BUILDING A CLEAN SWELL - Ocean Conservancy

BUILDING ACLEANSWELL2018 REPORT

In partnership with volunteer organizations around the globe,Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup mobilizes individualsto have an immediate and tangible impact on the health of our ocean.Volunteers remove millions of pounds of trash from beaches and waterwaysworldwide while fostering awareness of the marine debris issue anda sense of stewardship for one of our planet’s greatest natural resources.

CO NT ENTS1 A Message From OceanThe third Saturday in September is always oneof my favorite days of the year, and in 2017 itConservancy’s CEOfelt extra special. I was thrilled to participate2 Photos From The Fieldin Ocean Conservancy’s flagship InternationalCoastal Cleanup event at Kingman Island in6 A Global #CleanupWashington, D.C. Kingman is an island in theCommunitymiddle of the Anacostia River, and while itisn’t a beach or coastline, the amount of trash8 Growing Awe picked up was staggering. It showed how even far away from theCapital Cleanupcoast, we can all be ocean stewards.9 What The ScienceAnd I believe that’s the secret behind the success of theTells UsInternational Coastal Cleanup, and the growing movement that weare building worldwide for trash-free seas. We all go through times10 Weird Findswhen we question whether or not the things we do will make aAround The Worlddifference. But the International Coastal Cleanup’s answer to that isan exuberant yes—yes, we can make a difference, no matter whomor where you are.In 2017, nearly 800,000 volunteers collectively removed more than12Data Spotlight142017 Ocean Trash Index20 Status Update: Building20 million pieces of trash from beaches and waterways around theworld. That’s 20 million fewer potential impacts on whales, turtlesA Clean Swell ThroughPolicy And Partnershipand other beloved ocean wildlife. That’s an accomplishment weshould all be proud of.22 2017 CleanupOn behalf of everyone at Ocean Conservancy, thank you for all thatCoordinatorsyou did for our ocean this past ICC season. We couldn’t build this24 Acknowledgmentsclean swell without you.Janis JonesChief Executive OfficerOcean ConservancyMEXICOI N T E R N A T I O N A L C O A S TA L C L E A N U P1

PHOTOSFROMTHEFIELDA Snapshot of Cleanups from Around the WorldEvery year, coordinators and volunteers around the world gather for theInternational Coastal Cleanup. Whether on a sandy tropical beach or againstthe backdrop of majestic mountains; whether scaling rocky shorelines ortrudging through muddy gutters; they are united in their commitment to ahealthier, cleaner ocean.NORTHERN M ARI AN A ISL ANDSFLORIDA, USAAfter having to cancel last year’s ICC, wesaw a renewal of faith and commitment bythe volunteers to continue the fight againstmarine debris. Vice Admiral Valentin B. Prieto, Jr., PhilippinesGeronimo P. Reyes, PhilippinesData collected through the cleanupevent has helped to create real change—from state and local governmentlegislation to community projects thathappen throughout the year. 2O C E A N C O N S E R VA N C YHeidi Taylor, AustraliaNIGERIAH AWAII, USA

K E NYA ear after year we get more and more volunteers;Ythe ICC is changing minds. Isaac Silveira, PortugalN E W YORK , USAECUADORM y favorite part of the ICC is seeing so many volunteers fromdifferent backgrounds work together for an important cause.There is a wonderful sense of camaraderie at the cleanups thatinspires hope for the future. Stephanie Mathias, Maryland, USAHONG KONGI N T E R N A T I O N A L C O A S TA L C L E A N U P3

The ICC is changing the way people think abouthow they interact with the environment.Bill Pendergrass, Mariana IslandsJAMAICAT he best part of the ICC has beengetting to know people who havecommon ground and act together.FLORIDA, USA Yoshiko Ohkura, Japan72013,754PeopleGoodMateWATERCRAFT CLEANUPS150,956652(68,473 KG)(1,050 KM)Pounds68,755Total Items CollectedVIETNAM4O C E A N C O N S E R VA N C YMiles

PUERTO RICOSENEGALOvercoming Environmental DisastersCALIFORNIA, USAExtreme weather exacted a heavy toll on coastal communitiesaround the world, from the Gulf of Mexico and Puerto Rico to partsof Southeast Asia and Australia. In many of these places, the word“cleanup” took on a whole new meaning.M any of us have endured ourchallenges with Mother Nature,and Texas was no different with thedevastation that Hurricane Harveycaused. Ocean Conservancy’ssupport made all the difference inthe world. We all face challengesfrom time to time and it’s niceto be a part of the ICC family. Renee Toggle, TexasF or the first time in my 17 yearscoordinating this cleanup, wehad to reschedule due to thepotential impact of HurricaneIrma. It seemed the volunteersworked even harder to collect asmuch debris as possible sinceH. Irma washed up quite a lot. Susan Ferris Hill,South Carolina, USAO ur island just barely missed hurricanes Irma and Maria. To have ourlargest turnout in years shows our resilience. Danielle Moore, Nevis IslandM y favorite part of theICC is the volunteers.They are the heart andsoul of this movement,and it brings me suchjoy to see how hard theywork, and how dedicatedthey are to helping createtrash-free seas.Lisa Christensen, Hong KongUnderwater CleanupsIN PARTNERSHIP WITH PROJECT AWARE321Miles of Waterways(516 KM)5,70759,380Divers170,059(77,137 KG)Items CollectedPounds ofTrash CollectedTo find out more or to get involved under the surface, check out ourpartner Project AWARE at www.projectaware.org/diveagainstdebris.I N T E R N A T I O N A L C O A S TA L C L E A N U P5

A GLOBAL#CLEANUP COMMUNITYWhen you participate in an International CoastalCleanup event, you are plugging into a network ofpeople all over the world connected by a passion fora clean, healthy ocean. Thanks to social media andour new Clean Swell app, which allows volunteers toupload cleanup data in real-time to the world’s largestmarine debris database, sharing that passionhas never been easier.ENGLANDSCOTLANDSOUTH AFRICAU N I T E D A R A B E M I R AT E S6O C E A N C O N S E R VA N C Y

WA S H I N G T O N , D. C . , U S ACALIFORNIA, USATEXAS, USAV olunteers love being able to plug in their personal dataand see it pop up on the global map. It cultivates prideand environmental stewardship when we develop a senseof being part of something much larger than that onespecific cleanup.Melanie Grillone, Florida, USAMALDIVESBUILD ACLEAN SWELLK E NYAWith Clean Swell , join a global communityworking to improve our ocean by adding vital datato the world’s largest database on marine debris.This database is used by scientists, conservationgroups, governments and industry leaders tostudy ocean trash and take action to ensure trashnever reaches our beaches.I N T E R N A T I O N A L C O A S TA L C L E A N U PN O R WAY7

GROWING ACAPITAL CLEANUPWashington, DC isn’t known for sandy beaches, but that didn’t stop us fromhosting our flagship International Coastal Cleanup in the nation’s capital.On ICC day, Ocean Conservancy and our partners at the Living ClassroomsKINGMANISLANDFoundation mobilized more than 500 Washingtonians—including theSwedish Ambassador to the United States and representatives from theNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration—to collect trash fromKingman Island, a woody oasis in the heart of the Anacostia River. ight now, all around theRcountry and all aroundthe world, hundreds ofthousands of peopleare doing exactly whatyou are doing They arerolling up their sleevesand taking action tokeep the ocean clean. Ocean Conservancy CEOJanis Searles Jonesin opening remarks.W e can fix marine debris.This is a doable issue. Nicole LeBoeuf,Deputy Assistant Administrator ofNOAA’s National Ocean Service8O C E A N C O N S E R VA N C Y530ATTENDEES3,972,POUNDS12,850,PIECES OF TRASHI t is important that we allcontribute to the solution. Sweden’s Ambassadorto the United States,Her Excellency Karin Olofsdotter

WHAT THESCIENCE TELLS USAs a marine ecologist and OceanConservancy’s chief scientist, Dr. GeorgeLeonard is instrumental in catalyzing someof the most cutting-edge and comprehensiveresearch on trash in the ocean.At Ocean Conservancy, we advocate for science-based solutions to some ofthe greatest threats facing our ocean, including marine debris. In 2010, weconvened an international group of scientists to review what we know andwhat we still need to understand about plastic pollution in the ocean.This working group led to some of the most impactful studies that havebeen published on plastic debris in the last five years. We now have betterestimates of the total amount of plastic entering the ocean from land (about8 million metric tons per year) and a comprehensive assessment of theecological impacts posed to marine animals by plastics.NEW HAMPSHIRE, USAIn the past year, researchers have uncovered several new pieces to themarine debris puzzle. Here’s what they found: The concentration of plastic pollution in the North Pacific SubtropicalGyre, famously known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, is growing, andthe accumulation of marine debris is 4-16 times greater than previouslythought. And nearly half of all the large debris in the Gyre is lost orabandoned fishing gear. Microplastics are, without a doubt, not just an ocean problem, butrather a global problem, affecting freshwater and even land-basedecosystems. Scientists have found large amounts of microplastics in rivers;as well as in soils, spread through household and industrial composting.M A L AY S I A Plastic pollution does more than choke or entangle sea life. Scientistshave found evidence that ocean plastic is linked with disease on coralreefs. Meanwhile, exposure to microplastics was shown to decrease thereproduction and population growth rate in zooplankton—animals that formthe base of the ocean food chain.Questions, of course, remain. We still don’t know if plastic pollution impactshuman health; where the majority of ocean plastic ends up; and to whatdegree many of the proposed solutions to plastic pollution will quantitativelyaddress the global issue. Ocean Conservancy is committed to investing inscience to help answer some of these key questions.BRUNEII N T E R N A T I O N A L C O A S TA L C L E A N U P9

WEIRDFINDSAROUND THE WORLDUSACANADAClown Wig2MEXICOJAMAICACANADABERMUDAIRELANDSled6-Seater Golf CartTractor Tire7THE BAHAMASITALYWindow FrameCar BatteryUNITED STATES128PANAMAECUADOR17194PERUJAMAICA22PUERTO RICOMALTAVENEZUELA15CouchCHILE109Fire ExtinguisherCURAÇAOVENEZUELAChristmas LightsSatellite DishO C E A N C O N S E R VA N C Y

25TOPPARTICIPATING COUNTRIESNORWAYSWEDENFINLANDScooterJar of Pizza SauceFull Size CarHONG KONG14GREECETHAILANDFrying PanToy TiaraUNITED KINGDOMGREECE211124CHINAHONG KONGINDIASRI LANKA16SOUTH AFRICA10THAILANDStroller2320351325KENYASOUTH KOREA1JAPANTAIWAN18GUAMPHILIPPINESSINGAPORE6SOUTH AFRICAKENYABRUNEIMALAYSIAMegaphoneVideo TapesWashing MachineVampire TeethI N T E R N A T I O N A L C O A S TA L C L E A N U P11

DATA SPOTLIGHTEnough rope toweave a beachtowel that is28km longEnough plasticbeverage bottlesto fill over5standardswimmingpoolsEnough balloons tolift a greatwhite sharkEnough strawsto reach theheight of over10,000palm treesTINY TRASH,BIG IMPACTSTiny Trash are itemsmeasuring less than 2.5 cm.Enough plastic bags tosew125,461sailsO C E A N C O N S E R VA N C Y

Enough cigarette butts toline the distance of5 marathonsTop 10ITEMS COLLECTED1. C IGARETTE BUTTS2,412,1512. F OOD WRAPPERS1,739,7433. P LASTIC BEVERAGEBOTTLES1,569,1354. P LASTIC BOTTLE CAPS1,091,1075. P LASTIC GROCERY BAGS757,5236. O THER PLASTIC BAGSEnough bottle caps tocover645surfboards746,2117. S TRAWS, STIRRERS643,5622,326,893 1,933,146 459,249Foam PiecesPlastic PiecesGlass Pieces8. P LASTIC TAKE OUT/AWAY CONTAINERS632,8749. P LASTIC LIDS624,878A total weightof trashequal to812cruise ship10. F OAM TAKE OUT/AWAY CONTAINERS580,570anchorsI N T E R N A T I O N A L C O A S TA L C L E A N U P13