Pacific Coast sea bird die-off puzzles scientists – Statesman Journal via Seattle Times

Hundreds of young birds are washing up on coastal beaches, dead of what may be starvation. Although it’s grim news, there’s some belief it could be a natural event. My wonder is with changes to the ocean due to global warming, could a lack of food be affecting a lot more than just these? Say, also whales? Read the whole story at Earthfix.org.

Scientists are trying to figure out what’s behind the deaths of seabirds that have been found by the hundreds along the Pacific Coast since October. Mass die-offs of the small, white-bellied gray birds known as Cassin’s aucklets have been reported from British Columbia to San Luis Obispo, California. (Earthfix.org)

 

http://earthfix.opb.org/flora-and-fauna/article/small-seabird-washing-up-dead-on-northwest-beaches/

Derelict Fishing Gear Funding Received – NW Straits Foundation News

The Northwest Straits Foundation received $660,000 to finish the job of removing derelict fishing nets from shallow subtidal waters of Puget Sound. The Foundation estimates there are 500 shallow water derelict nets left to remove. The Foundation is aiming to complete the work by December 31, 2013. Funding comes from the US Environmental Protection Agency through the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. This funding will be combined with current and pledged funding from the Salmon Recovery Funding Board, NOAA Marine Debris Program, ConocoPhillips Migratory Bird Fund, US Fish and Wildlife Service Coastal Program, Lucky Seven Foundation, Tulalip Tribes and private donations.

The new funding also pays for a new response and retrieval program designed to prevent future re-accumulations of derelict nets by responding to reports of newly lost nets immediately. The Foundation will be developing this new program in close coordination with the Puget Sound fisheries co-managers.

KUOW story on coastal Algae bloom

KUOW did a short piece on the coastal algae bloom problem. Only issue that they might have changed in the coverage could have been that the lack of dead birds now might not be from the algae being less dangerous, but from the fact that the birds might all be dead!
http://kuow.org/program.php?id=18818

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