Organisms ride debris to the US – Boston.com

Organisms ride debris to the US – Boston.com.

As a result of last year’s tsunami, a portion of a large, floating dock made its way from Japan to Newport Oregon carrying with it, a diverse marine fouling community.  Unfortunately, the article is riddled with mistakes.  For example, Spartina is not a “ropey alga” but rather a vascular plant, common in salt marshes.  However, Gayle Hansen, a research phycologist, was quoted as having seen Undaria pinnatifida (a.k.a. Wakame) on the float.  U. pinnatifida has not been reported in Oregon but is considered invasive in California.