Marine debris – trash, refuse, stuff lost at sea — can often seem like a problem that’s difficult to make headway against. New short videos produced by Oregon Sea Grant can change that impression.

Responding to the Risks of Marine Debris: Japanese Tsunami Marine Debris, documents the aftermath of the devastating 2011 tsunami that washed millions of tons of personal belongings, along with other industrial and structural debris, in to the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Japan. Since then, Japanese tsunami marine debris both large and small has come ashore along the U.S. West Coast, providing a unique window on the ways in which debris moves throughout the oceans, the risks associated with marine debris, including invasive species, and the responses people — from scientists to citizens — are making to marine debris.

The 10-minute documentary video is online at the Oregon Sea Grant Vimeo channel in high definition at vimeo.com/98582981

. . . and on our YouTube channel (where closed captioning is also available):

This video was produced by Oregon Sea Grant in a cooperative project with NOAA West and the West Coast Sea Grant programs.