At 9 a.m. on Saturday, September 16th, volunteers hit the beach at both Norriego Point and Eagle Creek armed with gloves and trash bags: it was International Coastal Cleanup time!

Every year, volunteers around the world gather on their local beaches and marshes to remove marine debris and other trash. According to the Ocean Conservancy, plastic pollution “has been found in 62% of all sea birds and in 100% of sea turtle species.” Since the International Coastal Cleanup began, “nearly 12 million people and counting have been part of the world’s biggest volunteer effort to protect the ocean.”

Photo by Frances Roy Agency.

“The International Coastal Clean Up raises critical awareness of the impact of pollution in our oceans,” Alison McDowell, Director of the Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance, explains, “the program is now over 30 years old, and together the participants have removed over 18 million pounds of trash from our shorelines. Here at CBA we work to protect our waterways, and we love sharing our work creating swimmable, fishable waters with the community through this event.”

Volunteers at Eagle Creek.

Over the course of two hours on the warm morning, volunteers scoured the sand and water for trash they could throw away, ending the event with an impressive amount of marine debris that can now be properly disposed of and recycled. Volunteers are true coastal stewards, and we thank them for their efforts!

Extra thank you to the Frances Roy Agency for sending us your photos from Norriego Point!