Salish Sea News Week in Review February 11 2022

 

Aloha Women and Girls in Science Friday!
The International Day of Women and Girls in Science is the 11th day of February, by resolution of the United Nations General Assembly on 22 December 2015. The day recognizes the critical role women and girls play in science and technology.

For the first time in generations, the Snoqualmie Tribe has land
The Snoqualmie Indian Tribe has purchased thousands of acres of ancestral forestlands in east King County, land that holds special meaning to the people who have been without a reservation for generations.

Hidden research lab at Seattle Aquarium studies microplastics pollution
The Seattle Aquarium attracts visitors from all over to the city’s central waterfront. Perched on Pier 60, it has a commanding view of Elliott Bay. It’s also an ideal place to study the tiny bits of plastic that wind up in the water and threaten marine wildlife.

Climate change impacting local shellfish health
Extreme climate events are making shellfish less safe for human consumption, leading to harvesting closures across the county.

Transient whales, whose Salish Sea visits are increasing, spending time in Hood Canal
Monika Wieland Shields, director of Orca Behavior Institute on San Juan Island, said there was a record-breaking presence of Bigg’s killer whales in 2021.

Deschutes restoration project in Tumwater reveals history of poor forestry practices
The Deschutes River, which snakes its way north through Lewis and Thurston counties and out to Puget Sound through Budd Inlet, is fragile... Each year, experts say the erosion pushes approximately 2,380 cubic yards of sediment into the river.

Barge stranded on Vancouver's Sunset Beach to be dismantled and removed
Contractors working on the project say the piece-by-piece removal will take up to 15 weeks.

Bellingham OKs measure to curb commercial natural gas use
Bellingham has become the third Washington city to require new buildings to use electricity for heat as part of an effort to decrease the city’s greenhouse gas pollution from fossil fuels that propel climate change.

WA House, Senate Democrats release $16 billion transportation package
House and Senate Democrats in Washington state on Tuesday unveiled a $16 billion, 16-year transportation revenue package that spends on a variety of projects ranging from building new hybrid electric ferries and funding more walking and biking corridors to highway maintenance and replacing fish passage culverts.

'Once in a millennium' rogue wave recorded off Ucluelet
A giant wave off Ucluelet in 2020 is the most extreme rogue wave ever recorded, says a group of Victoria scientists. The 17.6-metre swell — as high as a four-storey building — was recorded with sensor buoys at Amphitrite Bank, about seven kilometers off Ucluelet.

Giant Kelp Is Getting Less Nutritious
For myriad ocean residents, such as jellyfish, crabs, urchins, fish, and prawns, giant kelp is an important source of food and shelter. A new study, however, shows that this dietary staple is becoming less nutritious.

Delta wants federal government to delay or deny Roberts Bank Terminal 2 project
The City of Delta is requesting that the federal government postpone or altogether deny the approval of the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 (RBT2) project because of the adverse, unmitigable effects it would bring to the surrounding community and environment.

Scientists make final bid to stop Port of Vancouver’s terminal expansion: ‘they can’t mitigate the consequences’
The port promises it can mitigate the impacts of the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 expansion on endangered species like Chinook salmon and southern resident killer whales, but scientists argue the port’s final plan still impacts more than 100 species of concern in the heart of the Fraser River estuary.

These news clips are a selection of weekday clips collected in Salish Sea News and Weather which is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe at no cost to the weekday news clips, send your name and email to mikesato772 at gmail.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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