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California Kelp to be Tested for Fukushima Radiation in Year-Long Study
California Kelp to be Tested for Fukushima Radiation in Year-Long Study 
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Kelp along the US West Coast will be tested for Fukushima radiation in an upcoming study spearheaded by California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
The Kelp Watch 2014 project is led by CSULB biologist Steve Manley, an expert in marine algae and kelp who has studied the environmental effects of the March 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster triggered by a 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami that ravaged Japan's northeastern coast.
"The California kelp forest is a highly productive and complex ecosystem and a valuable state resource. It is imperative that we monitor this coastal forest for any radioactive contaminants that will be arriving this year in the ocean currents from Fukushima disaster," Manley said in a news release.
Nearly three years have passed since the nuclear incident at the Fukushima Dai-ichi power station, enough time for radioactive cesium released into the sea to cross the Pacific Ocean and reach the US West Coast.
The overwhelming scientific consensus is that by now, any radioactive material released into the ocean in connection with Fukushima will have decayed or been diluted to such low concentrations that it will not pose a public health concern. But there are several unknowns, including how the radiation may affect marine life.
?w=600
Kelp along the US West Coast will be tested for Fukushima radiation in an upcoming study spearheaded by California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
The Kelp Watch 2014 project is led by CSULB biologist Steve Manley, an expert in marine algae and kelp who has studied the environmental effects of the March 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster triggered by a 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami that ravaged Japan's northeastern coast.
"The California kelp forest is a highly productive and complex ecosystem and a valuable state resource. It is imperative that we monitor this coastal forest for any radioactive contaminants that will be arriving this year in the ocean currents from Fukushima disaster," Manley said in a news release.
Nearly three years have passed since the nuclear incident at the Fukushima Dai-ichi power station, enough time for radioactive cesium released into the sea to cross the Pacific Ocean and reach the US West Coast.
The overwhelming scientific consensus is that by now, any radioactive material released into the ocean in connection with Fukushima will have decayed or been diluted to such low concentrations that it will not pose a public health concern. But there are several unknowns, including how the radiation may affect marine life.
I applaud the notion that real scientists will be studying the issue.