10/1 Pteropod, AK Chinook, Orange Shirt Day, WA ferry fares, WA minimum wage, candidate forum, BPA grid, sea urchins

 

Pteropod [Matt Wilson/Jay Clark]

Pteropoda Clione limacina
Sea butterflies (pteropods) are one of the most amazing groups of planktonic creatures. Pteropods include two completely different taxonomic groups of free-swimming animals: sea butterflies with hard shells (Thecosomata) and sea angels without shells (Gymnosomata). Both of them share one distinctive feature: they swim using two large fins, or wings, which evolved from the crawling foot of an ancient snail. In fact, when the sea angel is a larva, it has a shell, but it is discarded as the creature develops. Pteropods live in all seas of the world ocean, but they are most abundant in the Arctic and Antarctic seas, where they form huge swarms with a biomass surpassing that of the rest of the zooplankton combined. These masses attract whales, which feed exclusively on pteropods in certain seasons. No wonder Nordic seafarers used to call these creatures simply “whale food.” (Cold Water)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Time to reform our century-old Washington water law

Bycatch of nearly 20,000 Chinook salmon shuts down Alaska trawl fishery
Nearly 20,000 Chinook salmon were caught inadvertently as bycatch in the pollock fishery in the Gulf of Alaska, shutting it down early and sparking outrage among orca scientists and wild salmon advocates. Chinook salmon are the most prized food for endangered southern resident orcas that frequent the Salish Sea.  Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)

A celebration of dance and tradition: 11,000 gather for giant powwow on Orange Shirt Day
For the first time, South Island Powwow at Royal Athletic Park on Monday featured many of the traditional dance competitions and specials seen at other powwows across the continent. Michael John Lo reports. (Times Colonist)

WA ferry fares increase to make up for passenger decline
The fares passengers pay to ride a state ferry cover well over half the cost to run the system. But with diminished ridership, the gap between what it takes to run Washington State Ferries and what the agency brings in with fares is growing, leading to today‘s 4.25% rate hike — or about 75 cents to drive onto the system’s busiest routes. Nicholas Deshais reports. (Seattle Times)

Minimum wage is going up in Washington. Here’s how much
Washington’s minimum wage will climb to $16.66 an hour next year, a 38-cent-an-hour increase, the state Department of Labor & Industries announced Monday. The change takes effect on Jan.1, 2025. Washington’s current rate, $16.28 an hour, is the highest state-level minimum wage in the nation. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour. Cities can set minimum wages higher than the state. Seattle, SeaTac, Tukwila, Renton, Bellingham, and Burien all will have higher wages in 2025. Jerry Cornfield reports. (Washington State Standard)

Secretary of state, insurance commissioner debates set for Oct. 1
For those who want to see debates between the candidates for secretary of state and insurance commissioner, the League of Women Voters of Washington has you covered.  Secretary of State Steve Hobbs (D) will face Republican challenger Dale Whitaker, and state senators Phil Fortunato (R-Auburn) and Patty Kuderer (D-Bellevue) will debate over the open seat for insurance commissioner at an event that starts at 6 p.m. Oct. 1 at the Edmonds College Black Box Theater in Lynnwood. Both debates will be recorded and live-streamed by TVW. Venice Buhain reports. (CascadePBS)

The grid is insufficient for renewables. BPA has a $2 billion plan
Building new high-voltage transmission is expensive, complex and complicated, but without it compliance with government clean-energy mandates will be difficult to achieve—maybe impossible. In July, the Bonneville Power Administration announced a plan to move ahead with more than $2 billion in multiple high-voltage transmission substation and line projects necessary to reinforce the transmission grid that connects the Pacific Northwest with the American Southwest and points east. John Harrison reports. (Columbia Insight)

How to Cure My Sex Drive? Dive for Sea Urchins.
For thousands of years, the Japanese have considered uni, the edible part of a sea urchin, an aphrodisiac. Jamie Lowe writes. (NY Times)

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Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  204 AM PDT Tue Oct 1 2024    
TODAY  E wind around 5 kt, veering to W late. Seas 3 to 5 ft,  building to 5 to 7 ft this afternoon. Wave Detail: W 7 ft at  15 seconds. A chance of rain early this morning, then rain late  this morning. A slight chance of rain early this afternoon.  
TONIGHT  W wind 10 to 15 kt. Seas 5 to 8 ft. Wave Detail: W  8 ft at 14 seconds.

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