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Japan Tsunami Debris Cleanup
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First confirmed piece of tsunami debris hits California!
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Japan Tsunami Debris
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| Below are pictures of debris found at some of the California Tsunami Debris Cleanups. While none of these items have been positively identified as tsunami debris, they are unusual finds for cleanups along our coastline. |
Bottle cap found in Crescent City.
Crate found in Fort Bragg, Mendocino County.
6 foot foam pole found in Pacifica, San Mateo County.
Telephone pole found in Pacifica, San Mateo County.
Cutting board found in Pacifica, San Mateo County.
Part of a dock found in Pacifica, San Mateo County.
Item found on Torrey Pines State Beach, San Diego County.
Items found on Torrey Pines State Beach, San Diego County.
Items found on Torrey Pines State Beach, San Diego County.
First confirmed piece of tsunami debris hits California
On April 7, 2013, the first confirmed piece of Japan Tsunami marine debris washed up on the shores of a Crescent
City beach. The 20-foot boat that was found was traced back to Takata High School in Japan's Iwata Province, an
area that was devastated by the March, 2011 earthquake and tsunami. California now joins its West Coast neighbors
Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Hawaii, and British Columbia in the list of areas where tsunami debris has been
confirmed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Japanese Government.
The boat in Crescent City is typical of much of the confirmed tsunami debris that has arrived so far. It was covered with Gooseneck Barnacles, a common and widespread filter feeder that attaches itself to floating objects in the open ocean. The barnacles illustrate an important emerging issue for marine debris—the prospect that floating debris could transport invasive species. While gooseneck barnacles are not invasive, other species that could be carried by the tsunami debris may be. In fact, the pier that washed up in Oregon in 2012 carried almost a hundred different near-shore species, some of which were on Oregon's "Most Watched" list for highly invasive species.
The boat in Crescent City is typical of much of the confirmed tsunami debris that has arrived so far. It was covered with Gooseneck Barnacles, a common and widespread filter feeder that attaches itself to floating objects in the open ocean. The barnacles illustrate an important emerging issue for marine debris—the prospect that floating debris could transport invasive species. While gooseneck barnacles are not invasive, other species that could be carried by the tsunami debris may be. In fact, the pier that washed up in Oregon in 2012 carried almost a hundred different near-shore species, some of which were on Oregon's "Most Watched" list for highly invasive species.
Close up of barnacles on the Crescent City boat.
Writing on Crescent City boat.