Ashley Ahearn

Underwater Earthquake Recordings Reveal Mysterious Whale Calls

Ashley Ahearn — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:45:15 +0000

The blue whale is believed to be the largest animal ever to exist. But nobody remembers number two. Fin whales are the second-largest animals on the planet, weighing in at around 80 tons.

Time To Speak Is Now On $305 Million Duwamish Cleanup Plan

Ashley Ahearn — Tue, 14 May 2013 17:44:54 +0000

A century’s worth of contamination in Seattle's only river is about to get a $305 million cleanup. Before finalizing a decision on the proposed plan, the Environmental Protection Agency is asking the public to weigh in.

In Largest Dam Removal In US History, Which Fish Get To Recolonize?

Ashley Ahearn — Thu, 09 May 2013 14:25:15 +0000

From where Mike McHenry stands he can see several gray, torpedo-shaped bodies moving slowly through the brown water of this side channel of the Elwha River, not too far from the site of the largest dam removal project in US history.

Elwha River: Recovery Proceeds Despite Sediment Setbacks

Ashley Ahearn — Wed, 08 May 2013 16:12:45 +0000

One of the two dams on the Elwha River has been completely removed and there are about 50 feet of the remaining Glines Canyon dam left. Already so much sediment has been released that it's clogged up and shut down one of the water treatment plants in nearby Port Angeles, temporarily halting the largest dam removal project in US history.

Sediment Woes For Port Angeles Water Treatment Facility Put Elwha Dam Removal On Hold

Ashley Ahearn — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 14:32:45 +0000

Removal of the two dams on the Elwha River has been temporarily halted because massive amounts of sediment released from above the dams have clogged a nearby city’s water treatment facilities.

Getting Ready For World’s Largest Underwater Observatory

Ashley Ahearn — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 21:49:55 +0000

Want to see a volcano explode hundreds of meters below the surface of the Pacific Ocean? How about in real-time streaming video, online, from the comfort of your own iPad? Well, there’s a massive scientific project underway that could help you with that and more.

The Regional Cabled Observatory is a $239 million project, funded by the National Science Foundation. The goal: To better understand and monitor the depths of the Pacific Ocean – from volcanic eruptions to deep-sea earthquakes that could lead to tsunamis.

New Protections Proposed For Octopuses In Puget Sound

Ashley Ahearn — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 22:00:32 +0000

Right now it’s legal to hunt octopi in Puget Sound – unless you’re in a marine preserve or conservation area. In fact, if you have a state fishing license you can harvest one every day.

But the killing of a giant Pacific octopus off Alki Beach in Seattle last October prompted a public outcry. Hundreds of scuba divers and members of the public submitted petitions to the state of Washington asking for better protection for the giant Pacific octopus in Puget Sound.

No Coal For Grays Harbor, But Maybe Oil

Ashley Ahearn — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 16:19:04 +0000

The Port of Grays Harbor has announced an agreement to lease property for a crude oil unloading and storage facility. The oil would arrive by train and then be loaded on to barges bound for refineries on the West Coast.

Bringing Art To Narwhal Research In The Arctic

Ashley Ahearn — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 16:18:00 +0000

Two Seattle-based adventurers — one a scientist, the other an artist — are on an expedition to study and document narwhals in Arctic waters off the west coast of Greenland.

Environmentalists Announce Water Pollution Lawsuit Over Escaped Coal

Ashley Ahearn — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 16:09:04 +0000

Environmental groups have collected samples of black rock collected in water bodies along train tracks in the Northwest and found that some of that rock is coal. The Sierra Club, Puget Soundkeeper Alliance, Columbia Riverkeeper and other environmental groups have sent a notice of intent to sue BNSF Railway and several coal companies for violations of the Clean Water Act.