6/17 Coral, Grip Rd gravel mine, Dabob Bay, Big One, seafood farming, beloved crows

Lophelia pertusa [Marine Life Info Network]

Cold-water corals
Most people associate corals with tropical waters—like the vibrant corals found in the Indo-Pacific. But you may be surprised to find that a stunning variety of corals live in the chilly waters of the Pacific Northwest. Cold-water corals eat plankton and other small organisms and can be found up to 6,000 feet below the surface. (Seattle Aquarium)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Bellingham port hearing set for issuing bonds for modernization

Hearing examiner again approves Grip Road gravel mine
A Skagit County hearing examiner has approved a permit for a gravel mine northwest of Sedro-Woolley. Concrete Nor’west has been trying since 2016 to open a mine on 51 acres near Grip and Prairie roads. Residents near the site have opposed the mine because of concerns about road safety, and about noise and environmental impacts. Emma Fletcher-Frazer reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)  See also: Permitting Pitfalls It’s been nine years since a gravel mine was proposed in Skagit County. After multiple appeals and a lawsuit, the application is at a standstill. Megan Neufeld reports. (The Planet Magazine)

Dabob Bay expansion
Washington Department of Natural Resources is holding a public hearing today  at 6 p.m. in Quilcene on a proposal to expand the boundaries of the Dabob Bay Natural Area by 3,860 acres to include globally rare forest types, streams, wetlands, shorelines and connecting habitats. Comment form here.

New research highlights where 'The Big One' earthquake could hit
New research offers a clearer picture of a fault line hundreds of kilometres long off the West Coast that is predicted to generate a major earthquake and tsunami commonly known as "The Big One." The study  confirms that the northern part of the fault, close to Vancouver Island and Washington, is most likely to produce a major earthquake. Isaac Phan Nay reports. (CBC)

The world is farming more seafood than it catches. Is that a good thing?
Last week, the FAO released its annual report on the state of aquaculture — which refers to the farming of both seafood and aquatic plants — and fisheries around the world. A new report from the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization, or FAO, has found that more fish were farmed worldwide in 2022 than harvested from the wild, an apparent first. Frida Garza reports. (Grist/KNKX)

Seattle crows, beloved and feared, may be playing us with their primate-sized brains
Seattle has a thing about crows. Crows are ubiquitous to the city — a single roost at the University of Washington Bothell campus is home to as many as 16,000 birds. The sight of thousands of crows flying toward the campus at dusk has become one of Seattle’s signature attractions for those in the know. Stephen Howie reports. (KUOW)

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Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  222 AM PDT Mon Jun 17 2024    
TODAY  W wind 5 to 10 kt, rising to 10 to 15 kt late. Seas 3 to  5 ft. Wave Detail: W 4 ft at 7 seconds.  
TONIGHT  W wind 10 to 15 kt, easing to 5 to 10 kt after  midnight. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 4 ft at 7 seconds and W  2 ft at 11 seconds.

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