Environment

Environment

Bull kelp routinely washes up on West Coast beaches after storms, but there are more reasons to worry about the health of the kelp forests just offshore

Struggling Northwest kelp forests sending out an SOS. Help is coming

There’s a rallying cry at various bays and beaches up and down the West Coast; it’s “Help the kelp!” The towering brown seaweed with the floating bulb on top is in steep decline. That’s alarming because underwater kelp forests provide shelter and food for a wide variety of sea life. The crew now answering the call runs the gamut from seaweed farmers to hammer-wielding scuba divers and might some day include sea otters and octopuses. Continue Reading Struggling Northwest kelp forests sending out an SOS. Help is coming

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This decaying plastic litter on the beach at Newport, Oregon, is on its way to becoming microplastic pollution

Foam dock floats, laundry filters, hotel shampoo amongst newest bids to reduce plastic pollution

Everywhere they look, Pacific Northwest scientists find teeny-tiny plastic pollution. Broken down particles are in our water, falling out of the air, in salmon, shellfish and in our own bodies. Scientists, environmental advocates and Democratic lawmakers in Olympia and Salem have seen enough to make them seek more regulations. Continue Reading Foam dock floats, laundry filters, hotel shampoo amongst newest bids to reduce plastic pollution

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Northwest scientists are looking into the possible impacts that offshore wind farms might have on marine wildlife.

Lots of whales spotted around offshore wind farm zones along West Coast

The federal government has commissioned Oregon State University to look into the possible impacts of offshore wind farms on marine wildlife. In the first year of this four-year project, the researchers spotted sizable numbers of seabirds and whales — including the largest animal on Earth — in the Oregon and Northern California areas that could one day host floating wind farms. Continue Reading Lots of whales spotted around offshore wind farm zones along West Coast

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Many captains of large commercial vessels agreed to slow down in a stretch of northern Puget Sound shipping lanes where endangered orcas are frequently seen in the fall.

Captains of big ships eased up on the throttle during trial slowdown to help endangered orcas

The majority of captains of big commercial ships entering and leaving Puget Sound are cooperating with a request to slow down temporarily to reduce underwater noise impacts to the Pacific Northwest’s critically endangered killer whales. The duration of the experimental slowdown – modeled on a similar project in British Columbia – will be extended into the new year, organizers announced after a status report and celebration on the Seattle waterfront Friday. Continue Reading Captains of big ships eased up on the throttle during trial slowdown to help endangered orcas

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A way to prevent large ships from striking and killing whales is to transmit alerts to the officers at the helm when whales are nearby.

Reducing collisions between ships and whales? There’s apps for that, but they need work

Fortunately, it doesn’t happen very often in the Pacific Northwest that ships collide with whales. But when it does, it’s upsetting, tragic and the whale probably dies. Three separate teams have developed smartphone-based systems that can alert commercial mariners to watch out, slow down or change course when whales have been sighted nearby. A recent ride-along on a big container ship demonstrated that real-time whale alerts are still a work in progress. Continue Reading Reducing collisions between ships and whales? There’s apps for that, but they need work

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