Talk on Tsunami Debris and Invasive Species Planned for Florence, May 17

Oregon has seen an upsurge of tsunami debris in the recent months, everything from buoys to bottles, washed out to sea during the Japanese tsunami of 2011, carried around the Pacific gyre for five years and finally swept onto our shores. Most impressively, but also most worrisomely, we’ve seen seven boats or fragments of boats appear on Oregon beaches. On Tuesday, May 17, Hatfield Marine Science Center researcher John Chapman will provide background information on this phenomenon, explaining what has been learned regarding the tsunami debris that continues to wash up on Oregon beaches. Dr. Chapman speaks at 6:30 p.m. (doors open at 6) at the Lane Community College Florence branch (3149 Oak St.), Room 103. The talk, offered by the CoastWatch program of the Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition, is free and open to the public (a $5 donation is suggested). Tsunami debris, but especially large pieces with cavities which could provide protected temporary habitat, pose threats because they could harbor non-native species that have survived the journey, and might prove invasive in this new territory. CoastWatch cooperates with scientists who are studying these non-native species by reporting tsunami debris found on the shoreline and the presence of possible invasive organisms, and where possible actually carrying the material to the Hatfield Marine Science Center. John Chapman, an invertebrate zoologist who studies aquatic biological invasions, collects tsunami debris and samples the organisms clinging to it to measure the abundance and diversity of these non-native species. He will discuss the scientific research that has been done by himself and others on tsunami debris since 2012. He and CoastWatch Volunteer Coordinator Fawn Custer will also provide information on how CoastWatchers and others can assist by scouting for and reporting on potential tsunami debris. For more information about the event, or about CoastWatch and its citizen science activities, contact Fawn Custer at (541) 270-0027, fawn@oregonshores.org.