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Dave Kubak via AP
Alexus Kwachka holds a float identified as coming from oyster farms in Japan after the tsunami. He was photographed on Dec. 20 in Kodiak, Alaska.
SEATTLE -- Curtis Ebbesmeyer is a detective of sorts, tracking the aftermath of a devastating disaster along the Washington coast.
Last March's tsunami in Japan killed 20,000 people. A debris field 1,000 miles wide and 2,000 miles long was captured on satellite making its way westward. Some of it has begun washing up on Washington beaches and at least four buoys have come ashore from Cape Flattery off Neah Bay to Ocean Shores.
But that massive debris field has now disappeared from view. So, where did it go?
"It's sort of like the little mosquitoes we don't see buzzing around but when you're camping you know when they bite you. It's out there," said Ebbesmeyer.
Ebbesmeyer says winter storms have likely broken the mass up into smaller, less visible patches. The debris started coming ashore at the end of September around Kodiak, Alaska, and has spread as far south as the central Oregon coast.
It's all part of the first wave to hit America and it contains clues as to what will come. At this point the situation looks to be far better than expected as fears over gigantic gluts of debris clogging major west coast ports may be unfounded.
"It might clog up a beach. It's possible that a debris patch, maybe a mile across could clog up a small port. But these are floating islands. Large pieces of wood or even wings from small airplanes can do serious damage to boat or people who are in the water," said Ebbesmeyer.
Ebbesmeyer's work has garnered him a bit of notoriety, but it's attention he'd rather not have. He calls the tsunami Japan's "9/11 of natural disasters." He hopes to help put together pieces of the countless broken lives that wash up on our shores, and bring some comfort to those who have lost so much.
Watch video posted along with story by Seattle's KING 5 News
"You have to realize that may be the only piece of a loved one that's ever going to be reported or found. It's so important," said Ebbesmeyer.
If you find debris washed ashore that you think may be related to the tsunami, contact Dr. Ebbesmeyer here.
Leave a Comment:
As usual, all wrong predictions and just alarmists BS.
The debris moved eastward, Japan to Washington, not westward.
With all the folks out of work you would think MSNBC could hire writers who know west from east. They should have at least a rudimentary education to be informing us igerent folk.
What does a dumb reporter know about east or west? Most of the debris will never reach our shores anyway.
Mother nature does what it does best, cleanse the Oceans of Debris and Oil.
I guess it went though the two canals and up the coast of California to Washington.
I just don't understand how mother nature cleans itself? Last time I checked when a ship sank it went to the bottom of the seafloor, and was there until someone comes and gets it. If it floats, it will wash up eventually somewhere. If it doesn't float guess what Marcel, It sinks to the bottom. Even then given the right storm conditions it could be blown onto the beach, into canals, ect. Just saying. Recycle.
And there is a ship from Pearl Harbor that sank when the Japanese attacked and is still leaking oil, 70 years later.
I'm not the brightest cookie in the sea, but couldn't a salvage company gather up some of this debris and recycle or dispose of it (not sure where, or who would pay for it), before it all washes up onto our beaches. Would help the environment and the ecosystem best to try and prevent damages before they happen instead of waiting until they do happen. Just a thought.
Do yourself a favor and google garbage pacific ocean...and see the hundreds and thousands of square miles of a garbage slick that has been forming for YEARS out there
international waters who s gonna fit the bill ? they should hire the fishermen that are out of work to clean up
I dont understand why this has not been removed from the ocean. When are we going to respect and care for our natural resources? Why are humans so distructive and abusive? Its shameful and disgusting.
Do yourself a favor and google garbage pacific ocean...and see the hundreds and thousands of square miles of a garbage slick that has been forming for YEARS out there
Excuse me, but are you just not thinking right? First off - the majority of the debris is in international waters. There is no disrespect being shown by US (meaning we humans) due to the fact that it was a result of a natural disaster. Do you have the millions of dolllars available so that WE can send out private salvagers to clean up the debris? Didn't think so.
Yes, much like BP is spending billions to clean up the Gulf of Mexico after an oil spill, the Gov of Japan can spend billions to have their fishing fleets scoop up this debris - doesn't matter if it is the result of a natural disaster or not, this debris is from Japan and it is threatening the world's environment. Why does everyone get upset about the theoretical effects of global warning and do nothing about something that's as plain as the nose in front of your face?
Surely your kidding? Americans dont pollute the oceans? the rivers? the lakes? The clown car has millions in the trunk......first off Japan should pay to clean it up. CJ.....Yes I have seen the island of garbage in the pacific......its simply disgusting. HUMANS OF THE WORLD ARE PIGS AND POLLUTE OUR OCEANS, SOIL, AIR AND FOOD SUPPLY.
You folks didn't expect our Dear Leader to do anything about it did you ? He has a job to get re-elected to do....first things first.....
love it Z! No kidding! I mean let's see...Get re-elected, orrrr clean up environmental disaster. Yep that's it, re-election it is! And golf...and vacations...and Michelle's speeches about fat and trying to be a health czar....and fake trips to Target for show and claiming they are not staged....and on and on....They both make me physically ill. And it can't be a racist thing I am married to a black man. They both just make me sick.
zbutchb - Your comment is about as well thought out as BeyondtheReef - Totally plain stupid.
And Alan? your about the continued DUMB DUMB pollute, trash and rape the earth type bozo we want to go away.
Some of the folks that have posted, must have never been aboard ship, and seen all the trash floating in the oceans? Also consider this, the Japanese do not have the funds to clean up the ocean of trash. The most important thing they must do, is to contain the radioactive contamination from there nuclear fission generating plant! One more comment, some one posting made a comment about the importance of global warming. That person and many other need to view: The Great Global Warming Swindle. And there are other documentaries like, Global Governce or Global Politics. What Americans need to realize you are being lied to for, the love of money.
starting out, you have a 1,000X2,000 mi debris field, or did. some of it took on enough water and sunk. some separated by or spread out by storms.... you wont be able to have an effective salvage of the material due alone to its size, and encraoching in a ship as said will damage the props. you cant take a ship with a waterjet because material will get sucked in. when we make a net 1,000 or better miles long, and the ships to operate it we would be waiting till some other generation is old enough to attempt such a feat, we dont have the ability to take care of it at this time. wishful thinking on everyones part tho thinking its as easy as flint to get even a possibility of a cleanup at this point before it hits shore. But, Japan could be so kind as to pay for the cleanup? lol fat chance
Yet we spend trillions of dollars to explore the distant planets and look for water on mars? How about using some of that mind power and imagination here on earth? Our priorities are all screwed up.
I just don't understand how it would damage the props if you know how to not run over trash. How about this you take 1 large container ship and a fuel boat and then several smaller boats of certain sizes and go out to where the floating landfill is and start picking it up one piece at a time if you have to. Rome wasn't built overnight. Let's create jobs for the American people let's build ships specifically for ocean clean-ups and then pay people to go and clean trash up out of the ocean. You say we don't have the money but, last time I checked the U.S. goverment had a closet in which they could print money. How about paying homeowners to put solar panels on their homes to reduce the amount of gas/oil dependacy to power the United States. I just don't understand why we aren't the world's largest supplier of solar panels and alternative energys. If there is a will, there is a way. If you don't see what you like keep working till you do. Never settle.
Are they still radioactive after flowing on the salty ocean?
I understand there are sick sea lions in our northern waters. It is a possibility that it is radiation illness from eating radio active fish that came north through Japan's waters.
Is anyone watching our salmon & tuna for contamination? Will they tell us if there is any? It might not help the fishing industry.
this is old news .. someone's gotta be pissed...its true the oceans are our ash trays ...we dont care if we dont know .. hire the out of work fishermen.
Never ceases to amaze me how these articles end up with comments getting steered towards politics and blaming Obama for all the worlds' troubles. Seriously folks, do you ever come out of your caves to find out what is really going on in the world?
trakay - Came out of cave. Saw stoooooooopid illiterate dumb-asses who think they know all the answers so I went back in the cave & took a nap. Is Oh-bumma still shoveling out bull flop & pretending to know anything relevant to real life? Didn't think so. I'm goin' back into my cave and I'm not comin' back out until someone with intelligence.... ummmmmm..... Oh crap! Forget it! We're DOOMED! I'm gonna pull the bear-skin up over my head and just hibernate. I hope the end finally comes while I'm asleep.
Does a bear @!$%#e in its cave while hibernating?
No, really. I don't know either answer, either.
The answer is no. I read somewhere. He does not eat for three months.
Thanks, Lucille!
Peace :-))
japan should foot the bill duh
only makes sense
What blithering idiots. Clean it up?? That would cost tens of billions, and maybe net 10%. The Japanese economy is collapsing, and they need to rebuild first. We spend billions of space exploration, not trillions. You're exagerating by 1000 times. Liberal idiots.
Build a cheap fleet of robotic sailing vessels. Tow them to the debris area and let them start the cleanup. A larger vessel would visit periodically & offload what they've gathered. GPS units would let you know exactly where they are at at any given time and allow remote "navigators" to keep them in the debris area.
How 'bout we get Starship "Enterprise" to hover over all this crap and get Scotty to beam the garbage to a black hole in space? Seems as feasible as anything you guys have come up with. Truth is that all the garbage we have generated on land and sea we are stuck with for many more generations. Look how long mastadon bodies have lasted totally intact, in the ice of Siberia and they aren't even plastic!!!!!