NOAA: Warmest Global Ocean Surface Temperatures on Record for July

While many of the politicians fiddle while the world is burning, the stats just keep on coming in. It’s time to start really solving the fundamental problems causing this….namely greenhouse gases. Before we all fry.
August 14, 2009
The planet’s ocean surface temperature was the warmest on record for July, breaking the previous high mark established in [...]

Astonishing Derelict Gear Project findings

I attended the NW Straits quarterly meeting in Port Townsend on Friday, and was able to stay to hear the presentation by Jeff June, who has led the research project on crab mortality rates because of lost crab pots, both commercial pots and sport pots. Jeff’s project, which is now headed to a peer review [...]

NY Times on the local fish net removal project

Great work by our local NW Straits Initiative team (with kudos’ to Ginny Broadhurst and Jeff June), who have brought back $4.6 million in stimulus money to fund the efforts to get divers to go down and remove sunken abandoned fishing nets (known as ‘derelict gear removal’). The nets, which continue to kill sealife, have [...]

Movie on “World without Fish” at Wheeler Theater 9/2 at 7PM

The Port Townsend Marine Science Center (PTMSC) presents the Olympic Peninsula’s premiere of a feature-length documentary film called A Sea Change—Imagine a world without fish at the Wheeler Theatre in Fort Worden State Park on Wednesday, September 2, 2009 at 7 p.m.
“Not only are we excited to present the movie for the first time on [...]

Shellfish ruling surprises farmers – AP

8/22  -PHUONG LE; The Associated Press  —A landmark deal struck between Puget Sound Indian tribes and commercial growers two years ago was meant to end years of rancor over shellfish harvesting rights.
But some growers were surprised to learn this summer that some of their tidelands might not qualify under the settlement, potentially opening them up [...]

Hood Canal Oxygen Levels Dropping Fast – Kitsap Sun

8/23 HOOD CANAL Hood Canal, known for its deadly oxygen problems, has experienced record-high levels of oxygen since the beginning of the year — but a day of reckoning could be approaching. Researchers have never seen dissolved oxygen levels that stayed as high as they did during the first four months of 2009. That includes [...]

Study says plastic decomposes at sea – AP story

This story has personal relevency. I traveled to Belize two years ago, the first thing I found in the water when I waded in was a plastic bag from Whole Foods!  If you have more interest in this story, go to the PT Marine Science center and see their exhibets about plastics in the ocean. [...]

Jefferson County SMP update – new info

The Jefferson County Department of Community Development has weighed in with their recommendations to the County Commissioners on the draft SMP update from the Planning Commission’s modified SMP. As you may recall, after the DCD and assorted scientific and citizen’s advisory committees met over the last three years and drafted a decent start to the [...]

Jefferson County Democrats Fish Fry Sunday…show up and support a strong SMP!

Here’s hoping you will come to the Jefferson County Democrats annual Fish Fry on Sunday, and show support for a strong SMP. The fry will be held at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds. Starts at 4 and dinner at 5. See you there!

Fraser River Sockeye numbers crashing..Snake River Sockeye improving

Two stories of two different runs of salmon in the northwest today, one from the Fraser and one from the Snake.
Chris Dunagan does a great job covering the crash of the Fraser River Sockeye this year.  This is a critical loss of a year’s fish, and it’s still an unknown cause. Is it global warming? [...]