Suspected Tsunami boat debris comes ashore, sampled and then hauled to the dump
Dr. Chapman (L) and ODFW’s Curran (R)
Boat pulled from the beach.
Boat ready for transport to a landfill where it will be buried fairly deep to prevent any escape by endangered species to the outside world.
Oregon Dept. of Parks photos
An Oregon State Parks news release indicates the broken boat was made of fiberglass and metal and was 16 feet long and 9 feet wide. It provided habitat for algae, at least one live crab, some mollusks, among other sea going critters.
Dr. Chapman said it appears that it is a Japanese boat although it has western numbers on the side. He said it’s common that foreign vessels have english letters and numbers. He said he gathered a number of species usually connected with Japanese Tsunami debris. Dr. Chapman also said it appears the boat was submerged for a time before floating back up to the surface where it began its long journey across the Pacific.
Dr. Chapman said it will take at least a week to positively identify the organisms found on the boat.
The boat was quickly taken away to a landfill where it will be deeply buried which will help lessen the chance of any invasive species aboard it from escaping to the great outdoors.
