In June 2013, Kokatat-supported team Ken Campbell and Steve Weileman will embark on the next phase of the Ikkatsu Project to the volcanic island of Augustine in south-central Alaska. Campbell and Weileman will complete systematic beach surveys in an effort to assess marine debris concentrations as a result of tsunamis.


The first Ikkatsu expedition traveled the Olympic shoreline of Washington in 2012. While the expedition originally focused on debris reaching the North American coast from the March 2011 tsunami, expedition members soon realized that the problem was due to much more than the remains from the tragedy in Japan.



This expedition is an attempt to understand how we are connected – one society with another – and how no matter how distant and unconnected something may seem at first glance, we are all riding on the same planet. The vast expanse of the oceans doesnt keep us apart; it is what joins us together Weileman said.


The Ikkatsu team will circle the Augustine Island, conducting surveys of the beaches and once again turn over all of their collected data to NOAA and other scientific organizations. In addition, Ikkatsu will be working with Oikonos (an environmental non-profit that focuses on sea birds), to develop protocol for remote study of plastic ingestion by waterfowl.


Kokatat has provided the Ikkatsu Expedition team with its award winning gear that is relied on by some of the worlds most renowned adventures including:


  • Gore-Tex Expedition Dry Suits 

  • Gore-Tex Paclite shells

  • Gore-Tex Norwesters

  • Maximus Prime PFDs with Electronics Sling

  • Polartec Liners

Following the 2011 expedition, the Ikkatsu team released a documentary entitled, Ikkatsu: The Roadless Coast. Campbell and Weileman will film the 2013 expedition with plans to release another documentary once the trip has concluded.


The expedition is scheduled to begin on June 22, 2013. Additional information and expedition updates will be posted on the Ikkatsu website www.ikkatsuproject.org.