After+the+Tsunami,+Japan's+Sea+Creatures+Crossed+an+Ocean

=After the Tsunami, Japan's Sea Creatures Crossed an Ocean= [|The New York Times] September 28, 2017 John Chapman inspected a derelict vessel from Japan that had washed ashore on Long Beach, Wash. Hundreds of species from Japanese coastal waters were carried across the Pacific on floating debris generated by the 2011 tsunami. Credit Russ Lewis []

Summary
After the tsunami that occurred in Japan six years ago, hundreds of species, mostly invertebrates like mussels and crabs, have been carried across the Pacific Ocean from the coastline of Japan to North America. This migration was not only the result of a natural disaster, but was also a result of man-made debris from the 2011 tsunami floating in the oceans. Marine animals attached themselves to the debris, which transported them across the Pacific Ocean. This is the process of mega-drifting. Scientists concluded that these species not only had to adapt to their new environment, but also had to reproduce for several generations to make it across the ocean. It is still unclear how these species will affect their new environment because it takes several years for an invasive species to establish a viable population.

Relation of Course
In our course, we have read about nonnative species (Miller 209) and the possible effect they can have on native species. We have learned that nonnative species have the potential to either benefit humans or crowd out native species. This article describes an event that has introduced nonnative species to a region, but the effects of the presence of nonnative species are still unknown.

Opinion
After reading this article, I feel that it is important to try and limit the amount of litter and wastes we dump into the ocean because these actions have the potential to create drastic changes in the environment. The article informs us that man-made debris floating in the ocean can carry species from one place to another, creating complications with the pre-existing ecosystems. This article has shown me how one event can cause impacts on a much larger scale and has made me realize that the world is more interconnected than I had previously thought.

Environmental Law
This article relates to the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, which ensures that marine mammals are maintained or restored to a healthy population level. This act may be used in the future to ensure that native marine mammals are not crowded out by nonnative species by helping these native marine mammals sustain a healthy population level.