Nearly 7 million pounds of debris collected from world’s oceans in one day

Back in September, during the 23rd International Coastal Cleanup Day spearheaded by Ocean Conservancy, participants collected a total of around seven million pounds of beach debris.

There were 104 countries who participated and the US supplied half of the volunteers. Approximately 400 volunteers cleaned a coastline of 17,000 miles, river bottoms and ocean floors.

According to the post clean-up report, common garbage was found in the ocean. A total of more than 3.2 million cigarette butts were found, making it the most numerous in terms of garbage found. There were also 1.4 million worth of plastic bags, 942,000 containers and food wrappers, and 937,000 lids and caps along with 26,585 tires, which is good for use in 6,646 cars.

Overall, the volunteers collected a total of 11.4 million items. Collectively, the trash weighed 6.8 million pounds. Of the 3.2 million cigarette butts, 1.3 million were snagged in the U.S. while 19,500 fishing nets were picked up in United Kingdom. More than 11,000 diapers were found in the Philippines.

Volunteers stated that ocean debris have affected millions of marine animals worldwide. In fact, sea turtles and birds are killed by ocean trash every year.

On that event alone, the group found 268 marine animals who luckily survived being entangled in debris. However, there were still casualties, about 175 marine animals, to be exact. In Sta. Cruz, California, there was a seal wrapped in a fishing line and the same thing happened to a young hammerhead shark in St. Agustine, Florida. In Ghana, there was a sea turtle which was entangled in a rope while in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, a penguin was hooked to a wire.

According to Vikki Spruill, the Ocean Conservancy’s president and CEO, “Our ocean is sick, and our actions have made it so.” She further added that this truth is evident in the marine life that turns up dead or injured every day.

Ocean Conservancy is promoting the importance of coastal cleanup as this helps the ocean breathe in so many ways. They are also inviting volunteers to take part in this program as it raises awareness and support for its goal of having cleaner and safer oceans. The next clean up will be held in September 2009.

1. See Disneynature’s film Oceans and help save the oceans this Earth Day
2. NFWF contributes $2.5 million to protect migratory birds
3. Waitt Instutute
4. Heal the Bay: Trash Your Friends, Not the Ocean
5. Dish detergent can clean up big messes – like the Gulf Coast Oil spill