Salish Sea News and Weather

Tuesday, November 9, 2021

11/9 Sea pork, WA EV order, melting glaciers, infrastructure bill, nuke power, Fawn Sharp, whale barnacles, border opening

Aplidium elegans [Wikipedia]

Sea Pork Aplidium ssp.
A common colonial ascidian that forms thick slabs on rocks. The pink, brown or orange individuals are encased in clear jelly; connected by creeping stolons, from which new individuals grow. (Marine Wildlife of Puget Sound, the san Juans, and the Strait of Georgia)

In new climate order, Inslee says Washington State vehicles to plug in
Many of Washington’s state vehicles will transition to electric over the next 19 years, according to an executive order issued by Gov. Jay Inslee during his time at the United Nations Climate Conference in Scotland. Courtney Flatt reports. (NW News Network)

How one Northwest tribe aims to keep its cool as its glaciers melt
Record-breaking heat took a heavy toll on the Northwest this summer, from beaches to cities to mountaintops. In the Washington Cascades, some glaciers lost an unprecedented 8% to 10% of their ice in a single hot season. The extremely hot summer of 2021 foreshadowed how unchecked climate change could ravage the fish that depend on cold water and the people who depend on those fish. In Whatcom County, the Nooksack and Lummi tribes are taking steps to counteract the big melt and keep their salmon and their cultures alive. Part 2 of 2. John Ryan reports. (KUOW)

How the Democrats Finally got an Infrastructure Bill Passed
The infrastructure bill, passed Friday night in the U.S. House of Representatives and already enacted by the Senate, is the country’s largest public works package since interstate highways construction in the 1950s, which saw cooperation between Republican President Dwight Eisenhower and a Democratic Congress with Lyndon Johnson running the Senate. Washington state is shovel- and computer-ready. Our state has 416 bridges in “poor” condition, King County Metro wants to put electric-powered buses on the streets, small and large airports are ready for upgrades, climate change has need for increased local and federal firefighting capacity, aging irrigation systems need restoring, and a tech economy demands full internet access. Such good works are needed by a divided country. The bill drew bipartisan support in the Senate: Hell, even Mitch McConnell voted for it. Joel Connelly reports. (Post Alley) See: Federal infrastructure package is an $8.6 billion ‘game changer’ for Washington state Paul Roberts reports. (Seattle Times)

This next generation nuclear power plant is pitched for Washington. Can it 'change the world'?
Near the Columbia River, Clay Sell hopes to launch a new era of nuclear power with four small reactors, each stocked with billiard ball-sized “pebbles” packed full of uranium fuel. Chief executive officer of Maryland-based X-energy, Sell aims to bring the project online by 2028 as part of a broader attempt to develop safer, more flexible reactors to redefine the nation’s energy future...The federal Energy Department has received $160 million to help fund X-energy, and the infrastructure bill that cleared Congress on Friday ups that amount to cover almost half the projected $2.2 billion cost of the Washington reactor project. Hal Bernton reports. (Seattle Times)

Washington’s Fawn Sharp becomes first Tribal leader to receive diplomatic credentials
National Congress of American Indians President and Washington state Tribal leader Fawn Sharp has become the first Tribal leader to receive diplomatic credentials from the U.S. State Department, joining its delegation to the United Nations’ 26th annual Conference of the Parties, or COP26. Appointed by the Biden administration as an official credentialed delegate of the United States, Sharp has centered Tribal issues at COP26, which runs from Oct. 31 to Nov. 12 in Glasgow, Scotland. Natasha Brennan reports. (McClatchy)

What Whale Barnacles Know
For generations, these hitchhikers have been recording details about their hosts and their ocean home. Mara Grunbaum reports. (Hakai Magazine)

U.S. re-opens land borders, but there is no mad rush south
The $150 to $300 cost of a COVID PCR test on return makes it cost-prohibitive to head over the border to fill up with gas or buy cheap cheese and milk. Susan Lazaruk and Derrick Penner report. (Vancouver Sun)

Victoria flotilla welcomes M.V. Coho, cross-border travellers, for first time since March 2020
For the first time since March 2020, the M.V. Coho has ferried travellers between Port Angeles, WA and Victoria, BC, and boaters in Victoria took the opportunity to celebrate. A hodgepodge of marine vessels formed a flotilla to escort the Black Ball Ferry into its downtown Victoria port. (Victoria News)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 244 AM PST Tue Nov 9 2021
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY SW wind 30 to 40 kt easing to 25 to 35 kt in the afternoon. Combined seas 13 to 16 ft with a dominant period of 10 seconds subsiding to 11 to 12 ft with a dominant period of 9 seconds in the afternoon. A chance of showers and a slight chance of tstms in the morning then showers and a chance of tstms in the afternoon.
TONIGHT W wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 9 ft at 11 seconds building to 11 ft at 12 seconds after midnight. Showers in the evening. A chance of tstms.

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Monday, November 8, 2021

11/8 Dead man's fingers, open border, rising sea, melting glaciers, reducing ship noise, unpaid science labor, waterspout

Dead man's fingers [Jan Holmes]

Dead man's fingers Codium fragile
Each complement of dichotomously branching dark green "fingers" arising from one holdfast is a mass of interwoven single celled filaments. As the seaweed matures, filaments lose their cross walls becoming multinucleate cells. The outer texture of the fingers is soft and sponge-like. This seaweed has no asexual (sporophyte) stage. Male and female gametes are produced on separate plants. (Jan Holmes/Sound Water Stewards)

United States land borders reopen to fully vaccinated Canadians
As of Monday, the United States has reopened its borders to fully vaccinated travellers. (CBC)

Rising ocean waters threaten tribal lands
Climate change is threatening the Quileute Tribe's reservation along the Pacific Ocean in Washington. The tribe may be forced to give up its land. Ben Tracy reports. (CBS News)

Northwest glaciers are melting. What that means to Indigenous ‘salmon people’
To members of the Nooksack and Lummi tribes, the snows of Mount Baker aren’t just a backdrop: They’re a lifeblood. Part 1 of a 2-part series on the glaciers of Mount Baker. John Ryan reports. (KUOW)

Reducing vessel activity key to southern resident killer whales' survival, B.C. study suggests
A new study from a group of biologists, acousticians and statisticians from around the world suggests reducing vessel activity is key to the survival of B.C.'s endangered southern resident killer whales. Experts from Oceans Initiative, in collaboration with a Simon Fraser University professor, say killer whales rely on echolocation to hunt for chinook salmon, but noise from ships interferes with their ability to send out clicking sounds to locate their prey. (CTV)

Early-Career Scientists Face a Wall of Unpaid Positions
A survey of job postings for early-career marine researchers shows that more than half of the positions are unpaid. Ashley Braun reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Ever seen a giant waterspout? Here’s what British Columbia residents witnessed Saturday
A giant waterspout spotted Saturday near Vancouver International Airport in British Columbia triggered a brief tornado watch, according to the CBC. Rolf Boone reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 243 AM PST Mon Nov 8 2021
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON
TODAY SE wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 8 ft at 12 seconds. Showers likely in the morning then a chance of showers in the afternoon.
TONIGHT SE wind 20 to 30 kt rising to 25 to 35 kt after midnight. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft building to 4 to 6 ft after midnight. W swell 8 ft at 11 seconds building to SW 10 ft at 11 seconds after midnight. A slight chance of rain in the evening then rain after midnight.

Friday, November 5, 2021

11/5 Bog blueberry, global coal, State of the Sound, orca DNA, hatcheries, refinery sale, brain fungus, seawalls. week in review

Bog blueberry [Frank Hecker]

Bog blueberry Vaccinium uliginosum
Bog blueberry is found in low-elevation bogs, subalpine heath, and dry to moist rocky alpine tundra. They were, and still are, a highly important food of northern peoples of Canada and Alaska, but they were also eaten by coastal groups fresh or dried into cakes. 'Blueberry' comes from the Scottish blaeberry, from the 15th century (probably Scandinavian) word blae meaning 'blue black.'

Over 40 Countries Pledge to End Use of Coal Power at COP26
The United States did not agree to stop coal development at home but promised to halt overseas funding of oil, gas and coal. More than 40 countries pledged to phase out coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel, in a deal announced Thursday at the United Nations climate summit that prompted Alok Sharma, the head of the conference, to proclaim “the end of coal is in sight.” But several of the biggest coal consumers were notably absent from the accord, including China and India, which together burn roughly two-thirds of the world’s coal, as well as Australia, the world’s 11th-biggest user of coal and a major exporter. Brad Plumer and Lisa Friedman report. (NY Times)

Puget Sound fish and wildlife populations fall short of 10-year recovery goals
A final report on the 2020 ecosystem-recovery goals for Puget Sound outlines habitat improvements for some streams, shorelines and wetlands, but it also describes ongoing declines among fish and wildlife populations that use those habitats. The latest State of the Sound report, released this week by the Puget Sound Partnership, summarizes the status of 52 individual ecosystem indicators used to measure the health of Puget Sound. While 11 indicators point in a positive direction, suggesting that conditions are getting better for Puget Sound, 22 indicators tell us that things are not getting better. In fact, five of them are listed as “getting worse.” Nine indicators offer “mixed results” with measurements of both improvement and decline. Another 10 lack enough information to determine a trend. Chris Dunagan reports. (Puget Sound Institute)

Killer Whales’ Low Genetic Diversity Offers a Warning for the Future
Even after thousands of years, many killer whale populations are still reeling from the genetic bottleneck of navigating the end of the last ice age. Shi En Kim reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Hatcheries for Waning Orcas No Longer Works
If you’re an orca, you may turn your nose up at Chinook salmon produced in hatcheries. (“You call that a fish?”) Likewise, if you’re the state of Washington, you’re ignoring law and science to flood Puget Sound with hatchery salmon in the name of saving orcas. These are two big takeaways from a lawsuit filed recently against the state by Wild Fish Conservancy (WFC) and The Conservation Angler. Dan Chasan writes. (Post Alley)

Sale of Shell Puget Sound Refinery completed
HollyFrontier Corp. is the new owner of the Shell Puget Sound Refinery. Shell Oil Products U.S. recently completed the previously announced sale of the refinery to Dallas-based HollyFrontier, according to a Monday news release from HollyFrontier. In May, HollyFrontier agreed to purchase the 850-acre refinery on March Point — plus its hydrocarbon inventory — for $350 million. Jacqueline Allison reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Cause of mysterious brain-invading-fungus outbreak finally discovered
Scientists have finally found the cause of a mysterious brain-invading tropical fungus outbreak that killed more than 40 dolphins and porpoises in the Pacific Northwest: humans. Between 1997 and 2016, scientists found 42 dead dolphins in the Salish Sea around British Columbia and Washington. All had died of an infection from a tropical fungus, Cryptococcus gattii, which had entered their lungs and eventually spread to their brains. A similar outbreak occurred in humans from 1999 to 2007, when 218 people in British Columbia were infected by the fungus and 19 died from complications of the ensuing disease...A new study published October 22 in the journal Diseases of Aquatic Organisms has finally solved the mystery: Climate change pushed the habitable zone of the fungus farther north, and then human activity from construction and deforestation displaced the fungus from the soil and trees and moved it into the air, where its deadly spores wafted out to sea. Ben Turner reports. (Live Science)

Washington and other coastal states seek to limit seawall construction
Protective structures can help save properties from erosion, but by blocking the natural flow of sand and sediment, they can accelerate erosion elsewhere. Alex Brown reports. (Stateline)

Salish Sea News Week in Review 11/5/21: Donut Friday, Zim Kingston, kelp carbon, Growlers, Blueberry ruling, kids climate suit, BC old growth, Canadian fossil fuels, oil ships, brain fungus, orca DNA, State of the Sound

Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 223 AM PDT Fri Nov 5 2021
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY SW wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 11 ft at 11 seconds. Showers and a slight chance of tstms in the morning then showers likely and a chance of tstms in the afternoon.
TONIGHT S wind 5 to 15 kt becoming SE 15 to 25 kt after midnight. Wind waves 1 to 2 ft building to 2 to 4 ft after midnight. W swell 11 ft at 11 seconds. A chance of tstms in the evening then showers and a slight chance of tstms after midnight.
SAT E wind 20 to 30 kt becoming SE 20 to 25 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 4 to 6 ft. W swell 11 ft at 11 seconds. Rain.
SAT NIGHT SW wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft. W swell 11 ft at 11 seconds.
SUN S wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 1 to 2 ft. W swell 11 ft at 11 seconds.

Thursday, November 4, 2021

11/4 White pine, Zim Kingston, oil ships, BC floods, Canada fossil fuels, Canada lynx, OR natural gas

Western White Pine [WSU]

Western White Pine Pinus monticola
Western White Pine is a Northwest native best known for its thin needled foliage which appears fine and feathery with a light blue-green color. Lumber from this forest conifer is used extensively in the building trade where it is prized for it suitability for making window and door frames. This species needs full sun. It can thrive on both dry as well as moist sites. (WSU Extension)

Transportation Safety Board now investigating week-long fire aboard container ship off B.C. coast
A team from the Transportation Safety Board has been assigned to investigate the fire that destroyed containers aboard a freighter now moored off the south coast of Vancouver Island. A statement from the board says the team will "gather information and assess the occurrence'' aboard the MV Zim Kingston. (Canadian Press)

The Danger of the Marine Vessels that Serve Refineries
The track record for—and the potential risk of—maritime shipping of oil is even worse than the often-dismal records of pipelines and trains. To understand the risk, it helps to start with the numbers. A single oil tanker may carry 400,000 barrels (16.8 million gallons!) of crude or more, while tank barges may have 150,000 barrels in tow. These vessels make nearly 4,000 trips each year on the Salish Sea. And although the vast majority of these transits happen without incident, the historical record shows that Washington has seen multiple spills of thousands of barrels of fuel. The region has been fortunate to avoid a truly major spill for the last two decades. Eric de Place and Zane Gustafson write. (Sightline)

Mapping shows how climate change could flood low-lying areas in B.C.
The researcher superimposed data on web-based maps to show how much lower-lying areas might be covered by water under various climate change models. Melissa Couto Zuber reports. (Canadian Press)

Trudeau promised to cap emissions, but Canada’s oil and gas companies have different plans
A new analysis shows the climate plans of eight Canadian oil and gas producers are ‘wholly out of line’ with Canada’s climate goals. Ainslie Cruickshank reports. (The Narwhal)

Environmental Groups Demand Quick End to Canada’s Thermal Coal Exports
The country is on track to ban exports by 2030. That delaying is ‘fundamentally incompatible’ with the climate crisis, say critics. Michelle Gamage reports. (The Tyee)

Legal agreement reached to continue protections for Canada lynx
The Canada lynx, which has been documented in the North Cascades, will remain listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, according to a settlement agreement filed Friday in U.S. District Court. The Western Environmental Law Center filed the lawsuit Dec. 1, 2020, on behalf of seven nonprofit conservation groups interested in seeing the lynx preserved. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

A global climate pledge could change Oregon’s relationship with natural gas
Oregon has become increasingly dependent on natural gas to power homes and buildings. But that may have to change, following the Biden administration’s announcement at a global climate summit that it wants to sharply cut emissions of this potent greenhouse gas by tens of millions of tons by 2035. Monica Samayoa reports. (OPB)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 235 AM PDT Thu Nov 4 2021
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON PDT TODAY
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON PDT TODAY THROUGH THIS EVENING
TODAY E wind 20 to 30 kt becoming S 25 to 35 kt in the afternoon. Combined seas 13 to 14 ft with a dominant period of 14 seconds. Showers and a slight chance of tstms.
TONIGHT SW wind 25 to 35 kt becoming E 20 to 30 kt after midnight. Combined seas 14 to 15 ft with a dominant period of 14 seconds. Rain.

Wednesday, November 3, 2021

11/3 Red alder, BC old-growth logging, Cascade snowpack, kids climate suit, Puget Sound 'street view,' Skagit coho, AGs for local news, June and Farrar Burn

Red Alder

Red Alder Alnus rubra
There are about eight alder species that reach tree size in the United States and Canada, about 20 or 30 species worldwide. Red Alder is found from southeast Alaska to southern California, with some isolated communities in northern Idaho. The wood of Red Alder was second only to Cedars in its use for woodworking by natives. Dishes, spoons, platters, masks and many other items were made from Red Alder wood. Alder wood is considered the best wood for smoking salmon. (Native Plants PNW)

‘Extremely frustrating’: B.C. announces 2.6 million hectares of at-risk old-growth, no permanent protections
The announcement, which comes one full year after B.C.’s expert panel recommended the province introduce immediate deferrals in old forests facing irreversible biodiversity loss, is short on specifics and funding for affected First Nations, critics say. Stephanie Wood reports. (The Narwhal) See also: BC Unveils Plans to Defer Logging of Old-Growth Forests Green Leader Furstenau calls it ‘an essential and overdue first step.’ Andrew MacLeod reports. (The Tyee) And: B.C. promises to consult First Nations before pushing ahead with old-growth logging deferrals (CBC) And: Forest companies, First Nations unhappy with B.C.'s plan to defer old-growth logging (Vancouver Sun)

Cascades heading toward a future with little to no snowpack, new analysis suggests
Annual snowpack will no longer be a guarantee in the Pacific Northwest if global warming continues unchecked. Peak annual snowpack in the Cascade Mountains could decline by nearly a quarter by 2050 and up to nearly three-quarters by the end of the century, according to a new analysis from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Bradley Parks reports. (OPB)

Settlement negotiations fail between Oregon climate activists and government attorneys
Attorneys for 21 young people suing the federal government over climate change say settlement talks with the U.S. Department of Justice have failed. Juliana v. the United States was filed six years ago in Eugene. The 21 youth plaintiffs are represented by attorney Julia Olson with Our Children’s Trust. She said they went into the settlement negotiations in good faith. Rachael McDonald reports. (KLCC)

Armed with a paddle and a GoPro, entrepreneur aims to create ‘Street View’ of Puget Sound
We’ve all indulged in a little voyeuristic spying and exploration using Google Maps’ Street View, peering at homes and other landmarks. Brian Footen is creating a similar experience for shorelines — but with a greater purpose in mind. He wants to help save Puget Sound, the region’s environmental jewel. Because while Washington’s inland sea looks beautiful from the surface, it’s ailing on many fronts. Populations of salmon, orcas and seabirds are declining. The water is becoming more polluted and acidic. Underwater forests of kelp and eelgrass are shrinking. Lisa Stiffler reports. (GeekWire)

Coho fishery continues amid surprise returns
Because more coho salmon are returning to the Skagit River watershed to spawn than expected this year, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife last week announced a third extension of fishing on the Skagit and Cascade rivers. The Cascade River fishery is extended through Nov. 30 and the Skagit River fishery through Dec. 31. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Washington AG Bob Ferguson rallies other state leaders to help build back local journalism
Local journalism has been in crisis for decades. But since the pandemic started, more than 90 local newsrooms in the U.S. have closed their doors for good. There's now a push in Congress to provide tax credits for local newsrooms to hire journalists. It's in play as part of the Build Back Better bill still being hammered out, and it has a big champion in Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson. He and other attorney generals around the country are urging Congress to pass it. Kim Malcolm and Andy Hurst report. (KUOW)

June and Farrar Burn: Homesteading in the San Juan Islands
June (1893-1969) and Farrar (1888-1974) Burn, newly married in 1919 and searching for adventure and the best place to start their lives together, consulted an atlas and decided that the San Juan Islands in the far Pacific Northwest was where they wanted to begin. They moved to Sentinel Island, the last available homestead in the archipelago, and it was the start of their decades-long love affair with the area. Lynn Weber/Roochvarg writes. (HistoryLink.org)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 245 AM PDT Wed Nov 3 2021
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING
TODAY E wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 7 ft at 12 seconds. Rain.
TONIGHT E wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 6 ft at 12 seconds. Rain.

Tuesday, November 2, 2021

11/2 Garry oak, beluga DNA, Lk WA kokanee, Blueberry ruling, Growlers, container cleanup, forever chemicals, kelp carbon sink, red-spotted newt

Garry Oak [Native Plants PNW]

Garry (Oregon White) Oak Quercus garryana
Garry Oak was named after Nicholas Garry, a deputy governor for the Hudson’s Bay Company, and is found from southern British Columbia to northern California, mostly on the west side of the Cascade Mountains. White oak leaves have rounded lobes, their nuts are not as bitter. Squirrels may eat these nuts as soon as they are ripe. This species grows slowly to 80-100 feet (25-30m). It may live 250-500 years. (Native Plants of the Pacific NorthWest)

DNA left behind by solo beluga whale helps unravel mystery of its origins, but questions remain
Federal scientists have a few more clues about the lone beluga whale that was seen at various points around Puget Sound and the Salish Sea last month. For starters, they think the bright white whale is probably not part of an endangered population. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KNKX) See also: Record numbers of Bigg's killer whale sightings and humpback calves in Salish Sea Tom Banse reports. (NW News Network)

Lost freshwater salmon population may still inhabit Lake Washington
Scientists think they may have discovered a lost population of native kokanee salmon in Lake Washington. Salmon watchers are monitoring local creeks this fall to confirm the finding. David Williams reports. (Salish Sea Currents)

How the Blueberry ruling in B.C. is a gamechanger for the Site C dam, extractive industries and Indigenous Rights
In a precedent-setting ruling, B.C.’s Supreme Court found the province guilty of breaching its obligations to Treaty Rights through decades of cumulative impacts. Now, the impact of that ruling is reverberating across the country. Matt Simmons writes. (The Narwhal)

The Loudest Jets in the Quietest Park
In the summer of 2014, the U.S. Navy established an Electronic Warfare Range on large swathes of Washington’s Olympic National Forest and in airspace over it, plus airspace over Olympic National Park and surrounding communities. Its purpose was to conduct permanent, continuous electronic warfare attack and detection testing and training for an expanding fleet of supersonic EA-18G “Growler” jets housed on Whidbey Island. Karen Sullivan writes. (Rainshadow Journal)

Dozens of refrigerators among items removed from B.C. beach after containers fell off ship
Dozens of refrigerators, along with bags of Styrofoam and garbage, have been picked up from a remote Vancouver Island beach as the cleanup has started from 109 shipping containers that fell off a ship near Victoria. The Canadian Coast Guard said in a statement that 71 refrigerators, 81 bags of Styrofoam and 19 bags of garbage are among the items that have been flown by helicopter off Cape Palmerston beach on the northwest side of Vancouver Island. (Canadian Press)

New federal data shows where dangerous ‘forever chemicals’ may be handled in Whatcom
There are 54 industrial facilities in Whatcom County potentially handling toxic “forever chemicals” that can be harmful to humans and the environment, according to data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. About half of those facilities are described as “active,” and many have a history of federal environmental violations. Ysabelle Kempe reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Kelp’s Carbon Sink Potential Could Be Blocked by Coastal Darkening
Coastal darkening, an environmental threat researchers are only beginning to study, is found to dramatically reduce the productivity of kelp. Doug Johnson reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Whatcom amphibian experts untangling mystery of the red-spotted newt. They need your help
There’s a new newt in town, and local amphibian experts are worried about what its presence could mean for Whatcom’s ecosystems. The red-spotted newt was first recorded in 2016 in an area south of Iverson in Whatcom County for the first time outside its native habitat in eastern North America. Ysabelle Kempe reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 244 AM PDT Tue Nov 2 2021
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM NOON PDT TODAY THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY SE wind 10 to 20 kt rising to 15 to 25 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 4 ft at 12 seconds. Rain in the afternoon.
TONIGHT SE wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 5 ft at 12 seconds. Rain.

Monday, November 1, 2021

11/1 Spooks, Nooksack Tribe, Salish Current, BC hatcheries, Zim Kingston, Tokitae, WA nuke, kelp, Foss Maritime

[PHOTO: Laurie MacBride]

Popping up for Halloween
Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "Right on time for Halloween, a few spooky characters have started turning up at our place..."

Nooksack Tribe and partners face up to climate change challenge on South Fork Nooksack River
The Nooksack Indian Tribe is partnering with nonprofits, universities, government agencies and others in stepping up to challenges created by climate change to habitat and species in the South Fork Nooksack River. A die-off of more than 2,000 chinook salmon on their way to spawn this summer provided a dramatic example of what the area is facing. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Salish Current)

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Want real news, free to read and free from advertising? Read the Salish Current to know what's going on up north in Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties and sign up for the free weekly newsletter, mikesato772@gamail.com. Salish Current: Open-access, ad-free, independent, fact-based, nonpartisan, not-for-profit, reader-supported journalism. Try it.

Will reviving B.C.’s declining salmon stocks require a rethink of hatcheries?
After 150 years of experimenting, it’s becoming clear that pumping more baby fish into the ocean may actually be making the problem worse. Ryan Stuart reports. (The Narwhal)

Ship that spilled 100+ containers could have ridden out the storm in sheltered waters
The ship that spilled more than 100 shipping containers off the Washington coast was in a holding pattern on the open ocean when it could have ridden out the storm in more sheltered waters. John Ryan reports. (KUOW) See also: Ship fire out, but search continues for lost containers from vessel off B.C.'s coast (Canadian Press) Also: 'They're dropping the ball': Feds under fire as Zim Kingston debris cleanup begins on Vancouver Island Penny Daflos reports. (CTV) And also: Misadventures of container ship MV ZIM Kingston highlight the risks of marine traffic off B.C.’s ecologically fragile coast Justine Hunter and Xiao Xu report. (Globe and Mail)

For 51 years this killer whale has lived in a tiny tank. Now her health is at risk
A federal inspection report has found serious violations in how marine mammals have been cared for at one of Miami's oldest attractions. The Seaquarium is where the Flipper TV series was filmed in the 1960s. For 51 years, its star attraction has been Lolita, one of the oldest killer whales in captivity. The federal report raises concerns about Lolita's health and has renewed calls for her to be relocated. Greg Allen reports. (NPR)

Nuclear energy industry angles for bigger role in Washington and U.S. as climate change accelerates
COLUMBIA GENERATING STATION, Benton County — Clad in yellow suits, three workers took position on a steel bridge inside the concrete reactor building of Washington’s only nuclear power plant...This reactor’s electricity — enough to power the city of Seattle on a typical day — has gained new importance as Washington seeks by midcentury to largely eliminate the greenhouse gas emissions from oil, gas and coal that contribute to global warming. And the plant’s operators have joined in a broader push by the U.S. nuclear industry to play a bigger, long-term role in the America’s energy future. Hal Bernton reports. (Seattle Times)

An ambitious new alliance works to identify what’s happening to our crucial kelp forests in order to protect — and, hopefully, restore — them
THE SUQUAMISH PEOPLE call this marshy stretch of coastline Doe-Kag-Wats, or “Place of Deer.” ...This underwater forest nurtured an ecosystem rich in marine life. Young rockfish and salmon sought shelter in its tangled mass, fattening up on the abundance of tiny creatures that flourished there. Herring flashed silver-bright among the tangles. Seals glided through, seeking prey. Sandi Doughton reports. (Seattle Times) See also: Washington has struggled with turning kelp into a cash crop, but keeps floating new ideas Sandi Doughton reports. (Seattle Times)

Seaweed grower seeks global spotlight at climate conference
Victoria’s Cascadia Seaweed will be on the world stage this coming week as it presents at the United Nations global climate conference in Glasgow. Andrew Duffy reports. (Times Colonist)

Foss Maritime closes Seattle shipyard that employed 115
Foss Maritime, which traces its history to a Tacoma rowboat operation founded by Norwegian immigrant Thea Foss in 1889, is closing its Seattle shipyard, the company announced Saturday. A spokesman said the operation employed 115 people as of September. Although the closure is effective immediately, the company said workers will be paid for two more months. (Seattle Times)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 316 AM PDT Mon Nov 1 2021
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY SE wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 5 ft at 15 seconds. Rain in the afternoon.
TONIGHT SE wind 5 to 15 kt easing to 10 kt after midnight. Wind waves 2 ft or less. NW swell 6 ft at 13 seconds becoming SW at 12 seconds after midnight. Rain likely in the evening then a slight chance of rain after midnight.