-The oyster industry here in Washington state
was really created on Olympia oysters.
-Once abundant, the Olympia oyster
and pinto abalone have been decimated.
Now, one group is working to restore the species.
-Lithium ion batteries are everywhere.
-These power nearly everything,
but they can also pose great danger.
How to stay safe using lithium ion batteries.
[ Orcas screeching ]
And a new way to help endangered orcas
by turning down the sound.
These stories and more next on "CityStream".
♪♪
-Hello, I'm Dennis Bounds,
and welcome to "CityStream" from Burke Museum.
We are here to highlight a special exhibit,
"We Are Puget Sound".
It explores the wonder of the Sound
through its unique wildlife and culture.
Puget Sound is a lifeblood for many in Washington,
British Columbia, and 50-plus tribal nations
and First Nations
that rely on its riches.
The exhibit is also designed to spark urgent action
to restore the health of Puget Sound
for generations to come.
Much more just ahead.
When we speak of the richness of Puget Sound,
the small but mighty Olympia oyster
and the pinto abalone come to mind.
They once formed the foundation of the Sound's marine habitat.
At one point, they were plentiful,
but both species have all but disappeared.
The Puget Sound Restoration Fund
has partnered with local and national organizations
to restore the prized shellfish.
Producer Annabel Cassam visited the group's
conservation hatchery in Manchester, Washington
to learn more.
-Samish Bay, 200 years ago,
had about 2,000 acres of dense Olympia oyster beds,
enough Olympia oysters here not just to provide a first food
for all of the tribes and First Nations that lived here,
but also dense enough to provide structured habitat,
structured Olympia oyster beds.
They're supportive of life, a rich diversity of life.
Olympia oyster populations have declined.
Habitat loss, pollution, and then we have overharvest
so that they ceased to be self-sustaining.
-It happened in the late 1800s, early 1900s.
The oyster industry here in Washington state
was really created on Olympia oysters.
That was the only oyster in the area.
It's the only oyster native to the entire West Coast
of North America.
Pulp mills were popping up.
Sedimentation from logging was a big issue,
smothering Olympia oyster beds.
Dense Olympia oyster populations
are capable of helping
to make sure our waters are super clean
by filtering algae out of the water.
Pacific oysters were introduced in the 1930s,
and the commercial industry really shifted their attention
almost entirely away from Olympia oysters
and to Pacific oysters, because they grow faster
and are easier to cultivate.
To a large extent,
people just kind of forgot about Olympia oysters.
I think it's estimated that there's less than 4%
of that dense aggregation of Olympia oysters
left in Puget Sound.
-Samish Bay is sort of one of those engines
that we're trying to kick start, Olympia oyster engines,
just because it's so important for the whole region.
-What we're restoring today
is the only native oyster from Baja
all the way through southeast Alaska.
-It's a small oyster. It's a thin-shelled oyster,
but it is an amazingly resilient oyster.
We're here not just to rebuild populations,
but also to rebuild harvest areas.
-Betsy Peabody founded Puget Sound Restoration Fund
in the late '90s.
Around 10 years ago,
we partnered with NOAA to build this shellfish lab,
the Kenneth K. Chew Center
for Shellfish Research and Restoration.
We originally built this facility
to work with Olympia oysters, primarily,
but we've since expanded to include
pinto abalone and bull kelp,
and we've worked on a number of other species here as well.
Pinto abalone and Olympia oysters
have been food for people here for thousands of years.
Some Olympia oysters here that are from South Puget Sound.
Our technique for growing them
is basically trying to trick them
into thinking that it's spring,
which is their natural reproductive season.
Typically, we're getting, you know,
at least a million larvae a day.
It took us quite a long time to really figure out
how to effectively grow Olympia oysters
for restoration projects,
and we've learned quite a lot over the years.
You know, particularly this facility,
the Chew Center, has been super helpful
in allowing us to figure out,
you know, the strategies that are effective.
But we also do a lot of research here to support restoration
and to learn about how climate change and ocean acidification
are going to impact our local species and habitat.
And here is our abalone nursery.
This is where we hold our abalone broodstock
and rear out our juvenile abalone.
Abalone have a special place in my heart.
Pretty charismatic for being little snails.
-The foot. That's their foot,
and then right there is their mouth,
and they also have two little eyes and...
-Being snails, they're actually grazers, so they eat --
They keep the surfaces of these rocky reef habitats
clear and clean for things like bull kelp spores
to attach to and grow off of.
And there's a really tight correlation
between pinto abalone and bull kelp forests.
♪♪
It's been determined that without intervention,
there would be no pinto abalone
in Washington state in the future.
We're really trying to figure out ways
to increase their populations
in the San Juan Island area in particular.
To do that, we've built out a hatchery program
here at the Chew Center,
and we're outplanting thousands of abalone
every year to the San Juan Islands.
Here are our Olympia Oysters settlement tanks.
This is our product, basically,
that we create here in the hatchery.
So, if you look really closely,
you can see, you know, there's several oysters
on each one of these shells, and they're pretty small.
They're around two to three millimeters
in shell length right now.
But our goal is to get around 10 oysters per shell.
Once the oysters are big enough on here,
we'll take these shell bags directly
to the restoration sites.
-This is roughly 450 bags of seeded cultch
produced at our hatchery.
There are roughly 300 shells in each of these bags,
and there's an average of nine Olympia oyster spat per shell.
1.23 million Olympia oysters
that are going to be spread in Samish Bay.
Oysters need a couple of months
to harden on the shell for a while
before we break open the bags and spread the seed
come August.
We are partnering with Taylor Shellfish Company,
as well as many different tribes,
and with Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife.
We can start to create a foothold for this oyster.
-We are at Smith Cove, Port of Seattle, Tideland property.
The port has asked us to help them
with enhancement of the Olympia oyster.
We've brought some from the Ken Chew Hatchery.
The oysters that are here are successfully breeding
now that they're adults,
and that the natural set
that we've observed is from this source.
This is the first time that we've seen that evidence
in the three years that we've been down here looking for it.
-Some of our big restoration sites
that have been really successful,
we're seeing oysters at densities
of several hundred per square meter in some spots.
-We are focused on those habitat structures,
like oysters,
like kelp, that help support salmon and orca.
-This is where we live,
and these are creatures that are ecosystem engineers
and super important sentinels of the health of the Puget Sound,
and have been important to humans for thousands of years
along the coast of North America.
♪♪
-The Puget Sound Restoration Fund
recently celebrated the 10th anniversary
of the Kenneth K. Chew Center
for Shellfish Research and Restoration.
For more information on the work they do,
check out their website, restorationfund.org.
Next on "CityStream", these power many devices,
but lithium ion batteries can also be dangerous.
See how to stay safe.
♪♪
-From mobile homes to motor vehicles,
lithium ion batteries are everywhere,
and the number of products that use them keeps growing.
But there are dangers to be aware of,
and the Seattle Fire Department has some suggestions
to keep you and others safe.
Producer Ian Devier has more.
-This is a problem
that may take a little while to get around,
but the public really needs to be educated on
1 -- Lithium ion batteries are everywhere.
A lithium battery is a non-rechargeable
formatted battery.
Lithium ion batteries -- that's your rechargeable format,
and contrary to what you may think about --
like, the lithium battery has a fair amount
of lithium metal in it.
A lithium ion battery has very little lithium metal in it,
like, on par with dust.
They put it in a suspension agent, which is the electrolyte,
and that paste is run over an anode
and a cathode and a separator,
and that is part of what is used
to make a rechargeable lithium ion battery.
When you compare it to, like, an alkaline battery,
like a AA, the same weight of cell,
you get four times more energy out of a lithium ion battery.
You have three different types of cells.
You know, you've got the lithium ion polymer,
which this would have been out of your phone.
This might have been out of an iPad.
This is a lithium ion polymer
that would have been in a car.
Bigger, still the same thing.
Prismatic is the other type of cell that you might have.
And this is just -- it's kind of like a polymer.
But this is an example of what's called a prismatic.
But the one that we see personally the most
is a cylindrical cell.
It's called the 18650.
This is the one that you see most often used
in e-mobility devices, tools, toys, things like that.
When I think about where I see this 18650 cell being used,
and that matters to the fire department,
it's the skateboard fire,
and this is a fire just from the other night.
These things would have been in here pretty much like that,
and that's where our fire started.
This guy right here -- this was from a fire
I was at a few months back.
Again, these are 18650 cells. This is from an e-bike.
And so, what's called cell fire propagation,
meaning the fire starts to move between cells
and it's driving itself --
this is exactly the environment.
In this thing, you've got about
80 18650s all wired up in here,
and it will move through this thing like firecrackers,
you know, and sometimes,
you'll get eight or nine of these things.
They'll all burn off at the same time,
and then maybe you wait 20 minutes
and then the rest of them start kicking off.
We're finding these things are rekindling days later.
And again, it doesn't mean that this cell is firing off again,
but it's a different cell in the pack.
You know, we're sitting at about 10 a month,
sometimes more, sometimes a little less,
but about every couple of days,
one of these things is kicking off in a garage
or in somebody's home or somewhere around the city,
and we're having to go out and deal with it.
A fire that's driven by a lithium ion source
is very difficult to put out.
They burn without oxygen.
They burn without water. They make their own heat source.
So, this resulted in a fire up on floor nine,
1st and Cherry.
We believe it was a mechanical failure.
She was trying to get the battery
out of the of the back of the car -- the bike,
and the battery would have been right here
and she would have been trying to get it out.
She said it just flashed on her, and all of a sudden,
there was fire everywhere.
Lithium ion, you're dealing with hydrogen gas.
You're dealing with a flame speed
that's on par, you know, with explosive.
So, one of the simplest things you can do
is consider where you're charging it.
When we consider an e-mobility, we're finding those things
are being charged, plugged in right by the front door.
That's a bad idea
because if you have a fire at your front door,
you lose your exit.
If the batteries are starting to fail,
meaning they're getting hot,
meaning they don't plug in as well as they used to,
or they're swelling, you're seeing signs of damage
to the battery itself, that's a problem
that you're not going to be able to fix,
and you're going to want to move on
to a new tool or a new device.
When it comes to the recharging device,
stick with the manufacturer's equipment.
That cord, that battery management system,
the device itself, it's all meant to work together,
and it's designed to work together.
When you start piecemealing parts,
you've now changed what the designer's intents were
with that stuff,
and those micro-changes,
it may mean that now your battery management system,
which is what keeps your battery healthy,
keeps it from overcharging, keeps it from charging too fast,
that's now changed.
They cannot be just discarded in the garbage.
-We're seeing more and more consumer products
that contain batteries, and unfortunately,
that means they're also showing up in our waste stream.
-The number one cause of fires
in recycling and garbage facilities,
going all the way back to 2014 --
lithium and lithium ion batteries.
-Even if they're not damaged when they're disposed,
they are often damaged in the process of collecting
and disposing of the waste.
Batteries also contain toxic materials like cadmium, lead,
and nickel, that can leak and pose environmental risks
if not properly managed.
-If you're looking to dispose of your batteries, right now,
the Hazardous Waste Management Program
operates four locations throughout King County,
where you can go dispose of your batteries.
We have a mobile waste-mobile
which goes around to different areas
within King County to do seasonal collection pickups.
-Starting in 2024,
batteries will be banned from disposal here in Seattle.
Seattle Public Utilities also offers curbside collection
through our special item collection program.
There is a $5 charge, but it's free of charge
to bring batteries of all kinds to our transfer stations
and household hazardous waste facilities.
-Senate Bill 5144 is reported
out of the Appropriations Committee with a due pass.
-The battery recycling law passed recently,
and that's exciting news.
In 2027, our producers of batteries
are going to be responsible for the collection,
disposal, and outreach
for batteries and battery containing products.
-The battery recycling law will provide free recycling
for small household batteries starting in 2027,
and for medium format batteries --
those are batteries from e-bikes and scooters,
things like that -- that will be available statewide
starting in 2029,
and it'll also ban batteries from disposal statewide
when that program goes into effect.
-This is going to go a long way to helping the public
have an avenue to recycle
damaged lithium ion batteries at no charge.
That's the point of the product stewardship,
is the stewardship is if you built it, you will bury it.
-If you'd like to learn more about disposing of batteries,
go to the Seattle Public Utilities website
at seattle.gov/utilities and search for battery disposal.
Also, starting in 2024, it'll be illegal to throw away
any type of battery in the garbage in Seattle.
We'll be right back.
♪♪
-And welcome back to "CityStream" from Burke Museum.
We're here to learn about the exhibit
"We Are Puget Sound",
and we're fortunate to have with us Melissa Kennedy,
who is the director of interpretation here
at the Burke Museum.
Thanks for being with us.
-Yeah. Thank you so much for having me.
-Lots of stunning pictures in this exhibit.
They're just simply beautiful.
Give us an overview of the museum.
-So, the exhibit "We Are Puget Sound"
is based upon a book of the same name
published by Braided River with Washington Conservation Action,
and it includes some of the amazing photography
you've mentioned.
And the exhibit, as well, includes examples
from our collections of animals as well as cultural items.
As you explore, you learn about some of the incredible people
and creatures that call this place home,
as well as learning from individual stories,
some of the challenges,
and the areas where we need to work together to heal it
and take care of it.
-Native American history is closely linked
to Puget Sound, inextricably linked.
Tell us a little bit about that, the significance.
-Yeah. So, I would say this exhibit
really shares the perspective that culture and place,
people and environment are really intertwined.
We can't separate them neatly.
And the Coast Salish tribes have been in this area
since time immemorial.
And so, they have a lot to teach some of us newcomers about ways
that you can live in this land, take care of it,
utilize its rich natural resources
in sustainable and respectful ways,
and this exhibit tries to share that throughout.
-For decades, the EPA has worked
to clean up the Duwamish River, which flows into Puget Sound.
The concerns are significant.
What are some of the other factors
in our attempts to heal the Sound?
-Absolutely.
So, I think one thing that this exhibit talks about,
and we want people to realize, is that the Puget Sound
is actually part of the greater Salish Sea region,
and understanding, that how the water and the land,
the animals, plants, and people are all linked
is at its key, kind of a foundational piece.
We also go into issues like stormwater drain runoff,
plastic pollution, sustainable harvesting of shellfish.
There's so many issues at play that we go into,
and I think also an important thing to remember
is that although it's overwhelming
and complicated sometimes,
by looking at it through first person stories,
you start to see it at an individual scale
and start to understand how the people who love this place,
who call it home, have a part to play in caring for it as well.
-For the visitors to this exhibit, once they see it,
what's the main thing that you hope they come away with?
-I'll cheat and say there's two,
and I would say the first would be a sense of awe and wonder,
that this is a beautiful place to live
and there's a lot to love.
And from that love, we hope that then there's a sense of care
and a sense of inspiration and responsibility
to be a part of taking care of this place.
you know, if we want it to be home to us
and future generations, not only of people,
but of plants and animals, you know,
there's a lot we have to do to be caretakers for it.
-People still have a chance to see the exhibit
"We are Puget Sound",
but how much longer?
-Yeah. So, it's on through the end of the year.
So, you can come visit us here at the Burke
through December 31st.
-Melissa Kennedy, director of interpretation here
at Burke Museum,
Thank you for being with us.
Just ahead on "CityStream",
a new effort to protect endangered orcas
by turning down the volume.
That's next.
♪♪
-"CityStream" returns from the Burke Museum.
Puget Sound is home to more than 200 species of fish
and marine mammals.
One of the best known and most beloved
is the southern resident killer whale.
Orcas remain endangered,
but a new program is testing ways
to protect these beautiful creatures.
It's called Quiet Sound,
and it works to do just that --
reduce noise in the waters these animals call home.
Michael Crowe reports.
[ Machinery rattling ]
-Beneath the waves of Puget Sound,
the noise of the world above fades.
[ Orcas screeching ]
Here, the endangered southern resident orcas
rely on that quiet,
speaking to each other in a complex language
and using echolocation to hunt for salmon.
But the human cacophony...
[ Machinery rattling ]
...follows them even here.
This is the sound of a passing ship
recorded on an underwater microphone called a hydrophone.
-Sound actually travels four times faster
and further in water than it does above water,
and we know that vessels emit sound in the frequencies
that killer whales need in order to communicate and hunt.
-Rachel Aronson is the program director
for Quiet Sound of Washington Maritime Blue,
which hopes to give these struggling whales
back their peace.
They ran a trial shipping slowdown last year
from October to January,
measuring sound reduction for the good of the whales.
Between Port Townsend and Edmonds,
they asked passing large vessels
to voluntarily reduce their speed to 14.5 knots
or 11 knots, depending on the type.
Hydrophones were used to measure sound levels.
-That's about a reduction of 30% to 50%
from usual cruising speeds for these types of vessels.
-It was voluntary, so of 623 transits,
70% participated in some way
and 53% fully met the speed targets.
Whales were present in that zone 43% of slowdown days,
according to their report.
That led to a soundscape that was 45% less noisy,
which they consider a fantastic result.
But importantly, they found there wasn't a huge burden
on the shipping system,
which bodes well for future work,
though it did add about an hour per trip.
-So far, we're hearing that it had a pretty minimal impact
on commercial shipping.
We didn't hear of any impacts happening at the port.
We didn't hear of any impacts
happening in the systems that receive the ship.
From our conversations so far, it seems like it worked okay.
-It was a great opportunity
to just add value environmentally to Puget Sound.
-Matt Hannuksela is a Puget Sound pilot,
the group that boards ships
to help them navigate the inland waters.
The Pilots were the face of this effort,
pitching the vessel captains on participating,
and Hannuksela said, as a trusted messenger,
it was generally well received.
-I think it's fantastic. It's really rewarding in that
you're moving a big piece of steel around to help out,
you know, commerce and the citizens
of Washington state,
but at the same time,
you're able to really do something
that has some environmental impact for a positive.
-He felt like a voice for the whales
and hopes it will make a difference.
-To make a successful impact,
all parties have to maybe compromise a little bit
because nobody is going to ultimately win.
So, I think everybody came to the table
willing to give up what they could
to have a successful result.
-Noise is not the only threat
that the southern residents face,
as state reports have identified it
as one of three primary issues,
with pollution and prey availability.
But it is one that might be simpler to address.
-The thing I love about noise pollution
is that when you stop the noise,
the noise pollution is gone instantly.
It's not like toxics pollution,
where toxics can stay in the water on and on.
-And worth the effort,
when you consider the human caused conditions
these incredible animals face,
the acoustic blinders of these busy waters.
-For them, noise is a full body experience.
Noise is a vibration of the whole medium that they exist in.
It really limits their world,
their scope of vision, as it were.
For us, it'd be like being surrounded
by a thick fog all the time.
-And with just 73 left, every little bit helps.
-They're a really small population.
That means they get more vulnerable.
We need to do everything we can
to keep this unique group of whales alive and around.
[ Orcas screeching ]
-This program is based on an existing and successful one
already running near Vancouver, BC.
Quiet Sound hopes this data will help them improve the program
and potentially make the slowdown an annual event.
We'll be right back.
-Action!
-We put together a new episode of
"Art Zone with Nancy Guppy" every week
to tell you about the incredible art
that surrounds us all the time.
-That's art.
That's art too.
Yeah. Sure.
-"Art Zone with Nancy Guppy".
Fridays at 8:00 on the Seattle Channel
or streaming anytime online.
-I did ask for a butterfly, but, you know, a wiener dog --
close enough.
-And that wraps up this edition of "CityStream"
from Burke Museum.
If you'd like to see more outstanding
Seattle Channel programs,
go to our website, seattlechannel.org
and search for feature shows.
I'm Dennis Bounds. Thanks for watching.
♪♪