3/3 Fairy shrimp, quake, NOAA firing, increase logging, WA bill cutoff, Forest Service firings, ocean acid, WA bird flu, West Van dolphins, first 100 days

 

Fairy shrimp [EEK!]

Fairy shrimp
Anostraca is one of the four orders of crustaceans in the class Branchiopoda; its members are referred to as fairy shrimp. They live in vernal pools and hypersaline lakes across the world, and they have even been found in deserts, ice-covered mountain lakes, and Antarctic ice. They are usually 6–25 mm long. (Wikipedia)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Why losing Roberta Flack hit so hard during this Black History Month

4.5 magnitude earthquake wakes up residents around western Washington
An earthquake struck in the waters surrounding the San Juan Islands early Monday morning. The 4.5 magnitude earthquake hit at 5:02 a.m. just off Deer Beach on Orcas Island, according to the United States Geologic Survey (USGS). The quake was measured at a depth of 10.13 miles, per USGS data. (KING)

NOAA firings in Seattle include orca-saving employee of the year
Until Thursday afternoon, Hanna Miller focused on protecting whales from oil spills, ship strikes, and fishing gear. In 2022, she helped a multiagency team make sure endangered orcas didn’t swim into the diesel fuel belching out of the sunken Aleutian Isle fishing boat off Washington’s San Juan Island. In 2023, Miller was awarded employee of the year for NOAA Fisheries in the western United States, and in March 2024, she was promoted. On Thursday she and hundreds of scientists and policy specialists received termination emails as the Trump administration began downsizing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. John Ryan reports. (KUOW)

Trump Moves to Increase Logging in National Forests
The president wants to circumvent environmental regulations to expand timber production, something sought by homebuilders and the construction industry. Lisa Friedman reports. (NY Times)

Latest deadline in Washington Legislature fells more bills
More legislation fell by the wayside Friday in the Washington Legislature, including bills on signature gathering for ballot initiatives, free school meals and ballot box tampering. Jacquelyn Jimenez Romero and Jake Goldstein-Street report. (Washington State Standard)

How Trump’s firing of Forest Service staff affects recreation in WA
The Trump administration’s February dismissal of 125 U.S. Forest Service personnel in Washington, coupled with a Biden administration decision not to hire seasonal employees, amounts to a double whammy for the Evergreen State’s trails. The job cuts, predominantly to recreation staff, were part of the new administration’s firing of thousands of federal workers on Valentine’s Day.  Gregory Scruggs reports. (Seattle Times)

New study links storm season intensity to ocean acidification in Strait of Georgia
The ocean water in the Pacific Northwest is more vulnerable to rapid acidification, where the carbon dioxide levels are naturally higher. Tiffany Crawford reports. (Vancouver Sun)

How much has bird flu spread in WA?
Bird flu has been confirmed in more than 166 million U.S. commercial, backyard and wild birds since January 2022, the start of the outbreak that has quickly grown into the worst the country’s ever seen. About 2.2 million of those birds were found in Washington state, where 52 backyard flocks and three commercial flocks have tested positive, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Elise Takahama reports. (Seattle Times) 

Rare dolphin sighting delights West Vancouver onlookers
A pod of about 30 dolphins near the West Vancouver seawall was caught on video. (CBC)


The First 100 Days

• Trump Berates Zelensky in Fiery Exchange at the White House (NY Times)
• Trump fired hundreds at NOAA, Weather Service. Here’s what that means for forecasts. (Washington Post)

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Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  302 AM PST Mon Mar 3 2025   SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY MORNING THROUGH  TUESDAY EVENING    
TODAY  SW wind 5 to 10 kt, veering to W this afternoon. Seas  4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: W 6 ft at 12 seconds. A chance of showers  this morning, then showers likely early this afternoon. A chance  of showers late.  
TONIGHT  S wind 5 to 10 kt, backing to SE after midnight. Seas  3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 4 ft at 11 seconds. A chance of showers  in the evening, then showers likely after midnight.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. It is included as a daily feature in the Salish Current newsletter. Click here to subscribe. Questions? Email msato(at)salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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