6/24 Goldfinch, BC salmon farm die-off, killing owls, decarbonized Hawaii, BC PFAS, plankton, humpback

American Goldfinch [Rodney Campbell]

American Goldfinch  Carduelis tristis
The American Goldfinch was designated as the Washington State Bird in 1951. This beautiful golden bird is found throughout our state and is commonly seen in flocks in fields, bushes and trees. (Audubon Washington)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Team JD completes R2AK on after a week’s sailing from Victoria

Mass mortality: A fish scientist follows a tip about die-offs at B.C. salmon farms
DFO and operator attribute mass die-off to low oxygen, but one scientist who visited one far-flung site in a kayak worries the real cause could be more complicated. Stefan Labbé reports. (Times Colomist)

Lands commissioner wary of federal plan to kill thousands of owls
Washington’s public lands commissioner, Hilary Franz, is voicing skepticism about a federal proposal to kill thousands of barred owls in the Pacific Northwest to help the threatened northern spotted owl. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife is proposing to kill about 500,000 barred owls, living on millions of acres of land between California and Washington, over three decades. Bill Lucia reports. (Washington State Standard)

Youth activists win ‘unprecedented’ climate settlement in Hawaii
In what's called an "historic" settlement with a group of young climate activists, Hawaii officials will fully decarbonize the state’s transportation systems, taking all actions necessary to achieve zero emissions no later than 2045 for ground transportation, sea and inter-island air transportation. (The Guardian)

B.C. launches lawsuit against makers of 'forever chemicals'
The British Columbia government has filed a class-action lawsuit against manufacturers of so-called "forever chemicals" it says are involved in the widespread contamination of drinking water systems. B.C. has filed similar class-action lawsuits in the past, targeting tobacco manufacturers in 1998 and opioid makers in 2018 to recover health-care costs associated with those substances. (Canadian Press)

What the smallest organisms living in Puget Sound can tell us
Who knew Puget Sound is sizzling with life too tiny to see: plankton. There are billions of one-celled plants, stoked by the rays of the sun as our slice of the northeastern Pacific turns toward its maximum feast of light on the summer solstice, a spectacular 16 hours of daylight. And then there are the zooplankton: tiny creatures that feast on the phytoplankton — and in turn feed everything else. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)

Rescued humpback returns with new calf, but entanglement dangers remain
The confirmation of the humpback calf came as a pleasant surprise to scientists and rescuers, but with the grim reminder that entanglements are continuing all along the B.C. coast. Darron Kloster reports. (Times Colonist)

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Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  208 AM PDT Mon Jun 24 2024    
TODAY  W wind around 5 kt, rising to 5 to 10 kt late this  morning and afternoon. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 5 ft at  11 seconds.  
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 10 kt, easing to around 5 kt after  midnight. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 4 ft at 10 seconds.

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