Tsunami debris from the catastrophic Japanese earthquake and tsunami nearly two years ago continue to float the Pacific and onto the coastlines of the western United States.
The Consulate of Japan confirmed Tuesday that a large, yellow buoy found off the Hawaiian coast of Kauai on Jan. 18, is debris from the March 2011 Japanese tsunami.
Meanwhile, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is investigating a boat, which is said to likely also be Japanese tsunami debris on their coast.
The boat was found partly buried upside-down in sand with most of the hull exposed on Gleneden Beach early Tuesday.
The vessel is 30 feet long and the hull is an unusual design and appears to be a specialty design for some type of commercial fishing or aquaculture activity, officials said.
The hull is colonized by extensive patches of brown algae (species unknown, but not Wakame) and colonies of hydrozoans (species unknown). The hull is also colonized by large numbers of blue mussels, but species not confirmed. One individual of the Japanese acorn barnacle was seen.
Oregon Parks and Recreation Department staff were on site and have begun the process of developing a plan for removal of the vessel.
Officials said the overturned boat appears to be Japan tsunami marine debris that does not pose a risk for hazardous materials and poses very little risk associated with invasive species.
Nearly two dozen large pieces of debris have been confirmed in U.S. and or Canadian waters since the March 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami.
Japan has pledged $6 million to the United States and Canada to help cleanup any tsunami debris that sweeps onshore along the coasts including in Hawaii and Alaska.
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