California beach cleanup tackles harmful marine litter

Think twice before discarding your trash at the beach! Plastics and other debris are frequently ingested by marine animals, including turtles, seabirds, and fish. When eaten, the trash causes significant welfare problems, including starvation and rupturing the animal’s stomach or intestines.

To help combat this issue, we teamed up with Surfrider Foundation and other volunteers for a beach cleanup on Venice Beach, California on Saturday, May 7. 

Our super supporters and animal advocates, actress Evanna Lynch and TV broadcaster Aliya-Jasmine Sovani joined us at the event.

Our group collected approximately 50 pounds of marine and beach-side litter! This included plastics, microplastics, aluminum and other trash and debris. 

Debris collected from Saturday’s beach cleanup was given to the National Museum of Animals & Society, to be made into an original artwork for exhibition at the Museum later in 2016 to focus on marine litter and ghost gear and their impact on marine animals. 

The beach cleanup highlights issues related to our Sea Change campaign, which aims to reduce and remove the huge volume of lost and abandoned fishing gear, known as ghost gear that ends up in our oceans.

Check out results in #LosAngeles last weekend: @MoveTheWorldUS & @Surfrider keeping #marinedebris out of #ocean! 1/2 pic.twitter.com/YbeJ063e7H

— Elizabeth Hogan (@EHHogan) May 10, 2016

Many of the plastics used to make fishing gear are very durable; some are expected to last in our seas for up to 600 years! 

Plastic fishing gear and other debris in the oceans slowly break down to become the size of grains of sand – known as ‘microplastics’. These tiny plastic granules are found in water and sediments.

Photos: Rachel Ceretto Photography