Tsunami-driven rafting: transoceanic species dispersal and implications for marine biogeography

Following the arrival in June 2012 of a large fishing dock from Misawa and of several Japanese vessels and buoys along the Oregon and Washington coasts (table S1), we established an extensive contact network of local, state, provincial, and federal officials, private citizens, and environmental (particularly "coastal cleanup") groups, in Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, California, and Hawaii. Between 2012 and 2017 this network grew to hundreds of individuals, many with scientific if not specifically biological training. We advised our contacts that we were interested in acquiring samples of organisms (alive or dead) attached to suspected Japanese Tsunami Marine Debris (JTMD), or to obtain the objects themselves (numerous samples and some objects were received that were North American in origin, or that we interpreted as likely discards from ships-at-sea). We provided detailed directions to searchers and collectors relative to sample photography, collection, labeling, preservation, and shipping, including real-time communication while investigators were on site. In addition, a timely alert network permitted some of us (especially JWC and JAM) to respond to reports of objects freshly washed ashore on the Oregon and Washington coasts. Marine biologist colleagues in AK, BC, WA, OR, CA, and HI further responded to our requests to seek out and examine objects to which we had been alerted as newly washed ashore, and to then acquire samples if practical.

2012年6月，一批来自三泽（Misawa）的大型渔用码头及多艘日本船只、浮标先后在俄勒冈州与华盛顿州沿岸被发现（表S1）；此后我们在阿拉斯加、不列颠哥伦比亚省、华盛顿州、俄勒冈州、加利福尼亚州及夏威夷州搭建了覆盖地方、州/省、联邦官员，民间人士以及环保（尤其“海岸清理”）团体的广泛联络网络。2012至2017年间，该网络规模扩充至数百人，其中多数即便未接受专门生物学训练，也具备相关科学背景。我们向所有联络对象说明，我们希望获取附着于疑似日本海啸海洋垃圾（Japanese Tsunami Marine Debris, JTMD）的生物体样本（活体或死体），或是直接采集相关漂浮物本身；期间我们也收到了不少北美本土来源的样本或物品，以及我们判断为远洋船舶弃置物的物件。我们为搜寻者与采集者提供了关于样本拍摄、采集、标记、保存与运输的详细指导，并在调查人员现场作业期间提供实时沟通支持。此外，我们搭建的即时预警网络让部分成员（尤其是JWC与JAM）能够及时响应俄勒冈州及华盛顿州沿岸的新上岸漂浮物报告。来自阿拉斯加、不列颠哥伦比亚省、华盛顿州、俄勒冈州、加利福尼亚州及夏威夷州的海洋生物学家同行也响应了我们的请求，协助搜寻并检查我们接到预警的新上岸漂浮物，并在可行的情况下采集相关样本。