Puget Sound: How's it doin?

Here's what the Puget Sound Partnership thinks (5 minute video).

http://www.psp.wa.gov/shiftingbaselines

What do YOU think?

Here's what the Puget Sound Partnership thinks (5 minute video).

 

http://www.psp.wa.gov/shiftingbaselines

 

What do YOU think?

Hey John; well this will be something to look at on Friday, huh?

I dunno, I think the film's bottom line is right and the idea of shifting baselines is a good one. But their specific examples are waaay over-stated and inflammatory.

Shellfish closures have been happening more from red tide and being able to measure it better than in the past. Yes, Olympia and Hood Canal have been hit hard. Some of that is from unknown causes, some from run-off, but vast areas of the beaches have always been closed off each summer, or lots of people got sick from a natural phenomenon.

Stating that orcas are dying and washing up on the beaches is a bit much. Their numbers are definitely down, but it's more from lack of food and so forth. That has been caused by yes, increased pressure, but also terrible resource "management".

Saying that Puget Sound can be managed like Lake Washington is over-stated. Lake Washington is a closed body of fresh water. There's much more at work in P.S. and the ocean.

My thoughts.

Jack

I'll be diving at Hood Canal early next month. I haven't been diving there in at least five years.

What are the recent changes that have caused Hood Canal to be "hit hard".

In case there are big pollution problems, at least I'll be diving in a rented 7mm wetsuit

Ellen

Large Algae bloom 2 summers ago, caused a low oxygen count and a massive fish kill. At first thought caused by runoff, now they aren't so sure. It's recovered quite a bit now.

BTW, another assertion in the film was a recent study that scientists were able to detect caffeine and other drugs in Puget Sound. Yes, but at incredibly minute levels, more of a "gee look at that" sort of finding. Certainly not at any real level of pollution.

The state is going around at yanking out all the creosote pilings they can find, yeah ok, great for herring, not so great for invertebrates and rockfish. I just think that "managing" a resource so often leads to other problems.

Jack

Large Algae bloom 2 summers ago, caused a low oxygen count and a massive fish kill. At first thought caused by runoff, now they aren't so sure. It's recovered quite a bit now.

Thanks for the update, Jack. I'll get a chance to see the recovery in a few weeks.

Cheers,

Ellen

Jack,

thanks for your thoughts about that movie. I agree with what you said. I posted the same question in several other forums. One other common complaint is that they were too vague about what people could do to help.

Looking for places to post that question also made me realize that marine environmental issues are only a very small part of scuba forums, if it even appears as a topic at all. There seems to be huge amounts of interest in buying and discussing new toys, burning vast amounts of aviation fuel to visit exotic places, and wowing friends with pictures and dive stories -- but very little about environmental issues, do-gooder projects and such. Not that there aren't some great things going on, but they seem to get very little press or discussion space compared with other things.

Good to see you Friday, and good job with the map. I'm looking forward to seeing how this all pans out.