Expect another round of Japan tsunami debris; danger isn’t nuclear … it’s invasive

The Seattle PI ^ | Dec. 8, 2014 | Jake Ellison

[steve86]

The earthquake and tsunami that devastated a large part of Japan almost four years ago is still causing trouble, not only for Japan, of course, but also for the Northwest coastline.

The biggest threat isn’t radioactive particles from the Fukushima power plant meltdown, though some has recently shown up on this side of the Pacific, but potential invasive species hitching a ride on debris that’s been out in the ocean these few years.

Now with seasonal winds shifting around and pushing what tsunami debris is still in the ocean — 5 million tons of debris washed into the water and roughly 70 percent sank near Japan’s coast, according to NOAA — we can expect to see yet another round of debris coming ashore, say scientists at Oregon State University’s Hatfield Marine Science Center.

[steve86]

Two interesting slide shows at link.

USCG sinks Japanese fishing boat and exotic foreign sealife.

[tumblindice]

I wouldn’t mind seeing Gamera the giant turtle, as long as he stays on the west coast.

[dr_lew]

USCG sinks Japanese fishing boat and exotic foreign sealife.

What? I don't get this. It's the "World Ocean". And short of that, it's the "North Pacific".

Pop Quiz: What's the opposite of "plankton"?

[Fai Mao]

The opposite of Plankton (Plank-town) would be Concreteton (Concrete Town)

[Fungi]

Genius no more. Not even funny. Please be specific on the species names.

[dr_lew]

Plankton does actually have an opposite, insofar as every ocean life form is either a plankton, or this.

[dr_lew]

... OK, it’s not ironclad. There are other categories, but still, it’s a natural dichotomy among open water organisms.

[mrsmith]

I don’t think the OP wasn’t expecting some kind of plankton inquisition on this thread!

[dfwgator]

Pop Quiz: What's the opposite of "plankton"?

Mr. Krabs?

[tumblindice]

Nobody expects the Plankton Inquisition!

[llevrok]

Godzilla Eats Portland!!!!

[Excuse_Me]

Nekton

[dr_lew]

Nobody wasn't expecting the Plankton Inquisition!

Ok, I'll tell ya ...

The answer is Nekton ... Nekton can be contrasted with plankton ...

Essentially, Nekton are "free swimmers" such as fish, the exemplar of the type. Many are not aware that Plankton is not a biological classification per se, as it includes larval animal forms, as well as plants.

I have always been pleased to think of the term "nekton" as a justification for Melville's insistence, in Moby Dick, that the whale is a fish. That is, he is using "fish" for "nekton", and this makes the whole thing rhetorically consistent.

[Liberty Valance]

I’m thinkin’ napalm. Tried and tested.

[tumblindice]

Klaatu, barada and nekton.

[Mastador1]

Wow what a concept, you mean there has never been a Tsunami of this size before, ever, that has had the same result of debris making to North America?

[Forgotten Amendments]

"Invasive Species!!!"

When you get as old as I am, you realize that this is just more environmental hysteria. All creatures emigrate. Just because they hitch a ride with humans doesn't make it unnatural.

[TigersEye]

...potential invasive species hitching a ride on debris that’s been out in the ocean these few years.

It's a good thing that hasn't happened over and over again for hundreds of millions of years! /s

[Veto!]

Will we be able to walk the plankton?

[Robert A Cook PE]

Well, certainly you can always walk the plankdown ...