Peninsula, to a pilot project to set aside forest for carbon sequestration. In April, Hilary Franz, state Commissioner of Public Lands, announced the launch of what she said was the first-of-its-kind carbon project on state lands. The project committed to set aside 10,000 acres of state lands for conservation and carbon sequestration, and to generate revenue for state trust land beneficiaries through carbon markets. (Peninsula Daily News)

Rare spotted owls released into protected habitat in 1st stage of recovery program
The effort to revive one of Canada's most endangered species has taken flight. There is only one known northern spotted owl in the wild, according to the B.C. government — but three birds released into a protected habitat in B.C.'s Fraser Canyon on Friday bring the total to four. Ali Pitargue reports. (CBC)

Recycling plastic is practically impossible — and the problem is getting worse
The vast majority of plastic that people put into recycling bins is headed to landfills, or worse, according to a report from Greenpeace on the state of plastic recycling in the U.S. The report cites separate data published this May which revealed that the amount of plastic actually turned into new things has fallen to new lows of around 5%. That number is expected to drop further as more plastic is produced. Laura Sullivan reports. (NPR)

Sound it Out: what is a community land trust?
Kathleen Hosfeld, the executive director of Homestead Community Land Trust, explained what a community land trust is..."This is not a 'land trust' that is a tax shelter. Nor is it a conservation land trust, which is primarily used to hold land to prevent it from being developed," Hosfeld explained. "A community land trust is a private, nonprofit, community governed and or membership corporation that exists to acquire, hold, develop, lease, and steward land for the benefit of low income households and communities." In other words, a community land trust builds and subsidizes affordable homes. The people who buy those homes own them, but the land trust owns the land those homes are on — the homeowners just lease it. Libby Denkmann and Jason Burrows report. (KUOW)

Climate Activists Are Waging a New Kind of Legal Fight
In the face of bigger wildfires, deadlier floods, and more extreme weather, plaintiffs around the world are taking up a new tactic: suing for the damage climate change has already wrought. Isabella Kaminski reports. (Hakai Magazine)

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Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  253 AM PDT Tue Oct 25 2022   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON   
TODAY  S wind 15 to 25 kt becoming SE 20 to 30 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft. W swell 12 ft at 13 seconds  subsiding to 10 ft at 12 seconds in the afternoon. A chance of  rain in the morning then showers and a slight chance of tstms in  the afternoon. 
TONIGHT  W wind 10 to 20 kt. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell  9 ft at 11 seconds. A chance of showers and a slight chance of  tstms in the evening then a chance of rain after midnight.

--
"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.

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19/24 Pillars of Creation, seastar wasting, island gems, salmon drought, Quinsam R pumps, Sunshine Coast water, grizzlies, 'forever chemicals,' hydrofluorocarbons, indigenous science, BC fish farms, old growth, Salish Current

Pillars of Creation, 1995 & 2022 [NASA et al]

 
Hubble's 1995 image of a star nursery was amazing. Take a look at NASA's new version
Nearly 30 years ago, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope captured the first image of the Pillars of Creation — the iconic star nursery featuring thick pillars of gas and dust. Now, the new James Webb Space Telescope has captured NASA's most detailed image of the landscape that is helping scientists better understand how stars form. Ashley Ahn reports. (NPR)

Devastating wasting illness of influential, iconic sea stars still a mystery
Sea star wasting syndrome still threatens area sea stars, but community scientists and researchers are helping to shed light on the mysterious illness. Rena Kingery reports. (Salish Current)

These Island gems are among B.C.’s seven biodiversity hot spots
They’re called “key biodiversity areas,” and seven swaths of land across British Columbia — including Tofino’s mudflats, the Trial Islands and Fort Rodd Hill — now have that international designation, which is meant to prevent the decimation of wild animal and plant species before it’s too late.  Stefan Labbé reports. (Times Colonist)

Through Pacific Northwest drought and downpour, what will happen to the salmon?
...After Western Washington saw the driest June to October on record, several storms were slated to soak the region beginning Friday. It’s a welcome sight for many, including fish stuck downstream. But it comes at the risk of scouring eggs already laid in vulnerable places throughout the Northwest. Isabella Breda reports. (Seattle Times)

Pumps installed to ensure water flow for spawning salmon on Quinsam River
B.C. Hydro says it’s the second time since 2000 that huge pumps have been set up in Upper Quinsam Lake west of Campbell River to ensure high enough water levels for hundreds of thousands of spawning salmon. Carla Wilson reports. (Times Colonist)

9 things that could have been done to prevent the Sunshine Coast’s state of emergency
The severe drought on the Sunshine Coast is no surprise to many who have been trying to raise awareness about water issues for years. Here are some of the solutions on the table. Stephanie Wood reports. (The Narwhal) https://thenarwhal.ca/bc-drought-sunshine-coast-2022/

Drought conditions raise concerns for B.C.'s grizzlies
Low salmon returns amid record-setting drought could affect B.C. grizzlies. Nicholas Scapilatti, director of Grizzly Bear Foundation, says the drought is cause for concern as bears are dependent on the return of salmon this time of year. Priya Bhat reports. (CBC)

Heartache, anger in Central Washington over drinking-water wells tainted by 'forever chemicals'
In 2016, Brandi and Brad Hyatt purchased a three-bedroom home with sweeping views of the Cascades, Mount Rainier and Mount Adams....In February two U.S. Army representatives knocked on the Hyatts’ door to deliver cases of bottled water and a carefully worded letter that noted a “potential risk to human health.” The Hyatts’ well was one of 300 residential drinking water wells tested for contamination from two firefighting foam chemicals that seeped into groundwater flows from the Army’s Yakima Training Center. Hal Bernton and Manuel Villa report. (Seattle Times)

EPA to further slash emissions from climate super-pollutants
The proposal comes about a month after the Senate voted to ratify a global treaty that calls for gradually reducing the use and production of the chemicals. Allyson Chiu reports. (Washington Post)

First Nations fear feds backing away from fish farm plans
The federal Liberals' 2019 election platform promised "to develop a responsible plan to transition from open-net pen salmon farming in coastal waters to closed containment systems by 2025." First Nations fighting to get salmon farms out of the ocean say their hopes are fading after federal Fisheries Minister Joyce Murray’s recent B.C. tour to discuss a transition plan for open-net operations. Rochelle Baker reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Canada is 'weaving' Indigenous science into environmental policy-making
Research shows that Indigenous communities in Canada are at higher risk from climate-related disasters such as flooding. Myrle Ballard is setting out to make sure Indigenous people are also part of the solution to climate change. Ballard is the first director of Environment and Climate Change Canada's new division of Indigenous Science, a role in which she's tasked with raising awareness of Indigenous science within the department and helping the government find ways to integrate it into its policies. (CBC)

Advocates say loggers aren't doing enough to save old-growth forests near Revelstoke, B.C
The unique area is home to trees that are hundreds of years old and to threatened mountain caribou. Camille Vernet and Akshay Kulkarni report. (CBC)

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Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  254 AM PDT Mon Oct 24 2022   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 AM PDT THIS MORNING   
TODAY  W wind 15 to 25 kt becoming 10 to 20 kt by mid morning.  Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 6 ft at 11 seconds building to 9 ft  at 14 seconds in the afternoon. A chance of rain in the morning  then rain in the afternoon. 
TONIGHT  W wind 10 to 20 kt. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. SW swell 9  ft at 15 seconds. A slight chance of showers.

--
"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.

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10/21 Flying squirrel, FortisBC bunk, Miller Peninsula SP, vanishing snow, gold mine pollution, blue pygmy butterfly, coral, week in review

Northern flying squirrel [Nick Kerhoulas]

Northern flying squirrel Glaucomys sabrinus
The Northern flying squirrel is the smallest tree squirrel in Washington, measuring 10 to 12 inches in total length. It is rich brown or dark gray above and creamy below. Its eyes are dark and large, and its tail is wide and flat. These nocturnal gliders are surprisingly common, yet are seldom seen in their forest homes throughout the state. (WDFW)

11 FortisBC Claims Experts Say Are Greenwashing Bunk
Watching videos on FortisBC’s YouTube page, you might get the idea the company is advertising spa services. Shots of laughing children playing sports are overlaid with aerial shots of water flowing over hydro dams and cows contemplating life while taking in the sunset from a grassy field. You don’t need to visit YouTube to view them — these soothing ads are found across every platform in B.C. The croaking “rrreeeebates” frog on the radio, pictures of people hiking on social media and full-page sponsored articles in local magazines. There’s just one problem: it’s all greenwashing, according to several experts.  Michelle Gamage reports. (The Tyee)

Residents still oppose park plan
As Washington State parks officials continue to consider plans for Miller Peninsula State Park, property neighbors, park users and other Olympic Peninsula residents continue to express their concerns. State officials held what turned into a town hall-style meeting Tuesday — a gathering that drew more than 200 attendees to a 7 Cedars Resort meeting room in Blyn. Michael Dashiell reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Life Was Built Around Snow. What Happens When It Vanishes?
The melting of the snowpack in the high Cascades has long been a predictable source of sustenance in the Pacific Northwest. But the old patterns are changing. Ruth Fremson and Kirk Johnson report. (NY Times)

Federal judge rules WA gold mine violated Clean Water Act more than 3,000 times
Operators of the Buckhorn Mountain gold mine in Okanogan County violated the Clean Water Act thousands of times, a federal judge ruled this week. Crown Resources and its parent company, Kinross Gold, operated the 50-acre mine just a few miles south of the Canadian border. The mine helped unearth $1.3 billion in gold while it was active from 2008 to 2017. Nicholas Turner reports. (Seattle Times)

North America's tiniest butterfly spotted in SE Washington
This particular adventure begins with the search for a bird. However, like many discoveries that venture a bit off course, birder Chris Lindsey found something much more interesting: a Western blue pygmy butterfly. The smallest butterfly in North America. Courtney Flatt reports. (NW News Network)

In Graphic Detail: Six Coral Continents
Coral reefs are some of the most imperiled ecosystems on the planet, but the largest and most connected reef networks might just have what it takes to survive. Serena Renner reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Salish Sea News Week in Review 10/21/22: Apple Friday!, CWA 50th, TransMountain, Coastal GasLink, WA carbon auctions, quiet ships, K-45, glacier melt, dead sturgeons

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Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  249 AM PDT Fri Oct 21 2022   
TODAY  W wind 10 to 20 kt becoming NW to 10 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 7 ft at 10 seconds.  Rain. 
TONIGHT  NW wind to 10 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt after midnight.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 5 ft at 9 seconds building to  9 ft at 9 seconds after midnight. Rain in the evening then a  chance of showers after midnight. 
SAT  NW wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 12 ft  at 10 seconds. A slight chance of showers. 
SAT NIGHT  N wind 5 to 15 kt becoming SE to 10 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 12 ft at 11 seconds. SUN  SE wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 9 ft at  11 seconds.

--

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10/20 On Watch, Forterra, K-45, white sturgeons, BC forestry carbon, GasLink pipe, tribal candidates, warm oceans, Coquitlam Glacier

On Watch [Tony Angell]

On Watch
Tony Angell writes: "When I review images of my successful stone carvings from the past 50 years, I realize that they all seem to have been initiated from a strong personal motivation.   The shape of the stone picked up from a river bed immediately suggested something in motion or a familiar form that only required modest refinement to be realized. Other work has been driven by my emotions at the time—sometimes romantic, others heartfelt and even angry. Even the sheer pleasure of physically working with the shaping of the stone can be compelling... Read more." (Salish Current)

Investors, 80 ex-staffers demand new leadership at Seattle’s Forterra
Big-name philanthropic investors and 80 former staffers of the Seattle-based land conservancy Forterra NW are calling for leadership change there, joining their criticisms with those previously aired by the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe. It’s not clear what may come next for Forterra, a well-known and politically connected nonprofit that’s grown rapidly in recent years, expanded the scope of its mission to include community development and raised as much as $215 million to support a regional timber, manufacturing and housing initiative. But complaints about the organization are piling up. Daniel Beekman and David Gutman report. (Seattle Times)

Scientists confirm newborn endangered orca is a female
Scientists were celebrating Wednesday after determining that the southern resident killer whale calf born in April is a female. K45 was the first newborn for K-Pod since 2011, and the fact that she’s a female gives the critically endangered species a glimmer of hope. Darron Kloster reports. (Times Colonist)

What killed these giant fish?
A dozen white sturgeon died recently in a B.C. river. No one knows what killed them. Georgie Smyth reports. (CBC)

Canadian forestry carbon emissions equal to Alberta's oilsands some years, report says
An analysis suggests Canada is using questionable methods to dramatically underestimate greenhouse gas emissions from the forestry industry, which it says equal those from Alberta's oilsands in some years. The report released Tuesday, also sponsored by the Natural Resources Defense Council, uses federal data and methodology to attempt to find out how much carbon is emitted by Canada's forestry sector. Bob Weber reports. (Canadian Press) 

It’s ludicrous’: Coastal GasLink pushes its pipeline under a Wet’suwet’en river while salmon are spawning
Coastal GasLink is drilling under the Wedzin Kwa (Morice River) as spawning salmon lay their eggs throughout the river system. The work is being done during a period outside of the “least-risk window” for in-stream construction, according to reports filed with the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office. Put another way, Coastal GasLink is putting its pipeline under the river at the riskiest time for salmon. Matt Simmons reports. (The Narwhal)

Tribal representation in Olympia could quadruple this November
Currently, there is just one Native American serving in the Washington state Legislature. Debra Lekanoff, whose Indian name is “Xixch’I See,” is a member of a Tlingit tribe in Southeast Alaska. She represents District 40, Position 1, which includes the San Juan Islands, and is running unopposed this fall. A handful of Indigenous candidates are running for legislative seats this fall, one in the state Senate and three, including Lekanoff, in the House. David Hyde reports. (KUOW)

Oceans are warming faster than ever. Here’s what could come next.
The world’s oceans have been warming for generations, a trend that is accelerating and threatens to fuel more supercharged storms, devastate marine ecosystems and upend the lives and livelihoods of millions of people, according to a new scientific analysis. Brady Dennis reports. (Washington Post)

Metro Vancouver's last remaining glacier is disappearing fast
Metro Vancouver's last surviving glacier, a source of local fresh water, will disappear in less than 30 years, according to local scientists. Scientists say climate change is accelerating the demise of the Coquitlam Glacier. The ice pack, located 40 kilometres north of Vancouver, sits on a mountain more than 1,400 metres high. Ali Pitargue reports. (CBC)

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Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  241 AM PDT Thu Oct 20 2022   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH  LATE TONIGHT   
TODAY  W wind to 10 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 8 ft at 13 seconds. A slight chance  of showers in the morning. 
TONIGHT  W wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft. W swell 8 ft  at 11 seconds.

--
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10/19 Coho, jelly bloom, rhino auklets, Upper Bulkley River

Coho [NOAA Fisheries]

Coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch
Coho use coastal streams and tributaries, and are often present in small neighborhood streams. Coho can even be found in urban settings if their needs of cold, clean, year-round water are met. They spawn in small coastal streams and the tributaries of larger rivers. They prefer areas of mid-velocity water with small to medium sized gravels. Because they use small streams with limited space, they must use many such streams to successfully reproduce, which is why coho can be found in virtually every small coastal stream with a year-round flow. Coho have a very regular life history. They are deposited in the gravel as eggs in the fall, emerge from the gravel the next spring, and in their second spring go to sea, about 18 months after being deposited. Coho fry are usually found in the pools of small coastal streams and the tributaries of larger rivers. (WDFW)

Cinematographer documents stunning Vancouver Island jellyfish bloom: ‘It feels like you’re on another planet’
A Vancouver Island cinematographer took a deep dive into the waters off Brentwood Bay to get an up-close look at a massive moon jelly bloom, capturing the marine species on video for all to see. John Roney, a Parksville resident, submerged himself in Todd Inlet to capture the visually spectacular phenomenon. Ethan Moreau reports. (CHEK)

Whir! Chunk! Capture! The art of tagging rhinoceros auklets on Protection Island
Where do Protection Island's rhinoceros auklets go to find their food? Scientists hope GPS tags will offer new insight into the bird's still mysterious foraging behavior. Eric Wagner writes. (Salish Sea Currents Magazine)

After her farm flooded, this B.C. farmer went looking for solutions
An unlikely group from northwest B.C. is working together to restore the heavily impacted Upper Bulkley River to protect farmland from floods and bring balance back to a disrupted ecosystem. Matt Simmons reports. (The Narwhal)

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Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  307 AM PDT Wed Oct 19 2022   
TODAY  W wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 4 ft  at 12 seconds building to 7 ft at 15 seconds in the afternoon. 
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell  9 ft at 14 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.

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10/18 Sculpin, BC drought, quiet vessels, carbon credits, GasLink protection, Cowlitz Tribe rights, Snohomish MRC, Vancouver seawall

Sailfin sculpin [NOAA/Creative Commons]

Sailfin sculpin
The sailfin sculpin (Nautichthys oculofasciatus, lit. "eye-banded sailor fish") is a species of scorpaeniform marine fish in the sea raven family Hemitripteridae, native to the eastern Pacific Ocean from St. Lawrence Island, Alaska to San Miguel Island off southern California. Named for its elongated, sail-like first dorsal fin, the sailfin sculpin is a popular subject of public aquaria; it is of no interest to commercial fishery. (iNaturalist)

State of emergency declared on B.C.'s Sunshine Coast because of drought
A state of local emergency declared on the Sunshine Coast because of drought includes an order for breweries, water bottlers and non-medical cannabis growers to shut down water use starting at 11:59 p.m. PT on Tuesday. Breweries, water bottlers and non-medical cannabis growers included in businesses ordered to stop using water. Karin Larsen reports. (CBC)

Big ships transiting North Puget Sound asked to slow down, quiet down for orcas
Big ships entering and leaving Puget Sound will be asked to temporarily slow down to reduce underwater noise this fall. Washington state is importing this strategy from British Columbia on a trial basis in hopes of helping the Pacific Northwest's critically endangered killer whales. The voluntary slowdown for container ships, tankers, freighters, cruise ships and car carriers is scheduled to run from October 24 to December 22. The slowdown area covers the shipping lanes from Admiralty Inlet by Port Townsend south to Kingston and Mukilteo. Tom Banse reports. (NW News Network)

Carbon auctions will bring WA more money than predicted. Transportation could benefit
The cornerstone of the 2021 Climate Commitment Act, the new carbon “cap and invest” program requires the state’s largest emitters to either reduce their emissions or purchase carbon allowances at auction if they exceed a set limit...When the complicated carbon reduction program was passed in 2021, the Department of Ecology estimated it would bring in around $220 million in 2023 and close to or just over $500 million every year after that through 2040...But Washington revised those numbers this month as it collected more information on the amount of carbon allowances likely to be sold and based on recent increases in their cost. David Kroman reports. (Seattle Times) See: Seattle's carbon pollution drops with Covid. A rebound is expected John Ryan reports. (KUOW)

RCMP Spending on Pipeline Conflict Reaches $25 Million
As Coastal GasLink begins drilling under the Morice River, police presence on Wet’suwet’en territory appears to be on the rise. Amanda Follett Hosgood reports. (The Tyee)

The Precarious Position of Treaty-less Tribes
What a five-year fight over a few dozen clams shows about the inconsistent rights of Indigenous tribes. Ashley Braun reports. (Hakai Magazine)

4 more decaying boats removed from Snohomish County shores
The county’s Marine Resource Committee has now removed 175,000 pounds of toxic maritime eyesores since 2018. About 35,000 pounds of marine debris and toxic materials were removed from Snohomish County shorelines this year. The county’s Marine Resource Committee finished extracting its fourth abandoned vessel of the year in late September, putting the total count at 20 vessels, or 175,000 pounds of debris, removed since 2018. Kayla Dunn reports. (Everett Herald)

Breaking Up with the Seawall
The past, present and future of Vancouver's 33-kilometer Stanley Park seawall, the longest continuous waterfront pathway in the world. Auston Chore writes. (The Tyee)

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Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  318 AM PDT Tue Oct 18 2022   
TODAY  SE wind to 10 kt becoming E in the afternoon. Wind waves  1 ft or less. W swell 4 ft at 13 seconds. 
TONIGHT  W wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 4 ft  at 12 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.

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10/17 Pickleweed, BC election, heat, smoke, rain, BC pipe, CWA 50, fire retardant, butterflies, sea rise, Joe Martin

Pickleweed [Sound Water Stewards]

Pickleweed Salicornia virginica
This species can be found in salt marshes and beaches with low wave energy along the Pacific Coast of the United States and British Columbia, on the American East Coast, and also in Western Europe. It is a common and easily recognized perennial with fleshy stems, leaves reduced to scales, and tiny yellow flowers that bloom in July and August. This plant belongs to the goosefoot family. Other common names for it include saltwort, sea asparagus, and American glasswort. A similar but less common species, Salicornia maritima tends to take on a bright red hue in the fall. (Sound Water Stewards)

In cities big and small, winds of change sweep across British Columbia
A municipal election differs from a provincial or federal election in that there isn't one party forming government but dozens of individual results and stories — in the case of B.C., 160 separate municipalities — happening everywhere all at once. That being said, there is one major storyline: people wanting change. Justin McElroy reports. (CBC)

At 88 degrees, Seattle breaks heat record as wildfires and smoke spread  Mike Reicher and Taylor Blatchford report. (Seattle Times)  Air quality advisory for Metro Vancouver, Fraser Valley continues due to wildfire smoke (CBC)

Rains to come to Metro Vancouver at last, with snow in high places
Hazy skies to remain for next few days, but 10 mm of rain forecast for the weekend. David Carrigg reports. (Vancouver Sun)

The Trans Mountain Boondoggle: Taxpayers Lose Billions, Oil Companies Win
A new analysis confirms the pipeline expansion makes no economic sense and taxpayers will subsidize Big Oil. Andrew Nikiforuk reports. (The Tyee)  First Nations Partnerships Say Pipeline Companies Owe Them Millions Four lawsuits allege a former major contractor for Coastal GasLink hasn’t paid for some work on the pipeline. Amanda Follett Hosgood reports. (The Tyee)

The Clean Water Act at 50: Big Successes, More to Be Done
Sparked by the 1970s environmental movement, the Clean Water Act — which marks its 50th anniversary this month — transformed America’s polluted rivers. The Delaware, once an industrial cesspool, is one of the success stories, but its urban stretches remain a work in progress. Andrew S. Lewis writes. (Yale Environment 360)

US sued by Oregon group for pollution from retardant drops on wildfires
An environmental group filed a lawsuit Tuesday against U.S. Forest Service officials that alleges they polluted waterways during their campaigns against wildfires by inadvertently dropping large volumes of chemical flame retardant into streams. Government data released earlier this year found aircraft operated or contracted by the Forest Service dropped more than 760,000 gallons of fire retardant directly onto streams and other waterways between 2012 and 2019. The main ingredients in fire retardant are inorganic fertilizers and salts that can be harmful to some fish, frogs, crustaceans and other aquatic species. (Associated Press)

Climate change threatening butterflies’ pollen-collecting powers, find B.C. researchers
An integral part of a vast array of insect pollinators, the shrinking of butterflies due to rising temperatures could have drastic consequences for agriculture. Stefan Labbé reports. (Times Colonist)

Rising seas, surging storms put many low-lying areas at risk
Sea levels are expected to rise by 1.5 to nearly 2 feet by 2100 along low-lying shorelines around the Salish Sea—including many areas where people live and recreate.  Kai Uyehara reports. (Salish Current)

Meet Elder Joe Martin, a logger turned renowned canoe carver fighting for old-growth forests
Tla-o-qui-aht Elder Joe Martin has been an advocate for old-growth since the 1980s, when he left the forestry industry and joined the first logging blockade in Canadian history. He reflects on the cultural importance of old-growth, its place in a complex ecosystem and carving out lessons for future generations. Stephanie Wood writes. (The Narwhal)

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Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  311 AM PDT Mon Oct 17 2022   
TODAY  NE wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 3 ft  at 10 seconds. 
TONIGHT  NW wind to 10 kt becoming SE after midnight. Wind  waves 1 ft or less. W swell 3 ft at 12 seconds.

--

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10/14 Puffball, sea lice, kokanee, humpback, coyotes, NEXUS pass, PT paper mill, week in review

Common Puffball
[Kitsap Peninsula Mycological Society]

Common Puffball Lycoperdon perlatum
Formerly known as Lycoperdon gemmatum, this mushroom is extremely widespread and prolific, but it is edible only when young. Solitary, scattered, gregarious, to clustered on ground; widespread fall and winter. “Lyco” means “wolf” and “perdon” means “to break wind” in Greek, so the two combine to mean “wolf-fart”. Puffballs can be dehydrated and powdered for flavoring bland foods. (Kitsap Peninsula Mycological Society)

Eco-Label Increases How Many Sea Lice Can Be on Certified “Farmed Responsibly” Salmon
In early September the independent non-profit Aquaculture Stewardship Council increased the amount of sea lice allowable on farmed salmon that is certified as “responsibly farmed.” The new standard means up to 1,550 per cent more parasites can live on the fish. Michelle Gamage reports. (The Tyee)

Transported 'by land, by sea, by air,' endangered kokanee salmon released into Lake Sammamish
Earlier this year, small planes carried roughly 12,000 offspring of Lake Sammamish kokanee salmon from a hatchery on Orcas island. There, they were protected from potentially hazardous conditions like warming waters. After a brief celebration, Snoqualmie tribal members, Lake Sammamish Kokanee Work Group members, and officials from King County departed in three boats to release the endangered juvenile kokanee into the middle of Lake Sammamish at sunset. Megan Farmer reports. (KUOW)

Humpback whale carcass washes up at Ruby Beach
The carcass of a humpback whale washed ashore at Ruby Beach last week, killed by what experts believe to be a collision with a large vessel. Peter Segall reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Fifty Coyotes in Seattle
David B. Williams in Street Smart Naturalist writes: "The other day while walking up to the Light Rail station at Northgate, I heard a wonderful sound. Fifty feet further I saw the source, a lone coyote standing atop a high spot at North Seattle College. He or she was clearly agitated by a pair of dogs and their people on the grass just north. As I stood there watching, the coyote continued to bark, or yip, as well as howl. It was a glorious way to begin my day..." (Street Smart Naturalist)

Canada says U.S. holding NEXUS travel program 'hostage'
A new dispute has been quietly simmering for months and boiled over on a public stage Thursday. It involves dysfunction in a Canada-U.S. program for pre-screened trusted travellers, who can cross the border more quickly with what's known as a NEXUS card. The U.S. has shuttered offices in Canada that process applications for these cards while it presses for changes to the program. A Canadian official made clear her country's displeasure in an unusually curt assessment before a high-level audience in Washington. Alexander Panetta reports. (CBC)

Port Townsend Paper mill, parent firm purchased
Port Townsend Paper Corp., one of Jefferson County largest employers with more than 300 workers, has been acquired by Atlas Holdings, a private investment and equity firm located in Greenwich, Conn., according to a press release from the company. The acquisition was part of a larger transaction that included Crown Paper Group, a holding company created in 2015, and acquired Port Townsend Holdings Company, which includes the Port Townsend paper mill in Port Townsend; the Crown Packaging plant in Vancouver, B.C.; the Boxmaster packaging plant, also in Vancouver; and Distribution Centers in Kelowna, B.C., and Calgary, Alberta. Brian Gawley reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Salish Sea News Week in Review 10/14/22: Pooh Friday, Taylor Shellfish, BC drought, AK crab season, gray whales, Seattle summer, Blue Heron Slough restored, Augtober, sunken tires

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Rising seas, surging storms; Council votes to create Racial Equity Commission; Economic mobility starts at birth...   Catch the Current here.

Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  257 AM PDT Fri Oct 14 2022   
TODAY  E wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 3 ft  at 9 seconds. 
TONIGHT  Light wind becoming SE to 10 kt after midnight. Wind  waves less than 1 ft becoming 1 ft or less after midnight. W  swell 2 ft at 9 seconds. 
SAT  E wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 2 ft  at 9 seconds. 
SAT NIGHT  SE wind 10 to 20 kt. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell  2 ft at 8 seconds. 
SUN  SE wind 5 to 15 kt becoming E to 10 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 2 ft at 8 seconds. 
SUN NIGHT  NW wind 10 to 20 kt becoming N 5 to 15 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 2 ft at 9 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.

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12/13 Warty tunicate, BC drought, sunken tires, Living Planet Index, Columbia-Snake fish recovery, samurai wasp, East Sooke Park, Miller Peninsula SP, Sinclair Inlet derelict vessels

Warty tunicate [iNaturalist]

Warty tunicate Pyura haustor
Pyura haustor is a species of sessile ascidian, or sea squirt, that lives in coastal waters in the north-eastern Pacific Ocean, attached to rocks or artificial structures. Common names for this species include the wrinkled seapump, the wrinkled sea squirt and the warty tunicate.  Like other tunicates, this sea squirt draws in large quantities of water through its buccal siphon, filters out the edible particles and expels the water through the atrial siphon. The diet includes the eggs and larvae of crustaceans, echinoderms, mollusks and other tunicates.(iNaturalist)

We need to talk about B.C.’s drought
In the depths of this record-breaking B.C. drought, pretty much everyone I know is tormented by two opposing sentiments: 1) Overwhelming joy at the endless summer we’re having and 2) A growing sense of anxiety about how nearly three months with no rain in much of B.C. is impacting, well, all other living things. As salmon and red cedar suffer during what many are calling Augtober, we’re reminded of the alarming rate at which our climate is changing. Emma Gilchrist writes. (The Narwhal)

B.C. Hydro looks to protect fish as drought leaves some reservoirs at record-low levels
B.C. Hydro says drought conditions in the province have left some of its reservoirs at or near record-low levels. While there is enough water at its larger facilities to meet the demand for power, the Crown utility says it has had to adapt to the impacts of climate change to keep fish alive downstream. A new report titled "Casting drought" says the system at Campbell River has had the lowest water inflows for the month of September in 53 years. Water inflows in the Lower Mainland since the beginning of September are close to all-time lows. (CBC)

Groups working to remove thousands of tires from Puget Sound
The Washington Scuba Alliance (WSA) has teamed up with Coastal Sensing and Survey to locate 500,000 tires that were put underwater in Puget Sounds and Hood Canal in the 70s to create fish habitat. The organization said a recent study revealed the decomposing tires are poisoning sea life including Coho salmon. Karina Vargas reports. (KOMO)

The 2022 Living Planet Index Is Out. Here’s How to Understand It.
Researchers Report a Staggering Decline in Wildlife. Here’s How to Understand It. The latest update to an important assessment found that populations had declined by an average of 69 percent since 1970. But that might not mean what you think. Catrin Einhorn reports. (NY Times)

National report details ways to boost fish recovery in Columbia, Snake rivers
Local leaders and researchers are finding new solutions to an old problem: helping endangered salmon and steelhead species across the Columbia River Basin. Improving fish hatcheries, reintroducing young fish into dam-blocked areas and better water quality were listed as first-step solutions to fish recovery in the Columbia and Snake rivers, according to a report published last month from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association. Sydney Brown reports. (Longview Daily News)

Samurai wasps poised to help B.C. with its stink bug problem
Stink bugs threaten crops, orchards and backyard gardens because they eat apples, grapes, peaches, berries, peppers, beans, tomatoes and hazelnuts...The bugs are present in Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, on Vancouver Island and in the Kelowna area. The working theory is that they travelled with goods shipped from Asia when they started appearing in B.C. in 2015. The good news: one of their natural predators also appears to have hitched a ride. Josh Grant reports. (CBC)

East Sooke Park expands by 16 hectares with land acquisition
The Capital Regional District has acquired a 15.9-hectare parcel to add to East Sooke Regional Park. The land, near Anderson Cove, is one of the last remaining large tracts of undeveloped land adjacent to the park...The area is considered an important habitat for large carnivores such as wolves, cougars and black bears, as well as for many smaller organisms, including the warty jumping slug, considered a species of special concern under the federal Species at Risk Act. Darron Kloster reports. (Times Colonist)

Open house to spotlight changes at Miller Peninsula State Park
State parks leaders will host an open house this month to give an overview of proposed changes and hear from community members about plans for the Miller Peninsula State Park property. Staff from Washington State Parks will host the event set for 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. next Tuesday at the 7 Cedars Resort, 270756 U.S. Highway 101. This in-person-only open house will begin with a brief introduction and overview of the planning work to date, status of the project and anticipated next steps, parks officials said. by Michael Dashiell reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Port Orchard police marine patrol unit removes 35 derelict vessels on Sinclair Inlet
With limited resources and staff shortages, the Port Orchard Police Department marine patrol unit managed to remove 35 derelict vessels on Sinclair Inlet over a year, addressing potential environmental and public safety concerns... The marine patrol unit ultimately impounded five derelict vessels and will destroy them later. Peiyu Lin reports. (Kitsap Sun) 

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Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  250 AM PDT Thu Oct 13 2022   
TODAY  SE wind to 10 kt in the morning becoming light. Wind  waves 1 ft or less. W swell 3 ft at 11 seconds. 
TONIGHT  W wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 4 ft  at 9 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.

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