Daily Archives: May 24, 2015
The Sea Level Scam
Measuring sea level is more complicated than pounding a stake into a beach. Sea level and the rate of rise or fall are subject to daily and seasonal variations, storm surges, and effects from decadal to multi-decadal oscillations such as El Niño. For instance, the west-blowing equatorial trade winds can pile up an extra foot of water in the western Pacific compared to the eastern Pacific. There are also tectonic events: is the ocean rising or is the land sinking? Pumping groundwater causes soil compaction and hence sinking land. Another complication: isostatic rebound of North America is tipping the northeast coast into the sea. Read the rest here 13:24
Man will bring fake orca to Astoria to try to scare off sea lions on docks, “I just put two and two together”
A fake orca is headed for the Port of Astoria next month — in yet another attempt to scare off hundreds of sea lions that have been lounging on the docks, preventing boaters from using them. The 32-foot-long fiberglass orca was suggested as a deterrent worth trying by its owner, Terry Buzzard of Bellingham, Washington. The 73-year-old built the fake killer whale about 12 years ago to pull along in parades to promote his business, Island Mariner Whale Watching Cruises. But when a friend recently shared photos of the California sea lions,,, Read the rest here 11:54
Fishermen and farmers fight over water in California
Farmers are preparing for state-ordered cuts in water use to take effect this week. They are expected to affect agriculture and people in the watershed of the San Joaquin River, which runs from the Sierra Nevada Mountains to San Francisco Bay. It’s a primary source for farms and communities. There are already battles over who’s using too much water. PAUL SOLMAN: California salmon are under siege these days, and not just from bears hungry for heart-healthy fatty acids. MIKE HUDSON, Small Boat Commercial Salmon Fishermen’s Association: Last year, all our wild spawning salmon have died. Video, read the rest here 10:53
Rhode Island Fishermen’s Alliance Weekly Update, May 24, 2015
The Rhode Island Fishermen’s Alliance is dedicated to its mission of continuing to help create sustainable fisheries without putting licensed fishermen out of business.” Read the update here To read all the updates, click here 09:49
Seismic testing off NJ coast close to start despite opposition
A Rutgers University professor is going full speed ahead with a seismic study of the ocean floor, despite flags raised by oppositional legislatures, a state agency and environmentalists. Legislatures went above him Friday and appealed to Rutgers University President Robert Barch urging him to stop the study that could begin in June. “I don’t understand the rancor that has developed. I’m doing basic research of sea level history. We’re trying to preserve our coastline by understanding how it behaves during sea level rise,” Mountain said. Read the rest here 09:27
A great migration is under way – Spring brings fish by the millions to Chesapeake Bay
Tourists aren’t the only ones flocking to our waters this time of year. A great migration is under way beneath the surface, too. Triggered by warming seas, hidden by tea-colored waves, propelled by the hunt for food and sheltered nursery grounds, all sorts of creatures are swimming or crawling their way up from the south. Their destination: the Chesapeake Bay. In the winter, only 30 or so aquatic species ply the bay. In the summer, that number explodes beyond 250.The catch flooding into the Lynnhaven Fishing Company tells the tale of the seasonal commute, Read the rest here 08:56
A setnetting family on Amook Island – the seasonal migration
Peter’s parents have spent the last 43 seasons salmon fishing here. In a doorway of the old cabin at their site, I can trace Peter’s penciled growth through all the summers of his childhood. Going back to the cabin each May is a way of marking time. For 35 years, Jan and Pete senior shared a 24’x24’ cabin and an outhouse with the crew. Now they have a house, with indoor plumbing. Solar panels have quieted the droning of generators running for hours. Read the rest here 08:41
Susanne Altenburger — The only way out that’s left, Combining groundfish ecology with fleet economics
You’d figure that this is just another colorful waterfront tale, here of improbable schemes hatched by folks of grand ambitions fiercely pursuing 50 percent visions — to never quite succeed, despite rich claims of “institutional authority,” “legitimate interest-representation,” defining “industrial policies” under whatever fractured grasp of “ecology.” And it would be a fine yarn, indeed — had not our Resource-Ecology and our Fleet-&-Port Economics been damaged to the great cost to businesses, too many families, our communities. Read the rest here 08:18
