By: Dianna Parker, Communications Specialist, NOAA Marine Debris Program
A team from federal and state agencies, including NOAA, ventured out today during a period of calm weather to re-inspect a 65-foot dock that washed ashore last month on a remote coastline in Washington State. It is one of several docks that were swept away from a fishing port in Misawa, Japan during the March 2011 tsunami.
Here’s what they saw:
A large dock sits on a rugged Washington coast in Olympic National Park and Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. Credit: NOAA. (Note: NOAA does not have these photos in a higher resolution).
In December, crews visited the dock to inspect it for invasive species and attach tracking buoys, in case it re-floats with high tides. According to the Washington Department of Ecology’s incident website, “initial lab results have identified 30-50 plant and animal species on the dock that are not found in the United States but are native to Japan. These include types of marine species such as algae, seaweed, mussels and barnacle.”
A crew member repositions a buoy for better transmission. Credit: NOAA
The dock sits on an extremely rugged and remote section of coast, making access difficult. Credit: NOAA
For additional photos and video of the dock, visit Washington Ecology’s Flickr page.
January 17, 2013 at 8:50 pm
What a mess . . . things I never considered occurring before doing Marine Debris collection and the exposure to NOAA information. Thanks for keeping us informed and educated.
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