(C) Daily Kos
This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered.
. . . . . . . . . .
June Salish Sea news [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.', 'Backgroundurl Avatar_Large', 'Nickname', 'Joined', 'Created_At', 'Story Count', 'N_Stories', 'Comment Count', 'N_Comments', 'Popular Tags']
Date: 2022-06-30
Who are we? See story #2 below
June 2022
NEWS FROM THE SALISH SEA, PACIFIC NORTHWEST The Salish Sea is a bioregion in western North America, composed of an inland waterway, many islands, and the surrounding watershed of towering forested mountains, big rivers and their floodplains. This bioregion has a mild climate and diverse habitats, but the wealth of nature and wildlife is threatened by human activity and population pressure. Metropolitan development occupies much of the lowlands, from Olympia, Washington through Seattle, Everett, Bellingham and north into Vancouver, British Columbia. Anthropogenic climate change is amplifying environmental problems here as elsewhere.
Here are a few recent stories exploring the environmental impact of human activity in this region.
🌊
Two dams on the Elwha River that had completely blocked the passage of migrating salmon for a century were finally dismantled by 2014, the largest dam removal project in U.S. history. Salmon were introduced from a local fish hatchery and began returning to the river immediately — a great success.
Since then, researchers have been monitoring the progress of the restoration. Some surprises have emerged, like this possibly worrisome one.
The setting and the fish
Given a clear path upstream after dam removal, Chinook salmon in the Elwha wasted no time swimming past the first dam and later the second. Yet, unlike steelhead, Chinook still have not ventured into the upper watershed in large numbers, according to recent surveys. …….snorkel surveys in 2018 and 2019 showed that while fair numbers of Chinook were moving into spawning habitat above the lower Elwha Dam, few were making it upstream past the site of the former Glines Canyon Dam, and fewer still were occupying the 18 miles of upstream habitat. Experts have offered three possible explanations for why more Chinook have not yet migrated farther upstream, as the steelhead have done. First, the low numbers of migrating Chinook result in less crowding, which could encourage them to spawn in the first suitable stream habitat.
Second, the vast majority of Chinook returning to the Elwha have been reared in a hatchery in the lower Elwha, which could create a greater affinity for downstream areas.
Third, the surviving Chinook population may lack the innate drive or the physical ability to ascend higher-elevation rapids, including the Grand Canyon of the Elwha. Perhaps the powerful spring Chinook that once fought their way through raging waters are now extinct Will the mighty spring Chinook rise again? And an introduction to the Salish Sea Currents magazine Elwha River series: Returning home: The Elwha's genetic legacy
🌊
Seals can tell each other apart, and can even distinguish between humans (I have reason to know). But with few exceptions, it is very difficult for humans to identify individual seals, which would be intrinsically revealing as well as useful in monitoring their ecological behavior as they deal with changing haulout sites, competition, predation, and a changing food supply.
That may change now with the invention of SealNet.
Krista Ingram, a biologist at Colgate University, led the students in developing software that uses deep learning and a convolutional neural network to tell one seal face from another. Ingram believes SealNet could be a useful, noninvasive tool for researchers. Ingram points to site fidelity as an aspect of seal behavior that SealNet could shed more light on. The team’s trials indicated that some harbor seals return to the same haulout sites year after year. Other seals, however, such as two animals the team nicknamed Clove and Petal, appeared at two different sites together. Increasing scientists’ understanding of how seals move around could strengthen arguments for protecting specific areas, says Anders Galatius, an ecologist at Aarhus University in Denmark who was not involved in the project. Facial Recognition—Now for Seals
🌊
The islands in the rainshadow of our coastal mountains are much drier than you’d expect for the Pacific Northwest. Freshwater is limited. With climate change bringing longer drier summers, our aquifers are stressed.
One Canadian Gulf island is dealing with imminent shortage brought about by that and historical land exploitation.
Freshwater shortages have plagued the Gulf Islands for years; last summer, they experienced what some described as the worst drought in recent memory. ​​​​​​…… Researchers on B.C.'s Salt Spring Island are working on a plan to protect an important freshwater reserve as risks mount amid a growing climate emergency. Maxwell Lake provides water for about half of Salt Spring Island, just off the east coast of Vancouver Island. Mossy understory Ecologists say agriculture and forestry in the area over the past century have left the forest overgrown, blocking out light and limiting the growth of understory, the low layer of vegetation in the forest that helps absorb water. Without that water absorption, the forest becomes dry and at greater risk for fires. "By removing some trees, doing some thinning, selective openings and so on to allow understory to come in … more water [will be] coming into the aquifer," ecologist Pierre Mineau said. ​​​​​​…. Although the forest could naturally correct itself over the next century, Mineau said they'd like to speed things up to protect the forest right away rather than wait and risk a fire destroying the area. Scientists work to protect B.C. island's crucial freshwater source from fire, drought
🌊
The Daily Bucket is a nature refuge. We amicably discuss animals, weather, climate, soil, plants, waters and note life’s patterns. We invite you to note what you are seeing around you in your own part of the world, and to share your observations in the comments below. For more information about the purpose and history of the Daily Bucket feature, check out this recent diary: Daily Bucket phenology: 11 years of recording earth's vital signs in our neighborhoods
New moon brings swift tidal currents to a kelp bed community
Sunny in the PNW islands. Calm wind. Temperatures in mid 60s.
WHAT’S UP IN NATURE IN YOUR AREA TODAY?
[END]
---
[1] Url:
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2022/6/30/2107421/-The-Daily-Bucket-June-Salish-Sea-news
Published and (C) by Daily Kos
Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified.
via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/
