Martha McCoy
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On March 11, 2011, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake occurred off the coast of Japan, and the tsunami that subsequently struck Japan caused catastrophic damage and loss of life. This natural disaster resulted in approximately 16,000 deaths, hundreds of thousands of evacuees, and vast devastation to buildings and infrastructure. In addition to this human loss and suffering, the tsunami substantially exacerbated a global pollution problem that threatens wildlife, the environment, the economy, navigation safety, and potentially human health: marine debris.
The tsunami carried approximately five million tons of debris from the inundation zone into the ocean, of which 70% sank close to shore. The remaining 1.5 million tons of debris drifted into the Pacific Ocean, resulting in large amounts of debris washing up on North American shores. Nat’l Oceanic & Atmospheric Admin. (NOAA),