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](https://www.nwpb.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/kelp-forests-500x500.webp)
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.
![Bright yellow bees crawl around yellow honeycombs.](https://www.nwpb.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Closeup_Credit-Dalan-Animal-Health-500x500.jpeg)
The buzz: New honey bee vaccine could protect pollinators, improve U.S. agriculture
The new honey bee vaccine from Dalan Animal Health is currently undergoing field trials to gather more data. (Credit: Dalan Animal Health) Listen (Runtime 1:07) Read Honey bees and other
![Sam Penney sits in a chair, hands in his lap, looking at Sueann Ramella, who sits out of view on the left side of the photograph.](https://www.nwpb.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/147A8882-2-small-500x500.png)
Captive Returns Home: The Story Of Wetxuuwíitin – ‘Traverse Talks’ Episode 42 – With Chairman Samuel Penney
Photo of Sam Penney recording Traverse Talks at the Nez Perce National Historic Park on March 10, 2022. Imagine a stranger took your family’s heirlooms and then offered you an
![This decaying plastic litter on the beach at Newport, Oregon, is on its way to becoming microplastic pollution](https://www.nwpb.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/plastic-pollution-featured-500x500.webp)
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.
![Northwest scientists are looking into the possible impacts that offshore wind farms might have on marine wildlife.](https://www.nwpb.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/whale-featured-500x500.webp)
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.
![A herd of elk run through snow.](https://www.nwpb.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Elk_PaulCross-500x500.jpg)
New USGS migration maps of Western wildlife might ease pressures from development and roads
Elk congregate on the Camp Creek Feed Ground in northwestern Wyoming. (Credit: USGS) Listen (Runtime 00:50) Read Lately, Matthew Kauffman has been thinking a lot about spaghetti – wildlife spaghetti
![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.](https://www.nwpb.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/orca-boat-500x500.webp)
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.
![In this photo Rich Old sits across from Sueann Ramella during an interview for Traverse Talks.](https://www.nwpb.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/147A8760-500x500.jpg)
Tales Of A Weed Worker – ‘Traverse Talks’ Episode 39 – With Botanist Rich Old
Photo of Richard Old recording this episode of Traverse Talks across from Sueann Ramella. When you cross paths with a wild animal, oftentimes you notice it and recognize it by
![Firefighters stand in the distance with drip torches along a road surrounded by trees. A fire burns in the foreground of the picture. It's climbing up some smaller trees.](https://www.nwpb.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/burning-operations-500x500.jpeg)
Studies show prescribed burns key to forest resiliency
Scientists are studying old wildfires to find what forest treatments slowed the flames – and what treatments didn’t work so well. Researchers are looking closely at the Schneider Springs fire, the largest wildfire in Washington in 2021.
![Geese walk along the shores of Lake Coeur d'Alene near a lakeside hotel.](https://www.nwpb.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Geese-near-Hotel-CDA-on-lake-e1668555983223-500x500.jpg)
Coeur d’Alene Tribe pushing for greater protection of sacred lake
Geese congregate along the shore of Lake Coeur d’Alene, Nov. 5, 2022. Credit: Lauren Paterson / NWPB Listen For over 30 years, Native American Heritage Month has been federally-recognized. Northwest
![](https://www.nwpb.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Edgar-Franks-at-COP27-500x500.jpg)
Defensor de trabajadores agrícolas de Washington presiona por la justicia climática en la COP27
El líder de los trabajadores agrícolas Edgar Franks durante la COP27. Crédito: Familias Unidas por la Justicia. Lea Los trabajadores agrícolas están presionando por la justicia climática en Washington y
![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.](https://www.nwpb.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/boat-500x500.webp)
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.