Storm pounding West Coast will bring more tsunami debris

A powerful storm hitting the West Coast could bring more than wind and high waves.

Scientists say it likely will push ashore a surge of Japanese tsunami debris.

"It's blowing 50 to 70 miles out here at Newport," said John Chapman, assistant fisheries professor at Oregon State University's Hatfield Marine Science Center. "I'm bracing myself. I'm expecting things will show up with the storm."

State officials issued a safety alert for coast visitors Thursday afternoon, warning them to watch the storm from an elevated location well above the action.

But Chapman hopes that when the storm clears, the public will join in the search for tsunami debris, especially for invasive species such as blue mussels.

Blue mussels have been found on every Japanese boat that has washed ashore. Overall, 200 different species have been documented on tsunami debris.

"The crustaceans and bivalves are of particular concern because they could introduce new diseases, and compete with, displace or otherwise affect our oyster or mussel populations," Chapman said. "We continue to find new organisms that we have never seen before.

Thousands of tons of debris washed into the Pacific Ocean following a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and resulting tsunami that struck Japan in March 2011.

The largest piece of debris, a 55-foot-long concrete dock, washed up on Agate Beach in Newport in June 2012. It was covered in invasive species.

"We biologists didn't think there could be anything to do with Asian organisms on this debris," Chapman said. "We thought it couldn't happen."

Three weeks later, the Oregon Japan Tsunami Marine Debris Task Force was formed to coordinate response.

In October, the task force disbanded.

This week, though, scientists predicted that another wave of debris will arrive over the winter and spring.

Just last month, a tote with numerous mussels washed up at Seal Rock, Chapman said.

Eventually, he said, "We expect a decline. An attenuation of this debris. But we haven't seen a very impressive decline in the debris yet."

tloew@statesmanjournal.com, (503) 399-6779 or follow at Twitter.com/SJWatchdog

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Oregonians can report suspected invasive species to John Chapman, an Oregon State University marine invasive species specialist, at (503) 561-3258.