By PHUONG LE
Associated Press
SEATTLE – John Anderson has discovered just about everything during the 30 years he’s combed Washington state’s beaches – glass fishing floats, hockey gloves, bottled messages, even hundreds of mismatched pairs of Nike sneakers that washed up barnacled but otherwise unworn.
The biggest haul may come in one to three years when, scientists say, wind and ocean currents eventually will push some of the massive debris from Japan’s tsunami and earthquake onto the shores of the U.S. West Coast.
“I’m fascinated to see what actually makes it over here, compared to what might sink or biodegrade out there,” said Anderson, 57, a plumber and avid beachcomber who lives in the coastal town of Forks, Wash.