Angela, CUR - Tsunami Debris?

Something I learned during and after my Individual Research Project I conducted during the fall semester of 2013: no matter the season, I’ve always been able to find plastic on Florida’s east coast.

Imagine my disappointment, during my first visit to Oregon in August 2014, I found one single plastic item - a miniature version of a My Little Pony that a child probably left behind. The beaches we visited on the Oregon coast had a multitude of visitors, some even grilling on the beach (meaning they had trash, but they took it back home). I also noticed the water was calm and there was very little wrack; however, on Florida’s east coast I could still collect bags full of plastic sans wrack, but most of that plastic was probably left behind by visitors and had not washed up, which is what I’ve really been after.

My first golf ball, found at Siletz Bay, OR
October 2015

Barnacles on plastic, found at Roads End State Park, OR
October 2015

Plastic basket, found at Stonefield Beach State Wayside
October, 2015

After moving to Oregon end of May, the West coast still provided a dismal amount of plastic during the summer – I found one lonely food container, due to its pristine condition it was more than likely left behind by someone. In October, however, after the first two storms of the season, we drove out to Oregon’s coast to look for agates. Three different locations, including the area where I found the little plastic pony in 2014, were littered with wrack, and in that wrack I found plastic!  Additionally, the coast was pelted by turbulent waves; at Stonefield Beach State Wayside, I headed north while examining the wrack, after about 40 minutes I turned around and a big plastic basket had washed ashore.

The basket was covered in algae and bivalves, and on each side it had a Japanese looking symbol. Did I find my first Tsunami debris? Admittedly, it could’ve also fallen off a fishing vessel. Through Facebook contacts I found out the symbol indicates the number two, and is used in Japan as well as China – so my basket may not have any ties to Japan whatsoever and be of Chinese origin.

I would’ve loved to take the basket home, but due to its condition my husband didn’t want it in his car. I carried it up to the parking area and left it under a state park sign…feeling like I littered.