Leaburg, Rock Creek fish hatcheries hit hard by wildfires

KEZI — Millions of fish have been saved at fish hatcheries in Oregon despite unprecedented wildfires and evacuations, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said Wednesday. Six ODFW-managed facilities were affected, including two locally – Rock Creek and Leaburg. No lives were lost, and officials said staff are returning to some facilities to help spawn spring Chinook during a Read More…

Mercury concentrations in Yukon river fish could surpass EPA…

EurekAlert! — The concentration of mercury in the fish in Alaska's Yukon River may exceed the EPA's human health criterion by 2050 if greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming are not constrained, according to scientific research funded in part by NASA. This first of its kind research estimates potential releases of mercury from thawing permafrost under high and low carbon emissions Read More…

Algae less of a problem thanks to more river water in Moses Lake

Columbia Basin Herald — Blue-green algae and a toxin associated with it has been much less of a problem this year in Moses Lake, in large part thanks to higher flows of Columbia River water through the lake. “There have been lower levels of toxin,” said Stephanie Shopbell, an environmental health manager with Grant County Health District. “Algae blooms have not been as Read More…

Can pumping up cold water from deep within the ocean halt coral…

ScienceDaily — The risk of severe coral bleaching -- a condition in which corals lose their symbiotic algae, called zooxanthellae -- is five times more frequent today than it was forty years ago. Coral bleaching is a direct result of global warming, where rising temperatures cause marine heat waves, which place stress on the living coral animals, as well as the photosynthetic algae on which Read More…

Marine animals live where ocean is most breathable, ranges may shrink…

ScienceDaily — As oceans warm due to climate change, scientists are trying to predict how marine animals -- from backboned fish to spineless jellyfish -- will react. Laboratory experiments indicate that many could theoretically tolerate temperatures far higher than what they encounter today. But these studies don't mean that marine animals can maintain their current ranges in warmer oceans, Read More…

Paintballs to deter monk seals? NOAA seeks feedback on marine mammal…

Hawaii News Now — Should people be able to use rubber bullets and even paintballs to deter Hawaiian monk seals from coming too close to fishing gear and property? Those are some of the tactics NOAA wants to hear your feedback on. The National Marine Fisheries service is proposing a rule in the federal registry on “Guidelines for Safely Deterring Marine Read More…

Creek Fire ignites fire management debate on 102 million trees killed…

USA Today — When the Creek Fire exploded to 160,000 acres in just 72 hours, ripping through a jewel of the Sierra Nevada just south of Yosemite National Park, California and the world looked on in horror and surprise. But the stage had long been set for the megablaze, one of a half-dozen transforming millions of acres of Golden State landscapes to ash. Droughts supercharged by climate Read More…

Lawsuit Challenges Logging Threat to Endangered Wildlife in Northern…

Center for Biological Diversity — Conservation groups filed an Endangered Species Act lawsuit today against the Gualala Redwood Timber Company to protect threatened and endangered fish, birds and frogs from a logging project in a redwood forest near Northern California’s Gualala River. Today’s action by the Center for Biological Diversity and Friends of Gualala River seeks a court Read More…

Eel River Dam Removal Webinar

CalTrout — At CalTrout, science guides our conservation projects on the ground. We also share our work with the larger science community by participating in annual science conferences. One conference we participate in is the Salmonid Restoration Conference held by the Salmond Restoration Federation (SRF). The 38th Annual Salmonid Restoration Conference was set to be held on March 31 – Read More…

B.C.’s municipal leaders to vote on salmon-safe flood control

The Columbia Valley Pioneer — B.C.’s municipal leaders are being asked to think about salmon safety before replacing antiquated flood-control infrastructure. At this year’s Union of B.C. Municipalities Convention Sept. 22-24 members will be voting on a resolution to pressure the provincial and federal governments to restore and protect salmon habitat compromised by necessary but Read More…