1/27 Moon jelly, port noise, Hinman Glacier, WSF funds, bunnies, SeaDoc proposals, catching seagulls, marine sanctuaries, week in review

Moon jelly

 
Moon jelly Aurelia aurita
The name ‘moon jelly’ can refer to any of several jellies in the genus Aurelia that are round with a shallow bell and relatively short tentacles. In this case, we mean moon jelly to refer to the species that is common throughout both sides of the north Atlantic Ocean. Like all true jellies, the moon jelly’s tentacles are covered with specialized stinging cells, called cnidocytes. The moon jelly uses these stinging cells to hunt small pelagic invertebrates and occasionally fishes and to capture other food particles with which it might come in contact. The cnidocytes are also the source of the sting that people feel when we come in contact with a moon jelly. (Oceana)

Port promises to dampen loading noise in wake of complaints
Port of Bellingham officials responded to neighborhood complaints with promises to lower the noise level related to a new work contract. Riley Weeks reports. (Salish Current)

Correction: Yesterday's posting ‘Rarest of the rare’: B.C’s newest conservancy protects globally imperilled rainforest had an incorrect url and is corrected here.
The move will permanently protect at-risk species and biodiversity — including rare lichens, grizzly bear and wolverine — in an area Premier David Eby describes as ‘one of B.C.’s greatest treasures.’ Sarah Cox reports. (The Narwhal)

RIP Washington’s Hinman Glacier, gone after thousands of years
The largest glacier between the high peaks of Mount Rainier and Glacier Peak has melted away after a long battle with global warming. John Ryan reports. (KUOW)

What new federal money will mean for WA ferries
The federal government has awarded Washington State Ferries $4.9 million to help build an electric-ferry charging station for the busy Mukilteo-Clinton line, and $5 million for dock improvements to improve transit and pedestrian connections at Southworth. Those grants, along with $1.7 million for WSF to buy modern ferry-payment software and systems that make credit-card transactions quicker, were announced Thursday morning by the Federal Transit Administration. Mike Lindblom reports. (Seattle Times)

Overrun with Buns
Feral rabbits abound across Metro Vancouver. They’re cute. But can they be contained? Christopher Cheung reports. (The Tyee)

SeaDoc Society calls for proposals
The transboundary SeaDoc Society is once again calling for proposals that will support improved Salish Sea health or management. This year there are two grant opportunities: an Open RFP with an initial Letter of Intent (LOI) step, and a second RFP for Tribes & First Nations that does not require an LOI (deadline . The ceiling for all awards is $50K. Open RFP LOIs due Feb 1; the full proposal deadline for both RFPs is March 15. (SeaDoc Society)

Photos: Here's why you might see people catching seagulls in Vancouver
Mark Hipfner and his crew are researchers with Environment Canada working on a study of glaucous-winged gulls on B.C.s south coast. They're the bigger seagulls seen essentially everywhere in Vancouver. The team is using the ubiquitous gull as an indicator of the health of the Salish Sea. Brendan Kergin reports. (Vancouver Is Awesome)

Proposed National Marine Sanctuaries Provide a Pathway Toward Indigenous-Led Ocean Conservation
The United States can move closer to its dual goals of increasing access to nature for all Americans and protecting 30 percent of lands and waters by 2030 by approving and completing the designation of five new Indigenous-led marine sanctuaries: Alaĝum Kanuux̂ National Marine Sanctuary; Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary; Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument sanctuary overlay; Mariana Trench National Marine Sanctuary; and Hudson Canyon National Marine Sanctuary. (American Progress)

Salish Sea News Week in Review 1/27/23: Crapper Friday, WA 8, renewable hydrogen, Corvus Energy, EPA woes, sea lice, bad air effects, BP Cherry Point, BC rainforest, Hinman Glacier.

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Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  240 AM PST Fri Jan 27 2023   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM PST THIS MORNING   
TODAY  W wind 15 to 25 kt easing to 10 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 2 to 4 ft subsiding to 1 ft or less in the afternoon. W  swell 5 ft at 12 seconds building to 7 ft at 9 seconds in the  afternoon. 
TONIGHT  W wind to 10 kt becoming SE 5 to 15 kt after midnight.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 6 ft at 9 seconds. 
SAT  E wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 4 ft at  9 seconds. A slight chance of rain. SAT NIGHT  E wind 20 to 30 kt becoming NE after midnight. Wind  waves 3 to 5 ft. W swell 5 ft at 12 seconds. 
SUN  E wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 4 ft at  11 seconds.

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