40 Years of Cleaner Beaches Powered by People and Community

Earlier this summer, my daughter and I walked along the shores of Sitka, Alaska, to pick up plastic pollution with 35 other volunteers. We scanned the beach together with a single goal: to make a place we care about cleaner and safer for people and marine life. 

Partners and community members representing all facets of Sitka took time away from their days to clear plastic waste and other trash from this incredible shoreline. I’m grateful I could share this vibrant town and its rich cultural heritage with my family for the 40th International Coastal Cleanup® (ICC).

Community connections and a legacy of service are at the heart of each cleanup. Just as my father sparked my love of marine life, Kathy O’Hara, ICC co-founder, was inspired by her grandfather’s love of the ocean to start the yearly beach cleanup along the Texas Gulf Coast that would eventually become the ICC. 

Tracing the impact of cleanups around the world

From the very beginning, founders Kathy O’Hara and Linda Maraniss knew data was an important part of the process. Over the last 40 years, we’ve evolved from paper cards to Clean Swell®, an app that connects users around the world to Ocean Conservancy’s global marine debris database.

The ICC has blossomed from a handful of volunteers in a few locations to nearly 19 million volunteers around the world conducting cleanups year-round. 

Over the years, I’ve fielded a familiar question: Does cleaning our beaches really make a difference? The answer is a resounding yes. Yet, there are times that test our resolve, like proposed cuts to vital research funding for fisheries and rollbacks on crucial ocean protection laws. In those moments, I remember that not only are we making our local shoreline safer, healthier and more beautiful—we’re also collecting vital data that we publish every year in one of the longest running continuous datasets of ocean debris available. This data helps us identify—and solve—the biggest challenges facing our ocean. 

Thanks to the dedicated Coordinator Network, millions of volunteers and Ocean Conservancy staff, we are able to publish an annual ICC report that is changing mindsets and legislation in favor of cleaner coasts.

Our ICC collection research report, “What The Foam?!”, provided fuel for the introduction of the Farewell to Foam Act, which would phase out single-use plastic foam such as food containers, coolers, and packing peanuts nationwide.

Since 1986, volunteers have counted, collected and removed more than 400 million pounds of plastics and other debris from our coastlines and waterways through the ICC. 

We hope that one day, cleanups will no longer be necessary, but today, we know we are making an immediate difference for our ocean. By finding and removing plastics, protecting rare species like the pocket shark found in the Gulf of Mexico and threatened coastal species like the  Florida manatee, Ocean Conservancy is taking an all-hands-on-deck approach to our work.

Small actions can make big ripples

Another aspect of the ICC that keeps me inspired is the stories and connections made between the dedicated Coordinators who manage cleanups throughout the year.

One story that struck a chord with me was about a cleanup where volunteers collected hundreds of cigarette butts. The cleanup coordinator brought those buckets and buckets of cigarette waste to the local city hall—and as a result the city voted to ban smoking on that beach, significantly reducing the number of cigarettes polluting the shoreline. 

A day spent cleaning on the coast ripples out far beyond the beach and the community where the event takes place. I can say with confidence that every piece of plastic, rubber and metal removed helps to build physical evidence, research and public support with measurable benefits for our ocean.

Our work would not be possible without you

I am full of gratitude for each and every person who has cleaned up a local shoreline, waterway or city street; spread the word about a cleanup or recorded their impact in Clean Swell®. 

Whether you attended your first cleanup this year, volunteered for the last 40 or decided to start your own local cleanup, your contribution is deeply appreciated by all of us at Ocean Conservancy. 

We invite you to join a cleanup near you or start one of your own. There are so many ways to support our ocean, and whatever way you choose, we hope you will join us for the next 40 years of impact. 

The post 40 Years of Cleaner Beaches Powered by People and Community appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.

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40 Years of Cleaner Beaches Powered by People and Community

Earlier this summer, my daughter and I walked along the shores of Sitka, Alaska, to pick up plastic pollution with 35 other volunteers. We scanned the beach together with a single goal: to make a place we care about cleaner and safer for people and marine life. 

Partners and community members representing all facets of Sitka took time away from their days to clear plastic waste and other trash from this incredible shoreline. I’m grateful I could share this vibrant town and its rich cultural heritage with my family for the 40th International Coastal Cleanup® (ICC).

Community connections and a legacy of service are at the heart of each cleanup. Just as my father sparked my love of marine life, Kathy O’Hara, ICC co-founder, was inspired by her grandfather’s love of the ocean to start the yearly beach cleanup along the Texas Gulf Coast that would eventually become the ICC. 

Tracing the impact of cleanups around the world

From the very beginning, founders Kathy O’Hara and Linda Maraniss knew data was an important part of the process. Over the last 40 years, we’ve evolved from paper cards to Clean Swell®, an app that connects users around the world to Ocean Conservancy’s global marine debris database.

The ICC has blossomed from a handful of volunteers in a few locations to nearly 19 million volunteers around the world conducting cleanups year-round. 

Over the years, I’ve fielded a familiar question: Does cleaning our beaches really make a difference? The answer is a resounding yes. Yet, there are times that test our resolve, like proposed cuts to vital research funding for fisheries and rollbacks on crucial ocean protection laws. In those moments, I remember that not only are we making our local shoreline safer, healthier and more beautiful—we’re also collecting vital data that we publish every year in one of the longest running continuous datasets of ocean debris available. This data helps us identify—and solve—the biggest challenges facing our ocean. 

Thanks to the dedicated Coordinator Network, millions of volunteers and Ocean Conservancy staff, we are able to publish an annual ICC report that is changing mindsets and legislation in favor of cleaner coasts.

Our ICC collection research report, “What The Foam?!”, provided fuel for the introduction of the Farewell to Foam Act, which would phase out single-use plastic foam such as food containers, coolers, and packing peanuts nationwide.

Since 1986, volunteers have counted, collected and removed more than 400 million pounds of plastics and other debris from our coastlines and waterways through the ICC. 

We hope that one day, cleanups will no longer be necessary, but today, we know we are making an immediate difference for our ocean. By finding and removing plastics, protecting rare species like the pocket shark found in the Gulf of Mexico and threatened coastal species like the  Florida manatee, Ocean Conservancy is taking an all-hands-on-deck approach to our work.

Small actions can make big ripples

Another aspect of the ICC that keeps me inspired is the stories and connections made between the dedicated Coordinators who manage cleanups throughout the year.

One story that struck a chord with me was about a cleanup where volunteers collected hundreds of cigarette butts. The cleanup coordinator brought those buckets and buckets of cigarette waste to the local city hall—and as a result the city voted to ban smoking on that beach, significantly reducing the number of cigarettes polluting the shoreline. 

A day spent cleaning on the coast ripples out far beyond the beach and the community where the event takes place. I can say with confidence that every piece of plastic, rubber and metal removed helps to build physical evidence, research and public support with measurable benefits for our ocean.

Our work would not be possible without you

I am full of gratitude for each and every person who has cleaned up a local shoreline, waterway or city street; spread the word about a cleanup or recorded their impact in Clean Swell®. 

Whether you attended your first cleanup this year, volunteered for the last 40 or decided to start your own local cleanup, your contribution is deeply appreciated by all of us at Ocean Conservancy. 

We invite you to join a cleanup near you or start one of your own. There are so many ways to support our ocean, and whatever way you choose, we hope you will join us for the next 40 years of impact. 

The post 40 Years of Cleaner Beaches Powered by People and Community appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.

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House Budget Proposal for NOAA Would Spell Disaster for Fisheries

In early September, the House Committee on Appropriations passed its proposed budget for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), as part of the larger Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies bill. The bill would be enormously damaging to our ocean, but one part of NOAA would be hit especially hard. The House bill proposes to slash the budget for the National Marine Fisheries Service, also called NOAA Fisheries, by 40%. These cuts would hobble the sustainability of United States fisheries, threaten marine wildlife, reduce the conservation of coastal and ocean habitats and affect communities around the country. 

NOAA Fisheries is the key part of NOAA responsible for the stewardship of the nation’s ocean resources and their habitats, including in more than 4 million square miles of ocean in the U.S. exclusive economic zone. Using a science-based approach, NOAA Fisheries provides services that all Americans can benefit from, including productive and sustainable fisheries, safe seafood, healthy coastal and ocean ecosystems and the conservation and recovery of protected resources like marine mammals, sea turtles, corals and salmon.

Under NOAA Fisheries, America has been a global leader in managing our fisheries and ocean resources sustainably. Historically, Congress has provided broad support to fund the science-based management system that is a hallmark of our success. The cuts proposed in the House budget would devastate NOAA Fisheries at a time whenchallenges like climate change and economic headwinds for fishing communities are making fishery management more complicated than ever. We saw a preview of the effects that cuts could have earlier this year when fishermen were unable to fish because disruptions to staffing and regulatory delays at NOAA Fisheries left the agency unable to open some fishing seasons. To manage fisheries effectively and allow fishermen the best fishing opportunity, NOAA Fisheries needs robust funding.

As we’ve previously noted, the President’s Budget for Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26), if passed as-is, would be a disaster for our ocean and the millions of Americans across the country who rely on NOAA’s services every day. That is why it is striking that the cuts to NOAA Fisheries in the House proposal often go beyond those proposed in the President’s Budget. The House funding proposal’s total for NOAA Fisheries is just $686 million—a stunningly low number. In contrast, the Senate proposal keeps the NOAA Fisheries budget roughly flat with previous years at $1.1 billion. All of these proposed cuts are happening amid other funding challenges for NOAA—from administrative funding claw-backs to delayed contracts and grants—that are already limiting the ability of NOAA and its partners to achieve the mission. 

Some of the biggest cuts to NOAA Fisheries in the House proposal include:  

• Cuts to science: A 42% cut in funding for fisheries science, including surveys and fish stock assessments. These scientific activities are critical for providing information on the status of fish stocks and for informing sustainable levels of fisheries catch. 
• Cuts to sustainable and accountable management: Actions to prevent overfishing and rebuild overfished stocks are an essential reason why U.S. fisheries are some of the most sustainably managed in the world. The portion of the budget to carry out these management actions would be cut by 44%, along with funding that supports the adoption of innovative technologies to monitor and report catch, reduce bycatch through improvements in fishing gear and ensure seafood safety and quality for American consumers.   
• Cuts to habitat protection: A 38% cut for NOAA’s Office of Habitat Conservation and Restoration. This faction of NOAA protects and restores habitats in order to sustain fisheries, support protected species and maintain resilient coastal ecosystems and communities.   
• Cuts to marine species protection: A 55% cut in funding that conserves and protects marine mammals and other species (sea turtles, salmon and corals, to name a few) and their ecosystems, including in partnership with states and others.

To achieve its mission, NOAA Fisheries works with countless partners: states, Tribes, the regional fishery management councils, local communities, academic institutions and others. Much of the funding that comes into NOAA Fisheries helps support the work of these partners. NOAA Fisheries also has a presence across the country, with five regional offices, six science centers and more than 20 laboratories around the U.S. The cuts proposed in the House bill would reverberate around the nation, affecting these partners, local communities and places with NOAA facilities.  

All Americans, but especially fishermen and fishing communities, have so much to lose from these cuts. Fishing is an economic driving force in many coastal communities, but it depends on having abundant fish, well-managed fisheries and healthy habitats. History shows that investing in NOAA Fisheries’ science and management pays dividends towards supporting fishing and the seafood industry, which created 2.3 million jobs and more than $321 billion in sales impacts in 2022. We know what it looks like when weakened management results in overfishing, tanking fish stocks and collapsing fisheries—communities suffer.

Thankfully, the House bill is just a proposal. Ultimately, the full House must pass the NOAA budget, and the House and Senate must come to an agreement, so there is still a chance for Congress to reject these harmful cuts to NOAA Fisheries. Take action now and call on Congress to ensure NOAA is fully funded in the FY26 budget.

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Honoring New Orleans 20 Years After Hurricane Katrina Means Protecting NOAA

Nayyir Ransome builds relationships between the government and the people it serves to support the ocean. As Senior Analyst with Ocean Conservancy, Nayyir sees the power of small, incremental steps that lead to big impacts for people and waterways.

“I want to encourage people to start where they are. Start with your friends, your church group, your classroom”, Nayyir shared.

Nayyir started advocacy work when they were young, joining the Campfire Youth Legislature as a seventh-grade student in Broadmoor Middle School in East Baton Rouge Parish School System, a school that was closed in 2019. “I was one of the youngest people in the room. The bill that I proposed didn’t even make it out of committee. So, when it was time to come together on the floor and vote on all the bills that came out of committee, I decided that I was going to speak on every single bill that hit the floor, literally, all of them. I ended up winning Outstanding Legislator that year. This honor is given only to one legislator out of almost 500 young people from across the state. I still have the medal. I keep it on my desk lamp with all my other conference tags and medals. It reminds me how much impact a person simply speaking up can have. Whether or not the vote goes your way at that moment, someone is still listening.”

A collection of Nayyir Ransome’s metals and lanyards from Youth Legislature conferences and award ceremonies.

Nayyir got involved in Youth Legislature at a time in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, when many students were feeling unheard, anxious and facing physical displacement after Hurricane Katrina.

Remembering the day Hurricane Katrina landed

On August 29th, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall in New Orleans. At least 1,900 people were killed in the storm and, due to medical and infrastructure complications, post-storm. The devastation of one of the deadliest hurricane seasons in United States history forced 650,000 survivors from their homes—some were never able to return. 

“We were out of school for two weeks. Compared to New Orleans where many schools closed for months and others shut their doors permanently, this felt like a privilege. When we went back to school, there were 200 more students in the building. Many families from New Orleans were forced to move to temporary housing in Baton Rouge. Our school was one of many that saw a large influx of students from New Orleans where many schools were unable to reopen due to Katrina. There wasn’t enough space, services or support to handle that, and it became a tense environment for all of us.”

Nayyir’s family moved to Baton Rouge just one year before the storm. Coming from Philadelphia, one of the largest metropolitan cities in the country, Nayyir experienced an intense culture shock when adjusting to life in open-air, sea-centric Southern Louisiana. Nayyir reflected on the contrast of towering buildings and lightning-fast train transport to kids catching mudbugs from the crawfish mounds in the drainage ditches, designed to channel storm water, along roads without sidewalks.  

“When I started participating in Camp Fire USA’s Youth Legislature program, I felt intimidated. It was a strange experience, grappling with my own sense of displacement while watching other kids being displaced on such a large scale due to Hurricane Katrina. I wasn’t from the area, but I was there, and I did understand how it felt to be pushed out, to feel discarded.”

New Orleans has a culture unlike any other place in the world, and this rich weaving of languages, ethnicities and histories creates an unshakable strength that still stands today. Yet, the crippling impacts of Hurricane Katrina can be traced through the yet-to-be-rebuilt homes in the Lower Ninth Ward and the reality of long-term health consequences and economic instability for many residents, even now, 20 years after the storm.

Hurricane detection is better than ever, thanks to NOAA

In 2005, the best hurricane detection science provided around a 48-hour warning. The people of New Orleans had less than 24 hours from the time the mandatory evacuation order was issued to when water began to spill over one of the levees. 

When Hurricane Katrina developed into a Category 3 storm, receded and then reformed as a Category 5 storm, scientists, local officials and communities scrambled to keep up and spread information quickly. 

“We didn’t know what was happening in New Orleans for three days. People with friends and family there were starting to panic.” 

Now, thanks to the steady, decades-long efforts of organizations like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), current predictive technologies can provide up to five days warning of extreme weather—enough time potentially to prevent storms from having the same catastrophic impact as Katrina. Yet, the question remains, ”Will we continue funding the  hurricane forecasting systems we know are protecting our communities?”

Tell Congress to Protect NOAA Today

Take action to ensure Congress stands up for NOAA, demanding the agency be fully funded and fully staffed.

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Understanding NOAA’s vital role during storm season

It might not be clear what NOAA does during hurricane season because much of their work is behind the scenes. The National Weather Service sits under NOAA, and NOAA scientists and professionals are key players in many of the long-term conservation measures, research and technology that prevent the most dire consequences of extreme weather. Their work includes projects that we may not think of as disaster preparedness and resilience, such as coastal restoration initiatives. 

NOAA uses a variety of scientific instruments on crafts such as planes, saildrones and gliders to gather data from inside hurricanes. Long term ocean observations contribute to hurricane and weather models. This hurricane season we have an opportunity to speak up about the proposed cuts to NOAA and the vital resources we would lose if these budget changes are approved by Congress. Continuing to fund NOAA is one way to ensure ongoing improvements to weather forecasting, honor those lost to Hurricane Katrina and, in the aftermath, support the people of New Orleans today, as they rebuild and heal.

We can all speak up for life-saving hurricane detection and research

As storm seasons intensify, we need faster, more accurate weather prediction and storm detection more than ever. NOAA is America’s first line of defense against the deadliest impacts of natural disasters on our communities. Yet, NOAA’s funding is facing major cuts that, if enacted, will result in lives lost. We need to keep moving forward keeping in mind and heart the nearly 2,000 people who lost their lives during Katrina, the thousands more New Orleanians who lost their land and legacies, and the hundreds of thousands of people who are impacted by deadly storms in the United States each year. 

Looking back, Nayyir can see how these experiences growing up in post-Katrina Louisiana shaped their advocacy and approach to community organizing. 

“My time in Southeast Louisiana taught me a lot about people-centered advocacy. Even if we haven’t experienced something at its most extreme, we can find a way to understand the root of it by looking at our lives and the places we live. Ocean Conservancy has helped me to grow in how and why we must work across government agencies and lines to protect our ocean and the people who rely on it.”

Ocean Conservancy works alongside NOAA as a science-led advocacy organization mobilizing federal, state and local action for our ocean. Every investment in NOAA translates into vital seconds, hours and days of response time for communities when hurricane season strikes. The more data we can collect and use to predict the behavior and patterns of storms, the better we can respond and prevent tragedies.

Each year, storm season is intensifying from climate change—and not just on our coasts. Communities throughout the U.S. are affected by hurricanes and floods that threaten lives and livelihoods. We all rely on NOAA’s vital research and tools for weather prediction and extreme weather warnings. These services are a lifeline we cannot afford to lose. 

Call on your Congress members today and insist they support full funding and operation of NOAA.

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What is the Science Behind Plastic Pollution?

This blog was co-written with Hannah De Frond. Hannah works with Ocean Conservancy and the University of Toronto Trash Team to manage the International Trash Trap Network (ITTN), a global network of local groups using trash traps to increase cleanup efforts, engage communities and inform upstream solutions. 

Over the past year-plus, scientists have made significant strides in understanding the scope, impact and potential solutions to the global plastic pollution crisis, and we’ve gathered them here by theme. Let’s dive in!

Where it comes from and where it’s going

Increasingly, scientists recognize plastics as a planetary-scale pollutant, disrupting key Earth systems including biodiversity, terrestrial, freshwater and marine health. Researchers are now identifying specific areas where plastic accumulation—and therefore, risk—may be greatest. A long-term study published last year showed that more than 70% of macroplastics released into rivers remain near their source, often trapped by floating vegetation which can hold plastic concentrations nearly 200 times higher than surrounding waters. These accumulations have led to the formation of so-called “river garbage patches,” some with plastic levels exceeding those found in the North Pacific Gyre.

Meanwhile, modelling efforts have expanded to estimate plastic concentrations in ecosystems beyond the ocean surface, including in the atmosphere, below the ocean surface, in inland waterways and in marine animals. Estimates published last year suggest that 3 to 11 million metric tons of plastic now reside on the ocean floor—up to 100 times more than at the surface—threatening deep-sea ecosystems vital to climate regulation. Coastal convergence zones—coastal waters wherecurrents and wind cause water from different areas to meet—were also recently found to be microplastic hotspots. These hotspots included more than 1,800 marine protected areas identified as under significant stress from microplastic pollution.

Human health and micro/nanoplastics

Recent research has further informed estimates of human exposure to micro- and nano- plastics through both diet and inhalation. One study co-authored by Ocean Conservancy found microplastics in nearly 90% of protein products tested—including beef, chicken, pork and plant-based samples. From this, we estimated that the average adult in the United States could ingest up to 3.8 million plastic particles annually from proteins alone. Drinks, dairy products and other non-protein food sources also serve as ingestion pathways.

But we don’t just eat plastics. A new study estimated that globally, adults breathe in an average of 1,355 plastic particles daily, or roughly 500,000 particles a year. From 1990 to 2018, researchers estimate human dietary and airborne microplastic exposure increased more than sixfold in some parts of the world, underscoring growing global concern.

Learn more about our wonderful ocean!

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Plastic particles have now been found throughout the human body in arteries, stomach tissue, brains and reproductive systems, raising serious health concerns. One study published this year found that roughly 25% of the 16,325 chemicals associated with plastics are considered hazardous.” More worrisome is that the vast majority chemicals used in plastics remain unregulated and understudied. The health consequences are not only physiological but economic: In 2018 alone, plastic-related diseases cost the United States an estimated $249 billion, largely from exposure to plastic-associated chemicals as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs).

What we can do about it

As our knowledge about the extent and impacts of plastic pollution grows, so does public concern. An Ocean Conservancy-led study published last year found that in the United States, plastic pollution is seen as the greatest threat to the ocean, and there is strong public support for policies to solve this problem by holding plastic producers accountable.

Experts agree that solving the plastic crisis requires a full lifecycle approach and multinational collaboration, with one study showing that implementing four global interventions—a 40% recycled content mandate; a 2020 virgin production cap; a $50 billion investment in waste management infrastructure; and a plastic packaging tax—could reduce mismanaged plastic waste by 91% and plastic-related GHG emissions by one-third by 2050.

Policy momentum is building, with an increasing number of studies investigating the efficacy of actions addressing not just waste management but also upstream production and consumption. One 2025 study looking at data from Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup found that plastic bag bans and fees meaningfully reduce the relative amount of bags in beach litter by 25% to 47% in the United States, while a 2024 study estimated that a U.S. national deposit return scheme could significantly boost recycling rates for PET bottles from 24% to 82%. To support better decision-making and community action, science-backed tools such as the Circularity Assessment Protocol (CAP) have been developed to map waste flows and identify points for intervention.

Join us

While there is still a lot to learn, we know enough to act now. Here is how you can join the fight: 

• Push for policy change: Advocate for legislation to address plastic pollution by holding corporations accountable for the waste they create, expanding support for reuse and refill systems and much more. See how your state stacks up in efforts to tackle plastic pollution, and then visit Ocean Conservancy’s Action Center to see how you can get involved.
• Reduce plastic use: To tackle our plastic pollution crisis, we need to use less plastic. We can each do our part by avoiding single-use plastics where possible in our daily lives, from carrying a reusable water bottle and bag to skipping the straw. These small actions add up and collectively reduce the amount of plastic waste we create, while sending a clear signal to plastic producers that we are fed up with single-use plastics. 
• Clean up plastic pollution before it enters the ocean: Cleaning up plastic waste, whether on the beach, along a river, or in your neighborhood park, reduces the likelihood that it will later be consumed by marine life. One of the best ways to do this is by joining the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC). Use our map to find a coordinator planning a cleanup in your region. Want something closer to home? Team up with friends and family to clean up your favorite beach or beloved park. If you see plastics on beaches, shores or elsewhere, remember to clean them up and log what you found in our Clean Swell® app.

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How are Sharks Affected by Plastic Pollution?

It’s one of the best weeks of the year: Shark Week. As our finned friends get a lot of extra attention this week, I am reflecting on my love of sharks and the threats they’re facing. In fact, before I was an ocean plastics guy, I was a shark guy. And sadly, on a perfect sunny day in the tropics while searching for sharks, I also found plastics.

Two decades ago, I was researching these magnificent animals in the crystal-clear waters of the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) at the School for Field Studies. Each day, we’d take our research boats out in hopes of tagging juvenile lemon sharks to better understand their movements, site fidelity and nursing habitats in the shallow waters surrounding South Caicos. Every interaction with these animals was exhilarating, and quite often we’d get the bonus of spotting or tagging other species like bonnethead sharks, Caribbean reef sharks and even the awe-inspiring tiger shark—my personal favorite!

While out on shark patrol one Sunday afternoon along the eastern reef of South Caicos, I first encountered plastic pollution on a magnitude I had never previously seen. Due to the steep cliffs that backed the beach and the shallow reefs that protected it seaward, piles of plastics and debris that drifted over the reef and onto the sand remained stranded. And with little to no human access to these beaches in the early 2000s, the accumulations grew with each passing day.

Sharks are increasingly threatened by plastic pollution, primarily through entanglement and ingestion. At least 34 species have been reported entangled in plastic debris, although actual numbers are likely much higher due to underreporting. The most common item causing entanglement is abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear (also known as “ghost gear”), though plastic strapping bands also pose a major risk. Looped plastics like strapping bands can constrict sharks, interfering with feeding and breathing.

Sharks are at risk from eating plastics, too. Plastic bags, plastic packets and even a boot have been found inside shark stomachs. And scientists believe microplastics may pose a particular risk to filter-feeding species like whale sharks, although hundreds to thousands of microplastics have been documented inside individual tiger and hammerhead sharks as well. There is still much more to learn and understand about the interactions and effects of plastics on sharks, but what is known raises concerns about the long-term impacts of plastic ingestion on shark health and ocean health more broadly.

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It was on that same reef in South Caicos in 2006, during a break from shark patrol and long before joining Ocean Conservancy where I first participated in the International Coastal Cleanup® (ICC). And like the millions of ICC volunteers around the world who participate each year, I too collected data on every item I picked up. And with each item, I was more and more curious, asking the questions: “Where did these plastics come from? “How the heck did they end up here?” and “This can’t be good for ocean animals, can it?”

I would later learn that the piles of debris that littered that stretch of coast came from all over the Caribbean. This was also my first glimpse of how the brands and languages on plastics provide valuable information to trace where trash comes from, an approach I still use to this day in fieldwork around the world. Further, it showcased the interconnectedness of the waters and people throughout the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean.

These early, formative encounters with ocean plastics have stuck with me over the past 20 years, as have the sights of sharks effortlessly navigating their natural environments in those TCI waters. It is something that is forever lodged in my memory, something I never forget or tire of. Sharks have existed in our ocean for more than 400 million years, and over this time, they have perfected every aspect of their design. However, sharks were never meant to contend with the plastic pollution that now overwhelms every dimension of their marine environment.

Today, the most harrowing fact this Shark Week is that the plight of sharks has never been greater. And the scariest thing in the ocean isn’t a shark, it’s plastic pollution. Join Ocean Conservancy for Plastic Free July and beyond and call on your elected leaders to phase out wasteful, harmful single-use plastics.

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Do Beach Cleanups Really Work?

This blog was written by Hannah De Frond. Hannah works with Ocean Conservancy and the University of Toronto Trash Team to manage the International Trash Trap Network (ITTN), a global network of local groups using trash traps to increase cleanup efforts, engage communities and inform upstream solutions. 

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to solving the plastic pollution crisis. In addition to preventative actions like reducing plastic production and improving waste management systems, cleanups play a valuable role—and the greatest impacts to reduce plastic pollution will be achieved when all three of these strategies happen together. With Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup^® (ICC) season fast approaching, there’s no better time to remind ourselves of the positive impact of cleanup efforts around the world.

The scopes, types and sizes of cleanups vary widely. The ICC focuses on global-scale, human-powered, volunteer-led events that can range from just a couple of people picking up trash in their local park or beach to large groups of hundreds of people coming together for an event. Other types of cleanups, such as those used by groups in the International Trash Trap Network (ITTN), rely on a variety of cleanup technologies that can capture debris 24 hours a day. The ITTN is a global network of local groups working together to increase plastic pollution cleanup efforts using trash traps. Through each trash trap program, local stakeholders come together to clean up plastic pollution, engage and inform communities about the issue, and collect harmonized data to inform, empower and motivate upstream solutions to prevent future plastic pollution.

Cleanup technologies like trash traps also come in lots of different shapes and sizes. One of the key benefits of employing these devices is that they can be used to support volunteer-powered cleanups by accessing areas that are unsafe or inaccessible for humans. Some trash traps are also designed to clean up small plastic waste, such as microplastics, that manual cleanups often miss as they are difficult to see and pick up by hand. As all types of cleanups remove harmful debris (including plastics) from the environment, they all have value and make a positive contribution to the health of our ocean and our planet.

Up to 23 million metric tons of plastic waste are estimated to enter global aquatic ecosystems annually. This massive amount is expected to more than double by 2030 if we don’t change our relationship with plastic. Plastic waste persists for many years and breaks apart over time, eventually forming smaller and smaller pieces such as microplastics and nanoplastics that are notoriously difficult, if not impossible, to remove once they reach waterways, coasts or the ocean.

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The impacts of plastic pollution on ocean animals are widespread. To date, roughly 1,300 ocean species have been documented to ingest plastic. In particular, all seven species of sea turtles are known to ingest or become entangled in plastic, and more than half of marine mammal species, including whales and seals, also ingest plastic debris. Cleanups are necessary to reduce these animals’ chances of ingesting plastic which harms, or even kills, them.

By collecting data on the debris we collect, we can better understand local pollution sources which helps inform and prioritize specific solutions. We have seen this firsthand with ICC data that records counts, weights and categories of items removed. In 2022, data collected during the ICC were used to highlight the presence of single-use plastics in the environment, informing successful legislation in California (Senate Bill 54), creating targets for reducing single-use plastic, increasing recycling and improving recyclability of packaging and plastic foodware.

Cleanup data can also identify and trends in pollution over time and measure the effectiveness of specific policies aimed at reducing that pollution. For example, a trash trap in Baltimore named Mr. Trash Wheel captures and diverts plastic waste before it reaches the Baltimore Harbor. Each time Mr. Trash Wheel is emptied, data are collected on the weight and count of items it has retrieved. When polystyrene foam items were found in high numbers in Mr. Trash Wheel, activists used those data to inform a ban, passed in 2019, on disposable polystyrene foam products in Baltimore. In the next year, data from Mr. Trash Wheel revealed that foam containers had decreased by more than 80% in the harbor! By using data locally and sharing it through public platforms like Ocean Conservancy’s global database, TIDES, it be used by many groups for different needs, including scientific research and motivating policy change. To date, ICC data has been used in more than 40 published scientific studies and has been cited by more than 250 papers. In addition, these data have served as the backbone of policies enacted by governments throughout the world.

Cleanups are also a great way to create community and inspire hope by gathering with others who share the same passion. Involvement in cleanup efforts allows individuals to encounter the problems caused by plastic pollution firsthand, and often this experience empowers people to call for upstream solutions.

Cleaning up is a longstanding practice in many communities worldwide. By continuing cleanup efforts around the world and using them for both data collection and community education, we can reduce the impacts of existing plastic pollution while supporting other strategies to prevent it in the future. Alongside cleanups, Ocean Conservancy is working hard to keep plastics out of our ocean by pushing for policies to produce and use fewer plastics and improve the collection and management of the plastics we do use. It’s clear there’s much more work to be done to protect our ocean, and it will take all of us to tackle this issue through both individual action to reduce plastic pollution and using our voices to support policies that will drive the change we need—at the local, state and national levels.

Be sure to join Ocean Conservancy this September for the 40^th ICC this year and other events all year round. Find an International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) event near you, download the Clean Swell^® app to record the trash you collect, and take action for a cleaner ocean and healthier planet.

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