The state ferries system has attached a device to the hull of the MV Salish on the Port Townsend-Coupeville route to provide data on low-oxygen water and ocean acidification from Admiralty Inlet…. Charlie Bermant reports. (Peninsula Daily News)
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More than 40 scientists in U.S. and Canadian waters are catching batches of young salmon to find out why they can be so healthy in the rivers but begin to die off in Puget Sound. Studies show some species die at a rate of 80 percent from the time they leave their native river and get through the Sound to The Pacific Ocean. There are similar concerns all the way through the northern Strait of Georgia, which, when combined with Puget Sound, forms the Salish Sea. Gary Chittim reports. (KING)
http://www.king5.com/news/local/Fishing-boats-become-salmon-labs-263111881.html
Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: Puget Sound, Salmon | Comments Off on Fishing boats become salmon labs in Puget Sound – KING 5
Laura James reports sea star die-offs in Hood Canal.
Sund rock stars https://www.facebook.com/diverLAuRA/media_set?set=a.10154410435430438.1073741967.760835437&type=1
Meanwhile, Scientists Close In On The Cause Of Sea Star Wasting Syndrome
http://earthfix.kcts9.org/flora-and-fauna/article/unprecedented-epidemic-in-the-oceans-iconic-sea-st/
Drew Harvell peers into the nooks and crannies along the rocky shoreline of Eastsound on Orcas Island. Purple and orange starfish clutch the rocks, as if hanging on for dear life…. Scientists have been working for months to find out what’s causing the massive die-off and now Harvell and others have evidence that an infectious disease caused by a bacteria or virus, may be at the root of the problem. The disease, they say, could be compounded by warming waters, which put the sea stars under stress, making them more vulnerable to the pathogen… While scientists are reluctant to assign blame to climate change, Harvell explained that as oceans warm, outbreaks like this are more likely to occur. Katie Campbell and Ashley Ahearn report. (EarthFix)
Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: hood canal, Puget Sound, starfish wasting, Sund Rock | Comments Off on Starfish Wasting Disease – Update
It appears to be a political compromise to the commercial fishing industry. It’s considered by some a necessary evil, even though the many of these stocks are actually not yet at levels that some scientists feel is sustainable. While California and Oregon are ahead of Washington on protection of habitat for rockfish and other groundfish, there is still huge pressure by the commercial fisheries to label the species sustainable. The positive side is that this will allow a greater co-management of the catch, but likely the numbers will decline. We’ll have to follow up over the years and see if they are actually doing what they claim they are going to do.
http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2014/06/03/3678286/west-coast-groundfish-certified.html
More than a decade after overfishing led to the collapse of the one of the West Coast’s most valuable fisheries, it has been certified as sustainable. The international Marine Stewardship Council announced Tuesday in Portland, Oregon, it has certified that 13 bottom-dwelling species collectively known as groundfish are harvested in an environmentally sustainable way. That applies to species sold as red snapper, Dover sole and lingcod. In a 400-page report, the council said federal regulations are in place to protect habitat, hold fishermen responsible and set harvest quotas based on scientific data. The action led the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watchlist to move six West Coast rockfish species from “Avoid” status, to “Good Alternative.” Jeff Barnard reports. (Associated Press)
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Our Governor reaches out to BC and asks for their help to bring Victoria up to modern specs of sewage outflow. Come on Victoria, get your act together or stop pretending you care about the environment. I was just up there and they are so proud of their environmental protections. This is one glaring hole in the tapestry.
http://www.king5.com/news/local/In-Washington-State-Victoria-sewage-hits-the-fan–262800061.html
Washington Governor Jay Inslee and King County Executive Dow Constantine sent a strongly worded letter to Canadian authorities over a yet to be stemmed flow of raw sewage into Puget Sound waters. “As the Governor of the state of Washington and the Executive of King County, we are very concerned by the lack of progress in treating wastewater and protecting the health and habitat of Puget Sound,” they said in the letter sent to British Columbia Premier Christy Clark. The letter comes in response to an announcement last week that a deal for a new sewage treatment plant to be built to serve the rapidly growing Victoria area had fallen apart. That announcement comes 20 years after Canadian officials first announced plans to build a facility. Gary Chittim reports. (KING)
See also: Washington governor urges action on capital region sewage plan http://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/washington-governor-urges-action-on-capital-region-sewage-plan-1.1125746Lindsay Kines and Bill Cleverley report. (Times Colonist)
Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: Puget Sound, sewage, Victoria | 1 Comment »
This is fun to see.
Springer, Orphaned Orca, Reappears Off B.C. Coast With Family
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/06/11/springer-orphaned-orca-bc_n_5486291.html
An orphaned killer whale who made headlines around the world when she was reunited with her pod off the coast of British Columbia has re-appeared — with her own thriving calf in tow. Whale researchers spotted Springer this week in the Inside Passage off B.C.’s North Coast. “They appear to be healthy and robust … normal in every way,” Lance Barrett-Lennard from Vancouver Aquarium’s Marine Mammal Research Program, wrote in an email from the field. “Great stuff.” (Canadian Press)
Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: orca, Puget Sound, springer | Comments Off on Springer the Orca is back in NW Waters -Huffington Post and others
No, this is not a scam. Since I upgraded my web browser to the latest Google Chrome, I have started recieving this error message when I post to Olyopen.com. I believe that the cause is that Google has tightened it’s security. Be aware that the reason for this error is that we host the same web site with two different web address “domains” http://www.olyopen.net and http://www.olyopen.com. However, only one of these is the underlying web site. So you can rest easy that the site is actually the site you expected, at least for The Olympic Peninsula Environmental News. 
Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: Puget Sound | Comments Off on Experiencing error messages on our web page? -Olyopen.com
Boater? Add your voices to the survey.
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission is asking the boating public to help the agency better understand how boaters use state marine parks and provide their views on possible changes to fees and policies for next year. Boaters are invited to take an online survey at: www.parks.wa.gov/165/Boating-Fees. The 30-question confidential survey takes about 5-15 minutes to complete. The deadline to complete the survey is June 15. A summary of results will be posted on the same web page in July.
Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: boating, Puget Sound, regulations, washington state | Comments Off on Public invited to weigh in on state marine parks use and fees – Bothell Reporter
Hmmm. more bad news on hatchery fish. Obviously more work needs to be done to validate these findings.
A new study suggests steelhead trout can have trouble using the Earth’s magnetic field to navigate if they were raised in a hatchery, where the field may be distorted by iron pipes. Scientists at the Oregon Hatchery Research Center raised two sets of fish: one outside the hatchery with a natural magnetic field, and one inside the hatchery where the field was distorted. Fish raised outside the hatchery oriented themselves to changes in the magnetic field, but fish raised in the hatchery’s distorted magnetic field did not. (Associated Press)
http://kplu.org/post/study-hatcheries-can-disrupt-steelhead-navigation
Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: fish hatcheries, hatcheries, Puget Sound, Salmon, steelhead | Comments Off on Study: Hatcheries Can Disrupt Steelhead Navigation – Earthfix/AP
This is interesting new research that has ramifications for us. Anyone who has been out on a commercial vessel knows this seems true, now the research backs it.
Source:University of ExeterSummary:
Fishing vessels have a far bigger ecological footprint than previously thought, according to research which tracked the movement and behavior of seabirds using GPS devices. Scientists discovered that northern gannets change their behaviour in response to the presence of large vessels such as trawlers, suggesting each boat can significantly influence the distribution and foraging patterns of these and other marine predators
Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: Puget Sound | Comments Off on Fishing vessels have big ecological footprint: Powerful seabird magnets -Science Daily
Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: event, kids, Puget Sound, tidepool | Comments Off on EVENT: JUNE 14 – Family Fun Tidepool Walk
So once again, Victoria’s sewage treatment facility is delayed, due to zoning issues. This was a known hazard for them going in and they attempted to steamroll over the opposition. Now they need to find an alternative plan. Years will go by as the poop of Victoria continues to pour out into the Strait, with all manner of pollutants in it. While all of us along the Strait pay high taxes to treat our sewage, and take the solids to landfills, Victoria continues to be the major polluter on the Strait with no end in site. Amazing that in 2014 this is even an issue. But there you have it. Canada continues to be the model of what not to do in environmental protection.
Victoria sewage plant won’t get provincial push
B.C.’s Environment Minister Mary Polak says she will not intervene in the fight over where to put Victoria’s new sewage treatment plant. “After giving the request due consideration, the province will not attempt to override the zoning decisions of the duly elected Esquimalt council, said Polak in a statement issued on Tuesday morning. The Capital Regional District asked Polak to step in last month, after the Township of Esquimalt refused to rezone land at McLoughlin Point, which the CRD purchased last year at a cost of $4.6 million. The move, which effectively blocks plans to build on the site, leaves the CRD without a location for the plant, after eight years of planning. The CRD has been ordered by the provincial government to have a plant up and running by 2016. The federal government has set its own deadline of 2020. Mike Laanela reports.
(CBC) See also: CRD drops plan to build sewage plant in Esquimalt, next step unclear http://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/crd-drops-plan-to-build-sewage-plant-in-esquimalt-next-step-unclear-1.1076722 Bill Cleverley and Lindsay Kines report. (Times Colonist)
And watch: Dumping Raw Sewage is Not Okay
Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: Puget Sound, sewage treatment, Victoria | Comments Off on Victoria Sewage Treatment gets another Setback – Times Colonist
Join Olympic Climate Action June 6 and 7, 2014 for Our Oceans in a Changing Climate—an evening of engaging music and a day of enlightening speakers and activities for the whole family related to the impacts of climate change on our marine waters.
The health of marine waters that embrace the Olympic Peninsula affect us all. As Representative Kevin Van de Wege recently wrote, “Washingtonians are defined in no small part by their relationship to the sea…our economy and way of life are inextricably linked to (the) health and sustainability of our maritime heritage.”
Celebrate our local marine waters Friday evening with popular singer/songwriter Dana Lyons performing works from his new CD The Great Salish Sea. Lyons, best known for his song “Cows with Guns,” is touring to raise awareness about the proposed export of fossil fuels through our region, and its effect on orcas and us all. He will play at7:30 p.m. at the Elwha Heritage Center, First and Peabody Streets, Port Angeles; admission $10.00.
Saturday’s speakers will highlight the serious challenges facing the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Pacific Ocean. Presentations will be based in the Landing Mall on the Port Angeles waterfront, second floor conference room.
Other events during the day include a craft activity for kids and additional information on Olympic Climate Action at the Port Angeles Farmers Market; a sand castle building contest at Hollywood Beach with judging at 12:15 p.m., free admission to the Feiro Marine Center, and open access to the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary Discovery Room.
Olympic Climate Action is a group of local, concerned citizens working for a safe, prosperous, sustainable future for residents of the Olympic Peninsula by addressing the threat of climate change. By sharing the best available science, OCA hopes to raise awareness of the challenges “climate chaos” poses for our community, as well as options for mitigation and action. Join us to learn how to be part of the solution, olyclimate.org.
Schedule for Saturday, June 7
| 10:00 -2:00 | Farmers Market Booth, including activities for kids from 10am -noon. |
| 10:00 – 4:00 | NOAA Discovery Room Open, Landing Mall, 2nd Floor |
| 10:00 – 5:00 | Feiro Marine Life Center open , free admission, City Pier |
| 11:00 | How Fossil Fuel Exports Threaten our Marine Waters – presentation by Matt Krogh, ForestEthics (Bellingham), Landing Mall, 2nd Fl. |
| 12:15 | Sand Castle Judging -Hollywood Beach |
| 12:30 | Shellfish, Algae Blooms and Warming Waters, technical poster and Q & A by Hansi Hals, Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, Landing Mall, 2nd Fl. |
| 1:00 – 2:00 | Ocean Acidification and Impacts on Marine Life in the Pacific Northwest, Liam Antrim, Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary researcher,
Landing Mall, 2nd Fl. |
| 2:00 | Hands-on display on ocean acidification, Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary staff, Landing Mall, 2nd Fl. |
| 3:00 | Tides of Change (film), and climate change in Olympic National Park, Bill Baccus, Olympic National Park physical scientist, Landing Mall, 2nd Fl. |
Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: Puget Sound | Comments Off on EVENT: June 6 & 7 – Port Angeles – Our Oceans in a Changing Climate
Finally ended, not sure what the true story on this is. Canada has made out like bandits due during this time, due to the fact that they were not included in the ban. Many say it was a political retribution from China, but no one knows for sure.
http://earthfix.kuow.org/flora-and-fauna/article/china-lifts-ban-on-us-shellfish/
China will lift its ban on imports of geoduck clams and other shellfish from the West Coast, according to a statement from Washington Congressman Derek Kilmer… Chinese officials sent a letter Friday to the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration advising the federal agency the ban would be lifted. The letter stated Chinese officials were satisfied with NOAA’s proposed plans for new monitoring and testing requirements for paralytic shellfish poisoning and inorganic arsenic, which would meet China’s food safety requirements. Tony Schick reports. (EarthFix)
Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: china, geoduck, Puget Sound | Comments Off on China To Lift Ban On West Coast Shellfish – Earthfix
STREAMKEEPERS OF CLALLAM COUNTY CALLING FOR NEW TRAINEES-ANNUAL TRAINING
BEGINS JUNE 4
*Citizens invited to become involved in watershed stewardship and learn how to monitor streams.*
Streamkeepers, Clallam County’s volunteer stream monitoring program, is seeking new volunteers to help collect stream health data, perform data entry & analysis, and conduct education & outreach. Currently, we have a particular need for help with data entry and checking. New volunteers work with current volunteers; no prior experience needed.
The free annual training begins June 4 from 6-9 p.m. at the County Courthouse; two field-training days will follow, scheduled at trainees’ convenience.
To register or inquire, call Streamkeepers at 417-2281, or email
streamkeepers@co.clallam.wa.us.
Streamkeepers’ website is at www.clallam.net/sk.
Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: Puget Sound, streamkeepers, training, Volunteers needed | Comments Off on Streamkeepers of Clallam County Calling for Trainees
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2014/feb/10/health-risks-estimated-for-port-gamble-bay/#axzz2szYnGC6a (subscription)
Chris Dunagan of the Kitsap Sun reports in this subscription only article about the risks of consuming significant quantities of shellfish from Port Gamble Bay.
According to the story,
Out of every 1,000 people who eat 1.1 pounds of clams, oysters and crabs every day over a lifetime, two people could be expected to get cancer because of those shellfish… which focuses on shellfish taken from the upper portion of Port Gamble Bay….
There’s lots more to the article. Read it at the Kitsap Sun link above.
Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: Port Gamble Bay, Puget Sound, Shellfish | Comments Off on Health risks estimated for Port Gamble Bay shellfish – Kitsap Sun
Yesterday the Pope made the most forceful case yet for his flock to get active and protect the environment. It will do much to help people who otherwise might not be aware of the seriousness of this situation to feel a duty to take action, or at least support change.
Pope Francis made the religious case for tackling climate change on Wednesday, calling on his fellow Christians to become “Custodians of Creation” and issuing a dire warning about the potentially catastrophic effects of global climate change.
Speaking to a massive crowd in Rome, the first Argentinian pope delivered a short address in which he argued that respect for the “beauty of nature and the grandeur of the cosmos” is a Christian value, noting that failure to care for the planet risks apocalyptic consequences.
“Safeguard Creation,” he said. “Because if we destroy Creation, Creation will destroy us! Never forget this!”
Read the whole story here:
Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: climate change, Pope Francis, Puget Sound | Comments Off on Pope Francis Calls on Faithful to Protect the Environment
If you missed the recent Salish Sea Shoreline Forum, you can watch (or listen) to the proceedings provided by Laura James, who videotaped the event. Additional hours of this event are also found on the right hand side of the page below. Some of the issues addressed included alternatives to hard shore armoring.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdWiUFpKF28
Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: Laura James, Puget Sound, Salish Sea Forum | Comments Off on Video(s) of Salish Sea Shoreline Forum
For many years now, the Washington Toxics Coalition has been working to ban fire retardants in children’s clothing and our furniture. Numerous studies have shown that fire retardant not only does not effectively protect people from burns, it has leached into Puget Sound and is showing up in a huge number of places we would never have anticipated it to be found. The evidence was so compelling that our local State House Representative, Kevin Van De Wege, himself an ex-fire fighter, changed his mind and some years ago, joined up to be one of the leading legislators attempting to pass a ban on it’s use. Who has stood in the way of this progress? None other than the medical head of Harborview Hospital’s Burn Unit, Dr. David Heimback. His stark testimony won over many lawmakers. Now,we find out that his anecdotal stories were fabricated, and that he was being paid by the flame-retardant industry, though he claimed to be independent. This week, he resigned his medical license and is leaving in disgrace.
Our thanks to the Chicago Tribune for uncovering the truth in this story, and now we can hope that we can see real progress in banning these cancer causing chemicals from our homes and environment.
Read the whole sordid story here:
http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2023675627_heimbachlicensexml.html
Now back to Olympia in the winter to get this bill passed once and for all.
Read about the efforts to ban flame retardant here. http://watoxics.org/
Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: Dr. David Heimback, flame retardant, Puget Sound | Comments Off on Head of Harborview Burn Unit Loses License Over Fake Testimony
