A new study in Biology Letters has found that at least one insect has found a use for the increasing abundance of plastic in the ocean — as a place to lay eggs. The increase in abundance of this insect, and the potential effects on plankton, crabs, and other community members, is uncertain. OCEAN‘s Giora Proskurowski is quoted. Read more here.
Read more »Vandalism in Arboretum leaves trees hacked, $43,000 in damage - CBS
Vandals attacked and destroyed some unique and valuable trees in the Washington Park Arboretum this weekend. The damage totals $43,000, and the suspects are still at large. Please contact Seattle Police if you have any information on this unfortunate incident. Read more here.
Read more »Chinook fishing is likely not affecting orcas like we thought, study shows - Kitsap Sun
The preliminary conclusion of an independent panel of seven U.S. and Canadian scientists is that human fishing of chinook salmon is probably not depriving orcas of their meals, at least not as much as we had thought. SAFS’ Ray Hilborn was chair of the panel; read more here.
Read more »Sea Grant partners on "Cows for Clean Water" cartons - UW Today
Washington Sea Grant has partnered with Smith Brothers Farms of Kent, to produce a milk carton featuring “Cows for Clean Water” and offering a selection of simple steps for protecting Puget Sound. Read more here.
Read more »Handful of heavyweight trees per acre are forest champs - UW Today
Big trees three or more feet in diameter accounted for nearly half the biomass measured at a Yosemite National Park site, yet represented only 1 percent of the trees growing there. Jim Lutz, research scientist in Environmental and Forest Sciences, is lead author of a paper on the largest quantitative study yet of the importance of big trees in temperate forests.
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