11/2 Slime mold, green crab, BC forestry reg, Pt Hudson breakwater, Coastal GasLink, cyberthreats, Salish Current

Fuligo septica [C. Vecchio/NPS]

Slime molds
At least 60 species of slime mold can be found in Mount Rainier National Park. "Slime mold?" you ask. "What's a slime mold?" These remarkable organisms were once thought to be fungal, but advanced scientific analyses show them to be something which doesn’t fit within the system of taxonomic rank. They are not molds despite the name, although they exhibit characteristics common to fungi, but also to those demonstrated by animals. Scientists were puzzled as to where to place them in the taxonomic structure, and eventually they were relegated to a catch-all Kingdom of unrelated eukaryotic organisms (those with enclosed cellular nuclei) known as "Protoctista," a term sometimes used synonymously with the word "protist" (the latter now being used as a matter of convenience rather than in the taxonomic sense). In other words, a protist is any eukaryotic organism that is not an animal, plant, or fungus. (National Park Service)

Invasive green crab numbers soar, trapping efforts wrapping up
Skagit County has seen a large uptick of invasive European green crabs over the past two months. As of Oct. 21, 109 European green crabs have been caught in Samish Bay since the start of the year, according to Northwest Straits Commission Project Coordinator Jeff Whitty. The majority of the crabs were caught between late September and early October. Racquel Muncy reports. (Skagit Valley Herald) 

Emails Reveal a Key Forestry Regulation Is ‘Out of Whack’
B.C.’s cornerstone forest regulation, the annual allowable cut, sets out how many trees can be cut down each year with the intent of sustaining the industry for years to come. But a legal loophole can allow companies to log beyond the limit for years with no repercussions. Zoë Yunker reports. (The Tyee)

Point Hudson breakwater removed
The north end of the Point Hudson Marina is gone, leaving a gaping opening to the marina until it is replaced with a newer breakwater, expected to be in March. The south side will be replaced after the Wooden Boat Festival next September. Steve Mullensky reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Coastal GasLink Halts Work on Pipeline Section
Coastal GasLink halted construction on a section of its pipeline route about 100 kilometres north of Prince George over failures to live up to a compliance agreement with the Environment Ministry. The halt follows an Oct. 14 order issued to the company by the ministry, which confirmed the shutdown Monday. Amanda Follett Hosgood reports. (The Tyee)

Vigilance! Security against cyberthreat is a 24/7 need
Read Matt Benoit's story in Salish Current about a nationally recognized program in cybersecurity at Whatcom Community College that gives students an opportunity to develop systems and applications to keep personal computers and organizational networks safe from cyberthreats. Support independent, free to read, fact-based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. YOUR REGION. YOUR NEWS.

Have you read the Salish Current?
Independent, free to read, fact-based news free from advertising for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. This week: Cybersecurity threats, feeding people, policing on islands, letters, area news briefs. Catch the Current here. YOUR REGION. YOUR NEWS.

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  253 AM PDT Wed Nov 2 2022   
TODAY  N wind to 10 kt becoming SE in the afternoon. Wind waves  1 ft. W swell 8 ft at 12 seconds. A slight chance of drizzle in  the morning. 
TONIGHT  SE wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft. W swell 7 ft at  12 seconds subsiding to 5 ft at 11 seconds after midnight.

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