11/14 Limpet, more tire toxins, WA carbon-pricing, saving sea stars, speaking trees, trees and climate, Canada jay

Rough Keyhole Limpet (Ivar Dolph)

Rough Keyhole Limpet Diodora aspera
The Rough Keyhole Limpet lives low on rocky beaches around Puget Sound. Shaped like a tiny volcano, the Limpet shell is 2 to 3 inches long and ridged with a hole in the center. The keyhole, used to eject water and waste, separates this limpet from the so-called "true" limpets, which look similar but whose biology is quite different. Almost all Keyhole Limpets have a tiny scale worm hidden between their foot and a fleshy body part called the "mantle." From this snug home, the worm feeds on left-overs and helps the limpet by nipping the feet of attacking sea stars. (Friends of Skagit Beaches)

Commercial fishing groups sue 13 US tire makers over rubber preservative that's deadly to salmon
Regarding yesterday's news item , Gene Helfmam writes: "Overlooked in this discussion of 6PPD in tires is the contribution of aircraft to the pollution of waterways. When aircraft land, they initially skid before rolling, leaving tire particles behind. “Military aircraft and all commercial airlines use retreaded tires.” The average retread lasts for 270 landings before being replaced, giving an idea of how quickly theses tires deteriorate. (McGee tire retreading Company) SeaTac Airport  experiences  over 400,000 landings a year (plus 16 million roadway vehicles operate around the airport, and 1.8  million “ground transportation operation" vehicles operate on the runways, etc. (SeaTAc NPDES PERMIT WA-002465-1 permit)  The runways at SeaTac Airport drain into Puget Sound via the Duwamish/Green Rivers."

Federal judge dismisses lawsuit against WA’s carbon-pricing law
The private operator of a natural gas power plant in Grays Harbor County must continue to buy pollution allowances, a federal judge ruled, further protecting Washington’s Climate Commitment Act against those looking to overturn the legislation. Conrad Swanson reports. (Seattle Times)

Washington scientist brings new hope to dying coastal sea star
The once thriving sunflower sea star has all but disappeared along the West Coast, but a San Juan Island lab is cultivating a new generation. Noah Thomas reports. (OPB)

The Pacific Northwest trees shaped by generations of people
On a promontory above Puget Sound, a Douglas fir with arms bent at right angles stands above a quiet cove, where shellfish would have been gathered, long before this place was settled by newcomers.This tree was deliberately shaped by generations of hands into its current form, to mark what was here for countless years: rich clam beds, and a gathering site valued by a community. The tree speaks without words of what and who was here before. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)

How Much Can Trees Fight Climate Change? Massively, but Not Alone, Study Finds.
The research, which comes with important caveats, was partly an effort to address the scientific uproar surrounding an earlier paper. Catrin Einhorn reports. (NY Times)

The Naturalist and the Wonderful, Lovable, So Good, Very Bold Jay
Canada jays thrive in the cold. The life’s work of one biologist gives us clues as to how they’ll fare in a hotter world. Brian Payton reports. (Hakai Magazine)

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Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  221 AM PST Tue Nov 14 2023    
TODAY  E wind to 10 kt in the morning becoming light. Wind  waves 1 ft or less in the morning becoming less than 1 ft. W  swell 6 ft at 12 seconds.  
TONIGHT  NW wind to 10 kt in the evening becoming light. Wind  waves 1 ft or less. W swell 5 ft at 12 seconds. A slight chance  of rain in the evening then a chance of rain after midnight.

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