Over 280 marine species from coastal waters around Japan have hitched a ride on the 2011 Japanese tsunami.

Tiny marine animals travelled with the debris right across the Pacific Ocean, with some ending up in Hawaii and North America, according to a new study.

The damage from the Tōhuku earthquake was immense, most prominently knocking the Fukushima nuclear power plant offline.

Radioactive material from the nuclear meltdown continues to spill.

It also resulted in millions of objects, ranging in size from small plastic fragments to fishing vessels and large docks, being carried into the Pacific Ocean.

Examining 600 pieces of debris, the US researchers found hundreds of invertebrate species, as well as a couple of fish species, had made the trip over too.

Since most of the material that made the trip was manmade and non-biodegradable, the authors suggest this migration is largely caused by humans.

The past two big tsunamis from Japan occurred in times before non-biodegradable material became so prevalent, which is why this strange occurrence had never been seen before.