11/2 Plainfin midshipman, BC marbled murrelet, Samish Is, bird names, carbon sequestration, wind power

Plainfin midshipman
[Ron Caswell/National Marine Sanctuary Foundation]

Plainfin midshipman Porichthys notatus
Midshipman fishes belong to the same Family as toadfishes, Batrachoididae. They are distinguished by having photophores, light emitting organs that are used to attract prey. These photphores look like the buttons on a naval officer’s uniform, hence their name, midshipman. There are approximately 15 species of midshipman fishes. Mating in the plainfin midshipman depends on acoustic communication. During the breeding season, courting males produce advertisement calls, or hums, at night to attract females and encourage them to lay eggs in the males’ nests. The hum is a low-pitched sound generated by the rapid contraction of the drumming muscles on the male’s swim bladder. (Sound in the Sea)

Protection of B.C.'s marbled murrelet reaches federal court
A federal order to protect marbled murrelet nests — along with 24 other migratory bird species — failed to protect wider habitat they need to survive, hears justice. Stefan Labbé reports. (Vancouver is Awesome)

Samish Island properties bought by Padilla Bay reserve
After receiving a $2.3 million federal grant in April to purchase two pieces of property on the Samish Island isthmus, the Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve officially took ownership of the land in September. The reserve used the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration funding to buy the property from the Skagit Land Trust. Emma Fletcher-Frazer reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Birds in the Americas Will No Longer Be Named After People
The American Ornithological Society has committed to replacing all bird names derived from people so as not to honor figures with racist pasts. Katrina Miller reports. (NY Times)

Technology aims to sequester carbon deep in the ocean off B.C. coast
A project off B.C.'s coast focused on removing carbon dioxide from the air is aiming to tap into a resource that makes up roughly 70 per cent of the Earth's surface — the ocean. The Solid Carbon Project, which is overseen by Ocean Networks Canada, wants to use the ocean in carbon sequestration efforts as a way to fight climate change. Julia Wong reports. (CBC)

Wind Power, Key to Democrats’ Climate-Change Goals, Faces a Crisis
Instead of gathering momentum, the industry is confronting obstacles that could hinder its ability to realize the renewable resource’s promised benefits. Patrick McGeehan reports. (NY Times)

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Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  232 AM PDT Thu Nov 2 2023   
TODAY  SW wind 10 to 20 kt. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 7 ft  at 9 seconds building to 9 ft at 9 seconds in the afternoon.  Patchy fog in the morning. A chance of rain. 
TONIGHT  SW wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 1 to 2 ft. W swell 8 ft  at 10 seconds subsiding to 6 ft at 10 seconds after midnight.  Rain.

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