Desperate scramble to remove 'toxic' seaweed reaching U.S. shore on tsunami debris

[Staff]

Desperate scramble to remove 'toxic' seaweed reaching U.S. shore on tsunami debris
By Daily Mail Reporter
PUBLISHED: 11:11 EST, 10 June 2012 | UPDATED: 18:50 EST, 10 June 2012

Workers scramble to remove 'toxic' invasive species of seaweed riding tsunami debris onto US shore | Mail Online
excerpt from above:

When a floating dock the size of a boxcar washed up on a sandy beach in Oregon, beachcombers got excited because it was the largest piece of debris from last year's tsunami in Japan to show up on the West Coast.
But scientists worried it represented a whole new way for invasive species of seaweed, crabs and other marine organisms to break the earth's natural barriers and further muck up the West Coast's marine environments. And more invasive species could be hitching rides on tsunami debris expected to arrive in the weeks and months to come.
'We know extinctions occur with invasions,' said John Chapman, assistant professor of fisheries and invasive species specialist at Oregon State University's Hatfield Marine Science Center. 'This is like arrows shot into the dark. Some of them could hit a mark...

[Equilibrium]

Desperate scramble….. hardly,
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/story/2012-06-08/creatures-japan-tsunami-dock-oregon/55457298/1. Pretty sad that a dozen volunteers are doing their best dealing with this instead of a government agency when we’ve known for a long time that “the only defense for invasive species is early detection. Just like cancer”. And…. like the previous article pointed out, “It may only introduce one thing,' said Cohen of the Aquatic Bioinvasions research center. 'But if that thing turns out to be a big problem, we would rather it not happen. There could be an economic impact, an ecological impact, or even a human health impact.” I guess this is just more proof that our elected officials aren’t really interested in doing anything about invasive species other than providing lip service anytime something like this happens. Hmmm…. choices choices choices….. send in the big dogs right now to deal with it or sit back and let 12 volunteers handle it so 10 years from now after it’s learned that 1 of the hitchhikers on that dock hit the “mark” the powers that be are provided with opportunities to “partner” with their “chosen”. Just think of the endless funding opportunities that’ll fall in their laps for doing nothing….. into how best to “deal” with the 1.5 tons of exotic living organisms that were attached to a dock the size of a boxcar that just happened to make its way to that shoreline undetected by the latest and greatest scientific instruments our tax dollars could buy the NOAA.

[sprucetree]

Yeah they missed the mark on the floating dock, If anything they should have sunk it like they did the fishing trawler that floated into American waters. I was asked for a donation from Vicky @ The Ocean Conservancy so they could send out a Marine Biologist out to access the situation, It's a concern of mine that the Oceans stay clean so I donated.

There's also plenty of native mussels and shellfish living along the Pacific Coastline that could be effected but I stay optimistic that the seagulls with their eat everything attitude picked the dock clean before it hit shore.

[Equilibrium]

Pretty sad there were no tax payer $$$ made available for something of this magnitude. Pathetic actually but then we've known for a long time the environment isn't exactly a priority to them. That was really nice of you sending some $$$.

[Staff]

Tsunami Debris Strains Budgets and Patience
By DYLAN WALSH
August 16, 2012,

Tsunami Debris Strains Budgets and Patience - NYTimes.com
excerpts from above:

The tsunami towed an estimated five million tons of debris into the ocean. Thirty percent of that, or some 1.5 million tons, is said to remain afloat and to be arcing north of Hawaii toward the Pacific coastline. Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, Hawaii and British Columbia are bracing to manage the debris, but strapped federal and state budgets could make that difficult.

“We’re of course grateful for the initial grant, but we believe the administration is underreacting,” Ms. Hasquet said. “This is a major disaster, and it needs to be treated as one.” In May, Senator Begich, a Democrat, requested $45 million from the federal government for all five states over two years...