Tsunami Hitchhikers

It's been over 6 years since the devastating earthquake and subsequent tsunami that struck the  Tōhoku region of Japan on March 11, 2011-- but debris from this event is still washing up along the Oregon Coast. More impressive is the number of species that have survived the 4,000 mile journey, rafting over on everything from a bucket to a huge dock.

So far, establishment of these non-native species in North American waters has not been detected, but that doesn't mean it isn't already occurring. Oregonians along the coast will need to stay vigilant for any invasive species that might be popping up as a result. 

Sea slugs from a Japanese vessel that washed ashore in Oregon in April 2015.
Photo by John W. Chapman

To read more about the article written by Ed Yong and published in The Atlantic, click here.