More than 30 years ago, two Ocean Conservancy employees, Linda Maraniss and Kathy O'Hara, implemented the the first Ocean Conservancy Coastal Cleanup, which has expanded to become an international event. The cleanup is incredibly important not only because debris is removed from the coast but also because each item is carefully recorded. The data collected during the International Coastal Cleanup each September is sent back to Ocean Conservancy where they compile information about all of the debris collected. This was one of the earliest ways that plastic in the ocean was accounted for and gave the world a better picture of how expansive and problematic plastic is in the marine environment.
Please consider joining in a coastal cleanup, tomorrow September 15th, 2018. In doing so, you'll be contributing to cleaner oceans and to a longstanding database of marine plastics. Thanks to Ocean Conservancy for starting this movement and thanks to everyone who gets up tomorrow morning and cleans up our beaches!
To find a cleanup near you, please visit Ocean Conservancy's webpage.
If you missed the cleanup or would like to start your own, please download the Clean Swell app