Tsunami Marine Debris Roundtable Discussion
Hosted by Senator Lisa Murkowski
Peter Murphy, NOAA Marine Debris Program Kristin Ryan and Dr. Ward Hurlburt, State of Alaska Dave Gaudet, Marine Conservation Alliance Foundation
Japan Tsunami Marine Debris: Information and action
Town Hall University of Alaska Anchorage January 20, 2012
Peter Murphy
Alaska Coordinator NOAA Marine Debris Program
Outline Background What we know What we are doing What you can do Questions?
Tsunami Event
9.0 magnitude earthquake 130 ft max wave height 217 square miles inundation 15,844 people confirmed dead, 3,451 missing
NOAA s ocean energy distribution forecast map of the 2011 Japan tsunami
Marine Debris ± Early Sightings
Aerial Imagery March 13 Patches and fields Wood, construction materials abundant
Photos: US Navy Pacific Fleet
Satellite Imagery March Patches and fields By passes of April 14, debris no longer visible
Marine Debris - Movement
Modeling
Year 1 = red; Year 2 = orange; Year 3 = yellow; Year 4 = light blue; Year 5 = violet
NOAA OSCURS Model outputs UH SCUD model outputs
JTMD ± What we know
Tsunami debris added to an existing problem Likely much of the debris sank near shore off Japan coast. Debris is dispersed and not in large concentrations or fields. Radioactive debris? Consensus that contamination of debris is highly unlikely Sightings Two sightings of confirmed JTMD, many more unconfirmed Computer models predictions (all gross estimates) Northwestern Hawaiian Islands as early as this winter (Jan/Feb 2012) West Coast of North America (incl. SEAK) in 2013 Circle back to Hawaii (main Hawaiian Islands) in 2014 to 2016
JTMD - Sightings
Shoreline
JTMD ± Actions
Detection Modeling Monitoring Planning / Preparedness 5. Communication 1. 2. 3. 4.
JTMD ± What YOU can do!
Report sightings
± disasterdebris@noaa.gov
Volunteer
± Cleanup ± Monitoring Programs
Stay Informed
± http://marinedebris.noaa.gov
Photo: Gulf of Alaska Keeper
Thank You
Peter Murphy peter.murphy@noaa.gov Marinedebris.noaa.gov Report JTMD Sightings to: disasterdebris@noaa.gov
A Roundtable Discussion with U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski
Marine Debris from the 2011 Japanese Tsunami in Alaska
January 20, 2012 University of Alaska, Anchorage
David Gaudet Marine Debris Program Coordinator Marine Conservation Alliance Foundation
13
Marine Conservation Alliance Foundation
MCAF is the Non-Profit arm of MCA MCA is group of Bering Sea and North Pacific groundfish, crab, and other organizations as well as communities MCAF does Marine Debris Cleanup and Cooperative Research Established in 2003 Have worked with 22 Native/Tribal, Non-Profit and other groups Statewide x Conducted more that 72 individual cleanups x Removed more than 2.0 million lbs of debris x Conducted more than 1,000 miles of aerial surveys
14
Completed & Proposed Projects (since 2003)
15
16
Alaska Coastal Current
Yi Chao, Jet Propulsion Lab, NASA
19
20
Map courtesy of Curtis Ebbesmeyer and Jim Ingraham (DriftBusters Co) previously published in the Beachcombers' Alert newsletter.
Monitoring Sites
21
MCAF Monitoring Program Points
Surveys will be weekly for 12 weeks Beaches are selected based on the contractors experiences Surveyors will monitor radiation Possible objects will be photographed All debris will be evaluated for weight by category to determine if there is a change in composition and quantity If any items are found that may be mementos, they are to be removed and safely stored. If any body parts are found, local authorities and MCAF are to be notified immediately Data it to be sent to MCAF immediately following survey
22
Recent Debris on Yakutat Beaches
23
Recent Yakutat Debris
24
Debris from Kodiak
25
26
Summary
The ³high windage´ debris is appearing on the coast now MCAF will monitor the deposition this winter The main body of the debris appears to be on track with the model and projected to reach the coast in 2013 MCAF will determine at a later date if a monitoring program is necessary
www.mcafoundation.org
28
Safety of Alaska s food sources
Kristin Ryan Program Director Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation Division of Environmental Health Anchorage, Alaska
Cesium 134, with a half life of 2 years Cesium 137, with a half life of 30 years Iodine 131, with a half life of 8 days
Half life means the level of radiation drops by half in that time frame.
30
Does radiation release from the Fukushima nuclear accident pose a risk to Alaska s fisheries, wild foods or human health?
And the answer is
NO
31
Air monitoring Water monitoring Modeling Sampling
32
EPA RadNet Monitors
Nome Dutch Harbor Fairbanks Anchorage Juneau
All results thousands
of times below conservative levels of concern .
NOAA National Geophysical Data Center
33
Japan marine waters tested & found to meet drinking water standards 30km from shore Alaska
ocean current modeling would preclude potential contamination reaching Alaska AWWU tested Anchorage's drinking water resource RadNet testing of Fairbanks drinking water source DOE Amchitka surface water sampling
34
Courtesy Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute
35
Distribution of Alaska Salmon
Courtesy ASMI
36
Fish Monitoring
y FDA has not detected levels of concern in fish & continues
to monitor y FDA s latest data as of January 10, 2011 is available at: y http://www.fda.gov/newsevents/publichealthfocus/ucm24 7403.htm#sofar y EPA, FDA, and NOAA maintain that seafood is safe & World Health Organization reinforces this y European Commission monitoring fish in the Food and Agriculture (FAO) Major Fishing Area 61 (Northwest Pacific) for Cesium-134 and Cesium-137.
37
Other Sampling Efforts
y North Slope Borough caribou, lichen &
marine mammals (seals, bowhead whale) y Aleutian Pribilof Island Association lichen y DOE Amchitka Island fish, shellfish, sediment, and numerous marine species
Potential Data Gaps
Although available resources for DEC suggest that the risk of radionuclide impacts to Alaska is low, there may be potential data gaps that warrant our consideration.
y Long-term deposition of contamination
Air Water Land Food chain
39
Tsunami Marine Debris Roundtable Discussion
Hosted by Senator Lisa Murkowski
Peter Murphy, NOAA Marine Debris Program Kristin Ryan and Dr. Ward Hurlburt, State of Alaska Dave Gaudet, Marine Conservation Alliance Foundation
