THE DAILY OCEAN

Day 248 - Jan. 30, 2012

2012-01-31T13:04:00.000-08:00

lifeguard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 min.

1.6 pounds

933.2 pounds total

My friend Danielle started her own Daily Ocean beach cleanup project after coming out with me in Santa Monica over a year and a half ago. She is doing incredible things! Her focus (although she picks up all trash along her 20 min. cleanup) is cigarette butts. She's collected a whopping 38,585 cigarette butts around her local beaches in Wrightsville N.C.!

Think they need to ban smoking from beaches?

Good gravy that's a lot of ciggie butts!

Banning smoking on Wrightsville Beaches is coming up for a vote, and you can sign a petition encouraging the Board of Aldermen to do so.

Please vote to ban cigarette smoking on the beach and then pass on this link through all your channels - email, twitter, FB, you name it.

Let's get those signatures in! Join Danielle and Surfrider by taking a step in the direction of healthier oceans everywhere, and then pass it on! Thank you.

In Surfrider's e-newsletter, "SOUP" they highlighted a New York Times article on BP's internal emails revealing they knew full well just how much oil was spilling into the Gulf from the beginning, and they kept it under wraps. I'm not surprised, but I still feel sick to my stomach.

Here's the link.

"Soup" (Surfrider) also provided a link to garbage trashing the shores of the Mexican Caribbean. I have seen this first hand having done at least one Daily Ocean cleanup in Tulum, Mexico.

Seeing the LA Times photographer cover the problem in Mexico, which points to the much larger problem in the ocean, was encouraging. The article goes into more depth on the currents carrying the waste that then spit it up all over "paradise."

Thank you LA Times for the relevant piece, and for focusing people's attention on ocean health, and the disposable plastics crisis our blue planet faces.

Day 247 - Jan. 27, 2012

2012-01-28T20:06:00.000-08:00

lifeguard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 min.

3 pounds

931.6 pounds

Community Count Day 190 - Mark Armen

trash collected for 20 min.

3 pounds

911.5 pounds total

The Daily Ocean combined total - 1,843.1 pounds of trash off beaches worldwide

Thanks to my friend Mark, my first night back since being home from Kenya was a total blast. It had been way too long since we'd been out on the beach together. I spent so much of my time chatting away that I forgot to take more pictures!

Mark is up to some seriously awesome, concrete, environmental solutions. He's one to watch. Here is just one of his creative projects. It's an inventive and catchy way to keep cigarette butts from entering out oceans, waterways and littering our streets - THE BAIT TANK. Check it out!

Being home feels great. I'm looking ahead to my last year of beach cleanups, and more than likely less than that.

I started this blog in March 2009 (I don't do a beach cleanup everyday - my average is every three and my goal is 365 non-consecutive days), but this year I was away for more than one third of the entire year! That's right. Over four months of time spent out of town and far away!

This makes carrying the momentum of The Daily Ocean a challenge, leaves me feeling behind, and creates the opportunity to ease up on myself with the proper reflection. I've changed since I formed my goals for this project, but I love getting out onto the beach, picking up the liter, taking the photographs and then sharing it with you.

Bring on 2012!

The last shot of the night. Inspirational. The view, that is, not the photograph, so I thought it fitting to leave you with the news that -

ALBERTSONS GROCERY STORE IS IN THE PROCESS OF VOLUNTARILY REMOVING PLASTIC BAGS FROM THEIR STORES! GO ALBERTSONS!

For those of you outside of CA, this is huge news and could be compared to whatever your home state, or countries largest chain super-grocery store is deciding to do the same. There's the WOO-HOO I was looking for. Here's the scoop if you'd like to read more.

Out of the country from DEC. 31 - JAN. 18, 2012

2011-12-29T14:01:00.000-08:00

Garen and I are traveling with my dad and his wife Gretchen to Kenya. We leave the 31st and will be home at the end of January. Our friend Brigid will be hear to look after our cat, and I'll be back on the beach to resume my 20 min. cleanups after the 18th.

Have a happy, healthy New Year's Eve!

119 beach cleanups to go in 2012 to meet my 365 non-consecutive day goal.

Here's to a fun, healthy and productive new year full of possibility and new adventures.

Day 246 - Dec. 27, 2011

2011-12-29T13:43:00.000-08:00

lifeguard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 min.

2.1 pounds

928.6 pounds total

While uploading my photographs from today, it struck me that every item in this post is a byproduct of human convenience. I know, I've thought this many times, perhaps at least 246 times, but for some reason today, it hit me as particularly silly that the items trashing our beaches, hurting and in some cases killing our marine life, are all made to be used for minutes, or even seconds before rendered useless, and discarded.

Here's to a successful ban on single use plastic bags in Los Angeles in 2012.

Fingers, and shards of styrafoam littered the high tide line. Impossible to retrieve all of the fragments, I stooped over anyway to collect the bits that I could. Frustrating.

I'm sure this quote is widely reprinted, but I just read it Christmas Day.

"From birth, man carries the weight of gravity on his shoulders. He is bolted to earth. But man has only to sink beneath the surface and he is free." - Jacques-Yves Cousteau

Day 245 - Dec. 26, 2011

2011-12-26T13:54:00.000-08:00

lifeguard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 min.

5.1 pounds

926.5 pounds total

Christmas festivities swept me up. This cleanup feels like ages ago instead of four days. Christmas Eve and Day stand alone from the rest of the year as a time for slowing down, and feeding all the senses. Coming out the other side, it's hard to get the gears turning again. Winter is a time for turning in, reflecting on the year that's passed, and looking ahead to the new one with wonderment.

With 120 cleanups to go, a few trips taking me out of town for days at a time, and my average of one beach cleanup every three days, 2012 will be the final year for The Daily Ocean. This time next year, I'll be counting down to my final few cleanups, if I haven't already finished.

What's next? I ask myself how will I combine this blog, my love of writing and photography into a new phase?

This man combines his skills as a photographer, sculptor, set designer and diver to create underwater site specific installations. Let's get him to sink some of his figures into the Santa Monica Bay. All of his concrete, life-size people are frozen doing contemporary acts, oblivious to the environmental effects they create. Stunning.

underwatersculpture.com

Day 244 - Dec. 21, 2011

2011-12-22T12:46:00.000-08:00

lifeguard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 minutes

1 pound

921.4 pounds total

After over 200 sunset cleanups featuring many varieties of plastic bits and bobs, I'm lost for new words to describe them. What's left to say? The tone of this question I ask myself is one of genuine inquiry, not defeat. But that's my job, figuring out how to convey the feeling that finding these items again and again inspires within me. I guess the truth is, sometimes there aren't any new words to share with you.

I have a question. How is your company addressing its packaging littering the streets, oceans, and everywhere in between? What's that? You've never heard of

EXTENDED PRODUCER RESPONSIBILITY?

Pink straws remind me of Baskin and Robbins. Anyone? Orange Frappes and grilled Hot Dogs = childhood memories with my Dad.

The beach was pretty clean last night though, which makes for one smiling cleanup.

Day 243 - Dec. 20, 2011

2011-12-21T11:34:00.000-08:00

lifeguard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 min.

2.2 pounds

920.4 pounds total

Marina Debris's Holiday Gift Catalog is out! Before you do that last minute shopping, check this out!

For gifts that last, there's no better source of inspiration. And yes, you do detect a tinge of irony. Hats off to Marina though! She's an incredibly thoughtful artist with a message.

Seattle is the newest city to implement a ban on single use plastic bags. Hurray!

Migrating Grebes, like the ones we have here in the winter, mistook a Walmart Parking Lot in Utah for water. 1500 died after their crash landing, but over 3000 were released to the water. Grebe's can't take off on land. They need water to propel them airborne. I'm a fan of these elegant water birds.

Check out this article explaining the incident.

Sunset on December 20, 2011 in Santa Monica CA. Not bad for the day before winter.

Day 242 - Dec. 19., 2011

2011-12-20T14:31:00.000-08:00

lifeguard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 minutes

4.4 pounds

918.2 pounds total

I'm over the worst of a nasty cold that kept me indoors for almost a week and a half. After being away from the beach for so long, I didn't care about the drizzle as I pulled into the beach parking lot last night. Looking forward to toes in the sand, I pulled up my hood, and headed out for my 20 minute routine beach cleanup.

"Litter Soup?" Mandy Barker's photographs depict just that with all objects taken from beaches and oceans around the world. Extraordinary.

The sun is already makings its way behind the Pacific as I write this post.

I'm looking forward to tonight's cleanup.

Do you love the ocean? I came upon this heart in the sand at the end of my cleanup. It reminded me of a marine biologist I admire. Join Wallace J Nichols's 100 BLUE ANGELS. One man living his dream to work for the ocean, channeling social media and crowd sourcing for the highest good. We want this guy working for the big blue, and you can help! Here's how.

Getting in the chilly bay that morning felt worth the ice cream headache the waves produced. A couple of sea lions were a little too curious for my taste. Being the only body surfer in the water meant that at one point I hung off the back of my friend Bailey's board when one came for a closer inspection.

Day 241 - Dec. 8, 2011

2011-12-11T09:38:00.000-08:00

lifeguard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 min.

1.5 pounds

913.8 pounds total

This Wednesday the 14th, Los Angeles City Council will vote on banning single use plastic bags in the city. Heal the Bay needs your support. Please visit their action page for more information. If you can make it downtown for the meeting, you'll be giving the environment an invaluable gift for the holidays.

I'm going to try and make it although the cold that's been going around has settled thickly in my throat.

With rain on the horizon, and a winter cold in my chest, it is unlikely that I'll be out for the 242nd beach cleanup anytime soon. This also means I'll be out of the water as well. With the approaching weather, I'm sure the waves were good this morning. After a wave drought this week, it would have been nice to get in today. They'll be other days, if I concentrate on getting better.

At least that's what I'm telling myself right now.

Mylar balloon in the foreground, deceased Grebe bird in the background.

I'll end today's post with a comment Andrea left on Thanksgiving. It made my day to read it then, and still does.

"I don't live near the beach but over Thanksgiving, we were at a beach in Milford, CT so we did some clean-up inspired by you. Found a bunch of mono filament and rope, bottles, plastic bits and pieces. No way to weigh it but probably around 6 pounds "

Community Count Day 189 - Arleen in Martha's Vineyard

2011-12-08T15:51:00.000-08:00

It's getting cold on the East Coast. I can hear the cry, "GETTING!" from my friends back there. The point is, my friend Arleen still walks along the blustery beaches of Martha's Vineyard, and while she does she collects trash. She's done several Daily Ocean cleanups with me when in Venice, and a few on her own. A big thank you to Arleen for taking the time to share. Here are her latest findings, and some words of her own.

Lucy Vincent Beach , Chilmark, Martha's Vineyard, MA
trash collected for 20 min.
3.74 lbs

"I walk this beach which always appears pristine, but upon closer inspection the usual suspects are evident: styrofoam , plastic bottles, bottle tops and strings with balloon remnants.

Even collected a large piece of black plastic- not sure what that is /was!
Made sure to take a couple of photos for you."

All photos and text by Arleen McGlade.

Day 240 - Dec. 6, 2011

2011-12-06T18:20:00.000-08:00

lifeguard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 minutes

3 pounds

921.3 pounds total

My friend Mary joined me for most of the collection tonight. It's always fun to see her.

She's an incredible photographer who posts her work on her site.

I had the honor of being the subject for her SMC photography class assignment,

"Environmental Portraits."

Who is that guy?

Looks like how I felt tonight when I saw thousands of styrofoam flecks speckling

the sand at the tide line again.

The tide retreated to the lowest I've seen in months, letting off that low-tide-odor. But the crisp December air, and sunset made up for any unpleasant smells.

And yet another black plastic bag... This one makes the 4th consecutive cleanup that I've found a black single use plastic bag during my 20 minutes on the sand.

Three placid, and one bossy Royal Tern. Royal Terns are the Clydesdales of Terns.

I am really enjoying all the winter migratory birds around our beach.

Day 239 - Dec. 3, 2011

2011-12-05T12:18:00.000-08:00

lifeguard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 min.

5.4 pounds

909.3 pounds total

Saturday night was about stooping over, and picking styrofoam pits out of the water line.

Between bits of near weightless chunks, I remembered to check out the sunset. When I did, I had the pleasure of watching a Grebe dive below for a snack.

I actually found myself wishing for larger, more solid items to scavenge off the sand as I walked along. What an odd thought. The second time I remembered to look around, I saw a sea lion poke up from the water about thirty feet front me.

It's raining black plastic bags. Not really, but I have found at least one black plastic single use bag on my last three cleanups. So how many are actually floating around in Santa Monica Bay? I go out for a beach cleanup every three days, on average, to the same tiny stretch of sand. For a week or more now, I've taken at least one of these beauties off the sand when I go. There's a word problem in here for a Statistics class just begging to be written by a more math savvy person than I.

I saw a Grebe, and a Sea Lion on Saturday night, and a pod of Dolphins today when I entered the surf this morning, all reminding me that I'm really out here for them. The Daily Ocean is written to communicate with people, but it's a labor of love for the animals. If I keep this fact in mind, I'll have plenty of energy to finish my last 100 or so cleanups.

Days 237 & 238 - Nov. 23 & Nov. 29, 2011

2011-11-30T17:42:00.000-08:00

Day 237 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 min.

5.6 pounds

Day 238 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 min.

2.6 pounds

total for both days - 8.2 pounds

Daily Ocean total - 903.9

The night before Thanksgiving I got all the way to the beach, turned on my new-ish camera and my battery had no juice. Again. Perhaps twice, or maybe three times now, is enough for me to remember that this new little 14 mega-pixel Lumex has some kinks I need to attend to. Having no pictures from my 237th beach cleanup, I have lumped two days into one post.

It is great to be home from Thanksgiving after a trip to Louisiana to visit our friends who may as well be family. I miss them already, but I love where we live. They've promised to come for a visit over the next year. I hope so. Herbert - who will be 14 - would really like body surfing with me in the morning. And Charlotte - who will still be 10 if they come in the summer - will love coming for beach cleanups at sunset. I've known their mother Lisa for 15 plus years now. It's a real treasure to be close to someone who's been in your life for so long. Holiday time can turn into a series of tense family gatherings.

We're lucky we escaped that.

I found a black plastic bag on both day 237 and 238.

Mad Lib idea - "In Los Angeles you find (noun), which is (verb) all over the beaches."

The water wasn't too, too cold this morning, and the waves were up! We did find a sick loon though. The bird rescue guys were on their way, but it died before they arrived. My friend Kit reminded me that, "It's a tough life out there." He's right. Marine animals, hell all wild animals, face challenge after challenge to stay alive. My brain throws in potentially eating a bunch of plastic crap and other junk along with weather, predators, hunting/fishing, and a plethora of man-made threats.

Perhaps the Loon died of old age. Perhaps not.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

2011-11-24T08:17:00.000-08:00

WE ARE LATE, RUSHING AROUND THE HOUSE TO GET TO LAX.

I WENT ON A BEACH CLEANUP LAST NIGHT FOR DAY 237 AND COLLECTED 5.6 POUNDS.

POST TO COME POST-THANKSGIVING WHEN WE RETURN NEXT WEEK. UNTIL THEN, HAVE A SAFE, HAPPY AND HEALTHY HOLIDAY WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY. PUMPKIN PIE...YUM!

HERE'S THE CLEANUP WE DID LAST THANKSGIVING DAY IN MALIBU

Day 236 - Nov. 22, 2011

2011-11-22T20:46:00.000-08:00

lifeguard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 min.

11.9 pounds

895.7 pounds total

I felt relieved for sitting out this morning from my usual body surfing routine when I weighed my bag, discovering that I collected 11.9 pounds of plastic garbage off the beach tonight. The tide brought in the contents of the storm drain for me to see. This is only one of many intact plastic bags found on the sand.

The stunning sunset created a sharp contrast to the garbage strewn across the beach.

The funny, or not-so-funny, thing is that when I found the condom last night with Kitt and Anna, Kitt said the worst item he could think of finding would be a used diaper. DA-DAAAA!

A woman stopped to talk to me and say thanks for collecting trash after the rain. She commented on how much there was on a night like this. I agreed. She asked me how I don't get discouraged? My only answer was that doing something about it felt a whole lot better than not.

Christy also mentioned a bunch of pictures of local dead birds she's seen walking on the beach between Rose Ave. in Venice and the pier. She wants to put them online somehow because recently she's found a few with fishing hooks in their beaks.

I walked past this Greeb bird on the way back to the car. I normally wouldn't snap a picture of a dead bird, but when I saw this Greeb, and in the light of my recent conversation with Christy, I realized that I've seen a hawk, a sea gull, and 3 Greebs in the last month an a half washed up on my little stretch of sand between 26 and 28. All of them look like they died of natural causes.

But did they? Or did they ingest a bunch of single-use plastic garbage that's been floating around?

Who can tell, except in made me pause...

Day 235 - Nov. 21, 2011

2011-11-22T20:26:00.000-08:00

lifeguard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 min.

3.6 pounds

883.8 pounds total

COMMUNITY COUNT DAY 188 - KITT & ANNA

trash collected for 20 min.

Anna - 2 pounds

Kitt - 2.5 pounds

Community Count total - 904.8 pounds

THE DAILY OCEAN COMBINED TOTAL - 1,788.6 pounds of trash taken off beaches

We've seen a few folks from the Sea Dragon Crew lately. Last March Garen and I joined a rag-tag group of environmentalists, journalists, activists, documentary film makers, and scientists conducting research and documenting our findings while crossing in a 72 foot sailboat from Chile to Easter Island and then to Tahiti.

Anna was on another crew but is colleagues with someone who was on board with us. She stayed with us overnight, and came out for a beach cleanup. She has been on a road trip for work from Sweden with our other good friend Anna. This Anna studies toxins in marine mammals. She also assesses legislation and it's effectiveness in regulating these P.O.P.s, or Persistent Organic Pollutants. It was so much fun to have her with us. This woman can discern reams of data, but the plastic sleeve for children's frozen popsicles like the one above, left her puzzled.

Watermelon and Chile candy, yum yum.

Both nights that Kitt has come out with me we've found one of the above objects. Good grief.

This space invader plastic car, or at least that's my interpretation, was one of the last items taken off the sand. Thanks again to Kitt and Anna for joining me during a sunset trash pick.

Day 234 - Nov. 17, 2011

2011-11-19T14:40:00.000-08:00

life guard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 minutes

2 pounds

880.2 pounds total

My friend Danielle writes the blog IT STARTS WITH ME. It has a section of it called, "Our Daily Ocean." She has a cigarette butt focus, but takes all the liter she finds off her local beaches in Wrightsville N.C..

To date - she has collected over 220 pounds of trash to add to my Community Count and also over 35,000 cigarette butts. It is amazing what one person can do! Her three kids; Chase, Claire and Henry are usually with her. SO A BIG THANK YOU TO THEIR WHOLE FAMILY!

I love that Danielle got inspired to do this after she met me on my Santa Monica beach for a 20 min. cleanup about a year and a half ago. It is exactly the kind of action I hope to inspire with The Daily Ocean. Although I can take no credit for how long she's sustained her efforts, or the thousands of cigarette butts, and many, many hours she's spent doing Our Daily Ocean.

What an inspiring example for us all.

A man named Harris stopped to talk to me on the beach. One of his ideas is to draw attention to trash as it gets snarled up in sea weed. Just as we were finishing our conversation, a huge tangle of sea weed, kelp, and a plastic bag rolled up from the water. Good timing. I untangled the bag, thinking about our meeting as Harris kept on his way up to the pier. The more people focusing on creative ways to draw attention to this problem, the better. He has since followed up with an email. Good stuff.

Personal hygiene products

strewn across the sand

One of many candy wrappers I collected. Halloween has washed through the drains.

My friend Karen got sick from surfing too soon after a rain the other week. More weather is reported to come through tonight, meaning that it will be Wed. before I'm back in the water. I like winter, but I don't like having to sit out of the waves.

Santa Monica High School Heal the Bay/Surfrider Club did a paddle out for clean water today at tower 26. It was pretty cool to see.

Day 233 - Nov. 15, 2011

2011-11-17T20:42:00.000-08:00

life guard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica, CA

trash collected for 20 minutes

4.6 pounds

878.2 pounds total

COMMUNITY COLLECTION - KITT - DAY 169

trash collected for 20 minutes

6.7 pounds

849.2 pounds total

DAILY OCEAN COMBINED TOTAL - 1, 727.4 ?!

GOOD LORD THAT'S GETTING UP THERE!

Inspiration flowed through me when I stepped up onto the sea wall to take this shot. I was pumped for the night after coming home from Monterey, AND my friend Kitt was there to meet me. Kitt and I were on the same crew from Easter Island to Tahiti. Not only that but Kitt, Garen and our friend Jess, who is now taking Cook Island by storm, were on the same crew for most of it.

The process of sailing across much of the Pacific Ocean makes you fast friends.

I am lucky to count Jess and Kitt as great friends from here on out!

Read all about Jess's adventure son her blog - DESTINATION GLOBAL GOOD,

The first item of trash we saw.

But the night turned up more condoms than any other beach collection thus far. 3 - THREE! - in the first ten minutes. Oh man, will Kitt ever come out with me again? He lucked out by finding all three. Jeez.

The other heavy hitting item we found? Plastic bags, LOTS of plastic bags, I'm talking 10 or more plastic bags in 20 minutes. It had been awhile since I'd seen so many all at once.

And one shoe!

A good friend, a beautiful sunset, and lots of trash, a fun combo!

Monterey Bay Aquarium's ONE TEEN SUMMIT

2011-11-14T17:19:00.000-08:00

The Monterey Bay Aquarium had it's first annual Teen Summit: Oceans Need Everyone or O.N.E.

It was my great honor to be their speaker Sat. night.

I'm sitting at home after the experience inspired, and grateful to have been a park of the action.

I met really cool, motivated students. The staff at M.B.A. were very welcoming.

A huge thank you to all that participated!

At about 7:45 Sunday morning, I posed for a quick picture with my blue marble. Wallace J Nichols started the Blue Marble project in 2009. He has been responsible for a couple million marbles traveling the globe from person to person.

I gave students blue marbles in the spirit of passing on his idea to hold the marble which represents our blue planet, take a moment to be grateful for the ocean, and then do one kind thing to help.

Afterwards, pass your marble on with instructions to the next person to do the same.

breakfast with the Sea Spirits from Notre Dame High School

During breakfast, Garen and I got the chance to chat with the Sea Spirits club. They have a bunch of artistic ideas to help spread the word that disposable plastics damage the environment. I hope they keep in touch and let me know how it all develops! Great having breakfast with you!

I had the chance to speak to the participants who spent the night in the aquarium. I reiterated what I spoke about the night before. This quote, by author Anne Lammot embodies the spirit of what I said:

"Maybe what you have written will help others, will be a small part of the solution. You don’t even have to know how or in what way, but if you are writing the clearest, truest words you can find and doing the best that you can to understand and communicate, this will shine on paper like its own little lighthouse. Lighthouses don’t go running all over an island looking for boats to save; they just stand there shining.”

More marbles went to the group from Truckee - Makea and Austin who were with J at Bioneers and were excited to see the Blue Marble project in action again!

Faith and I taking a picture together. She asked questions the night before, and came up to talk again the following day. Thank you Faith!

It was so much fun to talk to all of you after breakfast! One cool moment from our conversation was when Kennedy (in the middle in red) told me that she wanted to pursue law, but was also into sciences. I asked her if she had ever heard of the NRDC - National Resource Defense Council.

"No!" she said as a huge smile, and visible light bulb turned on over her head. It hadn't occurred to her that she could pursue both. So here's that link, NRDC and stay in touch!

participants scooping up marbles to pass around when they return home

This is a coffin lid that we hope was a discarded Halloween prop...now smartly re-purposed with this cool sign. I liked the fish bones and glued found pieces of plastic lining the top. These guys were funny, enthusiastic and creative. Thanks for stopping to talk after breakfast and good luck!

A Cyprus Tree lining the trail behind us after we left the aquarium for a morning walk.

After the students took off at 8:30, Garen and I spent an hour along the Pacific Grove trail that runs along the coast. What a wonderful way to enjoy a Sunday morning!

The coast lining Monterey Bay is breathtaking. One look and you see several species highlighted inside the aquarium right before your eyes.

A few dozen harbor seals lined the beach to the right of this photograph.

The Standford University Marine Lab

Another thank you to Garen for coming with me to Monterey, driving all the way up to the San Jose airport, showing me so much support, and lending his photography skills.

A special thank you to my Dad who came all the way from NYC, throwing in a few work meetings on Thurs. and Fri. so he could be here.

the back of Monterey Bay Aquarium

Around 9:30 we went back into the aquarium to see the world class exhibits again.

view from the second floor inside the aquarium

a sardine bait ball - seen by most humans only from the surface while sea birds pick it off

This artist cuts out seaweed, and algae forms from plastic bottles. Beautiful.

Jacques! (Nemo reference...)

A grey whale hangs in the atrium near the entrance.

For my friend Danielle from It Starts With Me. She was in town briefly as part of her family trip to Northern California. Our paths crossed at an Italian Restaurant after this photograph was taken. It really made my day to see her, her husband Aaron, and their three beautiful kids. I wish we could do that more often, but since she's in N.C. and we're in CA, I'll have to look forward to the next time we're brought together. I know it will happen again!

There's no record of a Hammerhead Shark EVER biting a person.

And so my weekend in Monterey came to an end. I sped home to see how our dog Kona was doing since he hurt his back. He's lying next to me on the couch as I type, napping with our other dog Kayla. Our cat Meera is lying behind me.

I'm watching the sun set rapidly from our living room window in Santa Monica, reflecting on family and being home. It occurs to me that this weekend I met part of a growing, extended family who have found each other because of their love for the ocean, and for the planet. They will no doubt make sweeping changes to save, protect, and preserve our collective home.

MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM YOUTH SUMMIT

2011-11-10T18:03:00.000-08:00

I WILL BE OUT OF TOWN FROM FRIDAY NOVEMBER 11TH TO TUESDAY THE 15TH.

REGULAR BEACH CLEANUPS WILL RESUME WHEN I RETURN.

I HAVE THE GREAT HONOR OF SPEAKING AT THE MONTERREY BAY AQUARIUM'S YOUTH SUMMIT THIS WEEKEND ON SAT. NIGHT.

WISH ME LUCK! THE WEEKEND SHOULD BE A TOTAL BLAST.

I'M BRACING MYSELF TO BE COMPLETELY INSPIRED BY THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ATTENDING. WILL RETURN WITH A FULL REPORT!

Day 232 - Nov. 7, 2011

2011-11-08T12:51:00.000-08:00

life guard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 min.

8.9 pounds collected

I wanted to go into the water so badly this morning. My friends went, but it rained hard on Sunday and the recommended three-day wait wouldn't leave my mind when I tried to will myself to just go for it, and get in the ocean. I am glad my reservations held. 8.9 pounds of trash collected by one person in 20 minutes is way too much trash. Any trash is too much trash, but a cleanup like this one makes me shutter at what might be in the bay that I don't see, that I can't pick up with my hands. So I waited another day, and can't wait to get in tomorrow.

The trash won't have left the scene when I go in tomorrow, it's just that the bacteria from dog waste, humans and other wonderful additives will have diluted enough to make me feel comfortable when I lower my head under the oncoming wave.

Junk on our local beach is such a regular find, I wonder if people see it anymore? My friend texted me earlier in the morning that the run-off didn't look bad...How bad is 8.9 pounds? Is that bad enough yet?

Winter sunsets come on quick, and strong.

A night like this makes the long, pale show of a summer evening seem like years away.

SHELF LIFE - a group show of eco-artists Nov. 5, 2011

2011-11-06T16:54:00.000-08:00

Last night was the opening reception of SHELF LIFE at the Urban Sanctuary in Boyle Heights.

The show will be up until Dec. 5th. You can visit the gallery on the weekends.

Visit their website for more information and directions

This is one of the first images you see walking into the hallway where I hung my work.

I like taking the photograph, but feel a bit stiff when the camera is turned on me.

The wall of images I put together around text riffing on the theme: SHELF LIFE

paper-core "roots" that hung in the corner of the gallery

close-up detail of the roots

Bob and Rosemary who braved the long haul on the 10E to come to my show. A big thank you goes out to Kit, Price, Patty, Natalie and her husband Peter for doing the same!

And of course to Garen...an unending thank you.

Day 231 - Nov. 3, 2011

2011-11-05T14:21:00.000-07:00

lifeguard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 minutes

3.4 pounds

864.7 pounds total

To my great surprise, and pleasure, I ran into my friend Tiffany and her husband as soon as I got out onto the beach. Turns out, her birthday is Nov. 3, and so like most people (not) she decided to celebrate by cleaning the beach before heading to dinner with her hubby. Awesome.

Find her here - GIVE HUGS PRODUCTIONS

snapshot of Tiffany's collection

I'm in a group exhibit at the Urban Sactuary opening tonight.

SHELF LIFE - from 6 - 10

2026 1st Ave., LA 90033

A special thank you to Tiffany for tonight's show. Her friend Lyn, the curator of tonight's show, found me on Tiffany's FB page. Oh, the virtues of FB?!

The poor moon deflated onto the beach!

The other day while I was driving to the beach, I passed two women walking on the sidewalk along Ocean Park Blvd.. A plastic bag blew straight for them. Would they walk around it? Pick it up? Checking carefully in my rear view mirror, I watched with satisfaction as one of them leaned down, and snatched up the bag. I smiled.

'Twas a dark, and stormy night...

Day 230 - Nov. 1, 2011

2011-11-02T16:22:00.000-07:00

lifeguard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 minutes

1.8 pounds

861.3 pounds total

A woman in Florida named Bonnie started a new blog recently, focusing on what is washing up there! If you support the kind of change that cleaning your local beach, and then reaching out about it creates, please support her by visiting BEACH HUGGER now.

Happy, or not-so-happy, Halloween. Why? I think about the sea gulls that live on the beach, or the other migrating sea birds, fish, and marine mammals that could ingest or become entangled by a piece of nylon/balloon remains every time I come across one. And then I think about the ones I don't find.

I'm a big fan of naturalist, marine scientist and author Carl Safina. Here is a link to some of his more recent writings on Climate Change that you may find inspiring. His "motto" -

INSPIRATION, SCIENCE, NATURE. HOPE.

Day 229 - Oct. 27, 2011

2011-10-29T14:55:00.000-07:00

lifeguard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 minutes

1.6 pounds

859.5 pounds total

There's a group of guys who come together for rugby a few times a week around sunset. Lots of different people enjoy this stretch of beach. I find it really sweet that so many locals consider it their own place. The ocean and beach belong to no one and everyone all at once.

I have to watch my step if my head's in the sand while collecting trash, crossing in front of their line can mean being mowed down.

I'm a fan of these granola bars. Recently, I've enjoyed a couple after a body surf in the morning. But the evidence of my quick snack carries on. Where are my wrappers? An LA landfill being buried?

There's a story behind this picture...shall we make up our own? Two students went to get frozen yogurt after school. They took it to the beach. After enjoying their snack, one of their father's pulled up in a yellow lifeguard SUV, being as his job is head of the LA County lifeguards, and told the kids to hop in the back. One of them knocked the container they'd enjoyed their yogurt out of while climbing in, the spoons spilled onto the sand, and they drove away without noticing.

OK - it needs work, but you get the idea.

A splintered plastic cup.

A sandcastle in the making.

A surfer taking a wave all the way in during an extreme low tide.

Day 228 - Oct. 25, 2011

2011-10-25T21:16:00.000-07:00

lifeguard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 minutes

2.4 pounds collected

857.9 pounds total

My new camera needs a thorough battery charge. I got to the beach, turned it on, and it promptly turned itself off. SO...for tonight's post I looked back through my photographs for doubles of what I collected earlier. My attempt to make lemonade out of the situation illustrates a good point. Night after night, I find the same old thing on the beach, time and time again, with a few colorful, or disgusting exceptions.

The sun was almost gone tonight, but I found a Red Bull can just the same.

The crushed water bottle with no label that I found on the beach tonight looked like it was filled with either very yellow sea water, or you take a guess. I left it there. I know. I felt terrible leaving a plastic water bottle on the sand, but I am not collecting nondescript bodily fluids. I have to protect myself.

What a shocker that I collected clear plastic wrappers/bags tonight just like I have on many other occasions. The picture above is one of maybe a hundred I could have chosen.

And Styrofoam...

cigarette butts...

balloon string entwined in sea grass and seaweed...

and this guy? NO! This is Kona. I couldn't resist putting in a picture of one of our beloved dogs on a recent trip to Morro Bay. Kona is a kick ass camper.

Day 227 - Oct. 21, 2011

2011-10-22T11:21:00.000-07:00

My friend Teresa of GREEN BAG LADY (who has sown and distributed over 17,000 fabric bags around the world!!), designed, sewed and sent two bags for beach cleanup collections. She thought of the idea after meeting with Richard and Judith Lang artists who have been collecting plastics as they wash up on their beach in the SF Bay area for over a decade. She made 4 for my friend Danielle from the blog IT STARTS WITH ME (Danielle often takes her three kids to the beach with her) and the two up top in the photo are for me! Mesh in the bottom for the sand to fall out, and vinyl for easy cleaning make these bags the perfect beach cleanup companion.

Want to take one out? Come join me for a local cleanup and I'll add your weight to the Community Count which has over 800 pounds collected around the world and counting! In large part to Danielle!

Thank you Danielle and Teresa!

life guard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 minutes

1.3 pounds collected

My new LUMIX camera is rockin'! 14.1 mega pixels at Costco for under $100?! That's just silly.

Next Sat. there is a FREE night of music and winetasting to benefit HEAL THE BAY. It is at TRiP on Lincoln and here are the details to EXCLUSIVELY LOCAL. Looks like fun! I'll be there.

Band-aids + salt water do not mix.

Halloween is around the corner. Maybe candy wrappers are on my radar more as the holiday approaches, or they do start to drift onto the beach frequently around the 31st. I assume people stock up and snack up on their mini-bars pre-Halloween. These wrappers find their way into storm drains and voila! SNICKERS on the sand. I've seen 2 or 3 SNICKERS wrappers this week.

I like this shot.

Yes, I like my new camera.

With sand escaping through the mesh, my total weight was lighter than usual.

An ingenious, yet simple idea. Good ideas often are both. Thanks again Teresa.

I will proudly use the Green Bag Lady beach bag for all future cleanups.

Day 226 - Oct. 20, 2011

2011-10-21T11:18:00.000-07:00

life guard tower 26 - Oct. 20, 2010

life guard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 min.

4.4 pounds

854.2 pounds total

plastic wrapper - Oct. 20, 2010

My camera is still broken. We are going to Costco later this afternoon to shop for a new little one to replace my trusted Casio of seven years. It felt odd picking up at the beach last night without the ability to photograph any on my findings. But then I got the idea to look back through my collections to see if I had done a beach cleanup on Oct. 20th last year, or the year before.

plastic top - Oct. 20, 2009

Jackpot! I'd done a beach cleanup for the last two Oct. 20th's! And not only that -- I found a plastic bottle top today to match the one depicted above found on Oct. 20, 2009.

Ziploc baggie - Oct. 20, 2009

And a Ziploc baggie today, just as I'd found one in 2009. See the theme developing here?

ocean - Oct. 20, 2009

I went earlier yesterday than I've been going out lately. The ocean didn't have this illuminated steely-silver quality, but the sun was about the same height in the sky. It was overcast last night too. I rushed straight home from the beach to sweat it out in a yoga class my teacher Tara Judelle led. She's visiting from Bali, and I haven't practiced yoga since...the last time she was in town.

She threads a theme through every class. We'd eaten dinner Tues. night and she'd told me that the theme for that day's class was perseverance. Perseverance in service to help the world.

I sighed as I told her how The Daily Ocean would likely take me another year to finish if I kept up my average of 1 cleanup every 3 days.

(I missed 4 months straight out of last year when we sailed from Chile to Tahiti researching plastic micro-pollutants on phyto-plankton).

Tara said that it didn't matter.

That my job was to do, not think about it.

Last night's class theme was gratitude. It occurred to me during class that every entry on The Daily Ocean is an expression of gratitude for the ocean itself, the people I have met through writing this blog, and the many ways my life has changed since I took a bag to the beach with me in March, 2009 to collect some trash by myself.

Day 225 - Oct. 18, 2011

2011-10-19T16:50:00.000-07:00

life guard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 minutes

3 pounds collected

849.8 pounds total

This could be the last great photo that I take with my faithful camera. I took a shot during sunset and well, the image was riddled with lines and the lighting bleached out. Sad. Sad. Sad. I have had my 7 mega-pixel Casio for too many years to remember! Canon Elf coming up. Think I may stop at Best Buy on my way to the beach tonight.

Am I missing something? Bulldogs? It's not lost on me that this is some kind of paraphernalia pouch...but for what? Not like it matters. Plastic is plastic is plastic.

The LA City Bag Ban is heating up! Here's the latest.

In uncharacteristic style, I answered an editorial from a local resident in our paper. They hadn't seen a plastic bag in the front page photo of the First Flush and they had something to say about it.

First Flush is the nasty "flush" of everything that has been steaming the summer away in the LA storm drain system. During the first substantial rain of the season, the storm drain contents are released into the ocean.

I went out and collected trash during First Flush and got nearly 11 pounds in 5 min. Here's what I had to say back to the individual who accused the Santa Monica City Council of "drinking the kool-aid" when they banned the bag...

Day 224 - Oct. 11, 2011

2011-10-12T15:49:00.000-07:00

life guard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 minutes

4.7 pounds

846.8 pounds total

4.7 pounds is a little more than half of what I collected the last time I was out, but it's still not great. Especially when my collections consist mainly of miscellaneous kinds of plastic film. For example, the clear cellophane wrapping on a pack of smokes...

So 4.7 pounds of fraction-of-an-ounce materials is well, a hell-of-a-lot of plastic trash strewn all over the beach, blending into the environment like it lives there.

My friend told me recently, "You sure make that trash look good." And I take what she says as a compliment, however the trash does not look good to me out here over a week since the First Flush of S^&*T through our city storm drains.

A bit of good news though - Gov. Brown signed the Shark Fin Ban for the state of CA. Hurray!

Here's what actor and Ocean Activist Ted Danson has to say about it.

We are going to Morro Bay this weekend for the annual fall SMC Marine Biology Class Semester Field Trip. We're getting there early before the students, and we're bringing one of our dogs. I think I'll spend some time sketching. I'm going to start doing some linoleum block printing soon.

And the bonus picture of the day is the full moon rising behind the beach.

Day 223 - Oct. 7, 2011

2011-10-08T16:12:00.000-07:00

life guard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 min.

9 pounds

842.1 pounds total

I enjoy setting up a shot, playing with the camera for a few seconds during a cleanup. But yesterday, after I looked up from this photo, I noticed the trashed beach from Tuesday's heavy rain.

I quickly took a few more shots to get the gist of the damage and got to work. Some nights, I race against the clock, head down, a possible scowl on my face. I wonder what I look like to people framing the perfect sunset in their lens?

Foul, trash strewn beach brought to you in part by Nestle...and Coke, and Pepsi, and...

Tuesday during the First Flush rain, I collected 21.9 pounds in 20 minutes, making 9 pounds look like a lightweight night.

But 9 pounds is still 9 pounds and three days later...

FIRST FLUSH! Pico Blvd. Storm Drain - Oct. 5, 2011

2011-10-05T20:54:00.000-07:00

Pico Blvd. storm drain

trash collected for 20 minutes

21.9 POUNDS!

It rained in Santa Monica today. It was the first solid day of rain we have had in months. Fall has arrived, and with it what we call the First Flush. The First Flush is when all the crap that has been backing up on the city of Los Angeles storm drains gets flushed through to the ocean. Yummy.

One of the first piles of trash I saw was this mound of plastic bottles collecting in a corner behind a fence where I couldn't reach.

Next was this image. It amused me to see so many recreational balls gathered. I imagined how many pick up games saw their end when the ball dropped into a gaping storm drain hole in the street.

Had they spent all summer pent up in the sweltering heat, waiting to be released today?

But that was the end of my amusement. Multiply this stretch of beach for as far as the eye could see.

Some foam with your noodles?

The water raged to the ocean.

It looked like you would be swept away if you ended up in that river of refuse.

Behind me, the storm drain, and a few fancy - like-400-dollars-a-night-fancy hotels...

In front of me, the Santa Monica Bay which is now trashed for days.

I started my 20 minute timer once I'd taken these photos.

In 5 minutes I had collected 10.3 pounds

repeat

5 min. - 10.3 pounds

the remaining 15 (after I had to empty my bag teaming over with trash)

11.6 pounds - total - 21.9 pounds.

That's over a pound a minute. Not to mention the weight of the bacteria hitching a ride in the foam on my clothes, or other funk stuck to my boots. Did I mention the smell???

When I saw my friend Dan later, he said there had been a sewer spill up the street earlier in the day.

Day 222 - Oct. 4, 2011

2011-10-05T07:47:00.000-07:00

life guard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 minutes

5.3 pounds collected

833.1 pounds total

As I write this morning, it is raining in Santa Monica. Rain, especially the first real downpour after the dry season is nicknamed - The First Flush. It was exactly a year ago that the First Flush came to town. Team Marine from Santa Monica High School was there to document it.

In LA County, it is recommended that you do not enter the water for 3 days after a heavy rain. Santa Monica High's Teach and Test Club has documented bacteria levels that exceed 100 times the legal limit for human safety in the water. They test bacteria levels at the Santa Monica Sport Fishing Pier, the Pico/Kenter Storm Drain and Tower 26 (here).

While the birds and other animals might be enjoying the fresh water down pour, I am b-u-m-m-e-d. Have I said it too many times already? I have to stay out of the water for 3 DAYS! Something is very seriously wrong with that.

I ran into my friend Mary at the beach last night. She was out on the beach Friday night as I watched the sunset from home because of a teeny bit of thunder. Here is the link to her FB page so you too can appreciate the sky that night. She's a very good photographer and artist.

As Mary said, it is the start of "Sunset Season" and the rainy season...here is what the beach looked like as I left the sand last night. If you compare it to the first picture in this post, you can see the difference.

Scuba Certification Class with Eco-Divers, Culver City

2011-10-03T17:47:00.000-07:00

Scuba diving has little to do with beach cleanups, or does it? When I first walked into Eco-Divers on Sepulveda in Culver City last week to get my rental gear for my open water class, I noticed their Coastal Cleanup Day poster right next to the register.

I boarded the Mr. C dive boat in the pre-dawn light over San Pedro Harbor. The gulls and pelicans were up with the anglers that taxied out to the channel. Our destination? Catalina Island to continue my Scuba Certification course that began yesterday in Culver City's Pool, The Plunge.

Surfrider began because people who surfed also cared about the ocean environment they spent so much time it. I have a similar sense for Eco-Divers. Although I haven't asked any of the instructors directly, I am making the safe assumption that they too care about the marine habitat that they spend so much of their free time entering. The name of their business helps confirm my theory.

It turns out the Mr. C's boat was chartered for Heal the Bay's special on Coastal Cleanup Day that I watched recently. Another connection to my beach cleanup project, The Daily Ocean. It's looking like connections are popping up all over the place.

In the Heal the Bay special, the anchormen narrating the show made the point of pointing out the trash in the water right where the boat was docked. The message I got? Look no further than where you are for the evidence of marine pollution entering the water. I would add that this includes inland areas whose neighborhood residence make it to the ocean rarely, if at all. Everything rolls down hill, or all drains lead to the ocean, so the sayings go.

I hoped to make it back to Santa Monica for a cleanup Sunday night, feeling guilty that I hadn't gone out to the beach for a 20 min. pickup in a few days. But by the time we filled out our log books last night, the sun was long gone, and it was all I could do to focus on the 405 in the dark to get myself home safely after 3 dives.

This was my second dive spot, and scene of my second ocean dive ever. Scuba is a heavy, gear intensive, sport that doesn't tolerate mistakes very well. The consequence for not turning on your compressed air tank valve for example is no air.

That's why you have a buddy, or buddies. Meet mine - Jessie and Lane.

Catalina is breathtaking out of the water, and equally stunning under. I love snorkeling, and body surfing, both low gear sports. Also, in my mind, both allow for more direct connection with the ocean. I may not have a board to propel me faster in a wave, but I am in the wave itself when I catch it. I may not have the ability to breath underwater for long when I free dive while snorkeling, but I do not have 70 pounds of gear with gadgets to check on my back when I do go down to see a fish closeup.

As we head back to San Pedro Harbor though, I recounted all the marine life I'd seen that day. Did I mention the Blue Whale tail? No? How about the Common Dolphin Pod surfing the bow wake right out of the harbor that morning? The day filled up with Cormorants, Garibaldi, Wrasse and other native fish as well as a baby Horn Shark.

We were on that boat for many reasons, most of which will have something to do with the excitement of being immersed in the ocean while able to breathe. Many people love the ocean, seeking connection with it in different ways. My hope is that the passengers on Mr. C with me will experience their connection leading to conservation. Whether they had this intention before their first dive, or not. I know my connection, and intention is only intensifying by becoming Scuba Certified.

Team Marine Comes to the Art Studio Gallery

2011-09-30T19:23:00.000-07:00

Meet 2011 - 2012 Team Marine - a super-star eco-action group at Santa Monica High School. These guys put in serious hours for the environment. They focus many of their man hours on all things marine, especially single-use plastics in the aquatic environment, our dependence on fossil fuels, and how this all ties together requiring action. Now.

They showed up on time and ready to chat about the prints hanging in the gallery, and The Daily Ocean in general.

This was a particular favorite, and is one of mine too. I loved spending some time with them on Wed.. Time with Team Marine instills hope in me that the coming generations may very well be up to their eyeballs in environmental consequences, but their watch is going to put it straight.

On a side note - I am kicking myself that I was afraid of a little thunder and so stayed away from the beach tonight because the sunset was insane with hardly a drop! Let's not tell my east coast relatives a shudder of a thunderstorm kept me inside, shall we?

This weekend I am getting SCUBA certified at Eco-Divers in Culver city. All day Sat. and Sunday again for two weekends in a row. Who left their online course work for the day before? Yeah, that would be me. Off to study.

Day 221 - Sept. 26, 2011

2011-09-27T17:42:00.000-07:00

life guard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 minutes

3 pounds collected

827.8 pounds total

Last night I found just the tip of a condom. It had been washed up to the high-tide line. I thought, I'd better try to keep my mouth closed when I go in the water tomorrow morning. Happy to report that no condoms were swallowed during our body surfing session this a.m.. That's the thing with all the crap I found out here. I either have been that day, or will be in the water with it in the not to distant future.

Can't stress the importance of watching this film enough

THE END OF THE LINE

- about global overfishing.

Interested in the latest in plastic bag legislation? Curious about how folks are working together to

BAN THE BAG?

- here's a great website to get you up to date information on the movement

COME HELL OR HIGH WATER - A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT BODY SURFING

BY KEITH MALLOY

"It's not so much about riding the perfect wave, but about being in the ocean and enjoying it."

Day 220 - Sept. 24, 2011

2011-09-25T19:38:00.000-07:00

life guard tower 26 - Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 minutes

3 pounds

824.8 pounds total

Care to petition the White House to ban the sale and trade of Shark Fins?

PLEASE SIGN

A sacred music festival centering around the ocean is coming to the LA area. I personally want to go see the Hawaiian Hula Dancers at the Autry. Here's the link for more info.

This week flew by. I waited for the clouds to lift around sunset, and they didn't. Fall is here. Some days I'm excited to go out to the beach for a 20 min. cleanup. Some days it really feels like a chore. That's the nature of a commitment I guess. Even a commitment that you believe in, and want to do.

I'm slightly obsessed with body surfing these days. I don't think I'll ever have the guts or chops that this guy has, but I urge you to watch the short film below. One man's connection to the ocean that is really beautiful and inspired.

Day 219 - Sept. 18, 2011

2011-09-20T15:49:00.000-07:00

life guard tower 26 - Ocean Park Santa Monica, CA

trash collected for 20 minutes

1 pound

821.8 pounds total

Susan, her son Simon and me

Community Count Day - 168

trash collected for 20 minutes

4.45 pounds (including one garden shovel with wooden handle and metal trough!)

842.55 pounds total

DAILY OCEAN COMBINED TOTAL - 1,664.35 pounds in - 387 cleanups

Susan and her family joined me for a beach cleanup Sunday night. I really like it when people are interested in coming out to the beach with me. It was their family's second beach cleanup of the weekend since COASTAL CLEANUP DAY was the day before. Here's an impressive stat. -

11,000 PEOPLE COVERED 86 MILES AND REMOVED 22 TONS OF TRASH SAT. SEPT. 17

The next morning after I took this shot, I was out in the water behind this very beach and found more balloons. I swam past the sets to the two green deflated balloons, grabbed them, swam back, popped them, and tucked them into my rash guard for later disposal. Balloons are not a party for the ocean. Animals mistake them for food, eat them, and get sick or die.

A question that Coastal Cleanup participants at Venice Pier asked me more than once as I was weighing in their findings for Surfrider was, "Where do we mark down Styrofoam? (on the CCD data card that Ocean Conservancy wants handed out to volunteers)"

answer - they don't have a place to mark Styrofoam.

I find this odd.

We instructed that they mark Styrofoam under plastics, but really O.C.?

Let's acknowledge one of the most pervasive and polluting kinds of trash out their in the marine eco-system.

Styrofoam - if balloons look like jelly fish, don't you think that broken down bits of Styrofoam double nicely for fish eggs?

And fish eggs are food for just about everyone out there....birds, other fish...it's a long list.

Why do we make efforts like Coastal Cleanup Day? See the photo above.

Th Daily Ocean Photography Exhibit at The Art Studio Gallery

2011-09-20T15:30:00.000-07:00

me and my friend Siel who writes the amazing green LA girl blog

Thank you to all of the people who came out to my opening on Sat. It was a lot of fun and we had a great turnout. I know that last weekend was packed so not to worry if you thought you could make it, but got sidetracked. The show will be up until Sept. 30. I will be gallery sitting a couple of times and will let you know when on FB and Twitter. Also, we hung the show so that if you want to walk on by, you can see most of it from the street.

The Art Studio Gallery - 1612 Ocean Park Blvd. Santa Monica 90405

Thank you to my husband Garen who tended bar.

The trash that I collected from 4 - 20 minute cleanups the week leading up to the opening.

My friend Kirsten James from Heal the Bay came by after a monster-long-day of Coastal Cleanup activities and then went to a Lucinda Williams show! Thanks for stopping by Kirsten!

Another Heal the Bay champ - Natalie Burdick - showed up too! Thank you Natalie! Heal the Bay hosted Coastal Cleanup Bay in our area & were kind enough to post about the opening on their webpage

A kelp photograph hangs in the window of the gallery that can be seen from the sidewalk.

I wrote text to go underneath some of the photographs. My friend Mary Michel (who put this show together with her husband Toby - HUGE THANKS!!) suggested that since I combine writing and photography, I do the same for the show. It felt right to see the two elements up together.

Mary and Toby own and operate the Angeles Printing Studio on Ocean Park Blvd. Mary is a fantastic photographer and artist. Thanks to Mary for printing out all of the photographs for the show.

This print is at least 2 feet by 3 feet. I love seeing it blown up to this scale.

One of the most commented prints of the night. All of my photographs are exactly what I saw when I took them. I don't:

- crop

-alter the color or lighting

- move anything before I take the shot

- what you see is what I saw

Sometimes the best shots are out there, ready and waiting for you to walk up and find them.

If you have any questions about the show or the prints in them: email me - thedailyocean@yahoo.com

Day 218 - Sept. 15, 2011

2011-09-16T11:52:00.000-07:00

life guard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 minutes

1.8 pounds

820.8 pounds total

Globs of natural tar seeping up through the sandy bay bottom are washing up onto the beach in handfuls. I almost didn't see this petroleum based black plastic lid tucked in amongst the tar balls.

Come out tomorrow and help Heal The Bay pick it all up for COASTAL CLEANUP DAY.

Then join me in the afternoon for the opening of a

Daily Ocean Photography Exhibit at the Art Studio Gallery

- 1612 Ocean Park Blvd., Santa Monica

refreshments from 4:30 - 7

bring a friend, grab a drink, talk to folks who care about the ocean just like you

Grrrrr...

Last night I collected less than 2 pounds. It felt more like a walk than a beach cleanup. I enjoyed the welcome change. Here's to picking up less and less and less...

Day 217 - Sept. 14, 2011

2011-09-15T15:21:00.000-07:00

life guard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 minutes

1.9 pounds

819 pounds total

This Sat. is COASTAL CLEANUP DAY - a day when millions of people come out along every coast and up most rivers, collecting millions of tons of trash. Last year was the biggest yet!

Join HEAL THE BAY SAT. MORNING

JOIN ME FOR A DAILY OCEAN PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT OPENING IN THE P.M.

The Art Studio Gallery

1612 Ocean Park Blvd.

Santa Monica, CA

4:30 - 7:00 for refreshments

CHICOBAG settled their David VS. Goliath law suit.

Turns out it's a huge waste of time for large plastics manufacturers to sue a company with a bully suit.

Especially one that brings 25,000 signatures to the table telling them to knock it off the very first time they meet!

Care2 Petition is the modern day slingshot.

ONE BEACH is a film produced by BAREFOOT WINE that will air on FB in Sept.

They sent out a phenomenal press kit including a vial of sand collected by Judith Lang at Kehoe beach where her and her husband Richard have been collecting plastics that wash up there, and re-purposing them into art.

It also included a print of one of her collages, a t-shirt to BAN THE BAG, a bracelet the Judith made &

TAKE 3 STICKER (their motto - what if everyone took 3 pieces of trash off the beach when they left?)

Featuring people like Surfrider's Jim Moriarty - ONE BEACH is about creativity, optimism and keeping the world's beaches clean. I'm definitely going to be watching!

My friend Kit makes earrings out of these small clam shells. If you live in Santa Monica, go to

TEN WOMEN GALLERY and check them out.

I had a strange feeling we weren't alone when we went into the water this morning. By alone, I mean animals other than ones on surfboards, or wearing short fins to catch the waves. A small patch of dark gray water moved closer to me, looked like it sniffed my fin and then took off without surfacing. I called to a friend that I thought a sea lion had checked me out and then took off. I brushed the feeling off until I saw Peter Walerstein drive up in his truck to rescue a severely emaciated Sea Lion pup that had washed up onto the beach near where we'd been surfing. He is the real deal.

He runs MARINE ANIMAL RESCUE - A PROJECT OF FRIENDS OF ANIMALS.

If you see a marine mammal, or bird in trouble he's your guy. 24 hours a day all 365 of them.

Day 216 - Sept. 11, 2011

2011-09-12T15:52:00.000-07:00

I had to start with this photograph because before I even left the parking lot, before I even got out of my car, this plastic bag blew past me. I hopped out, stamped down on it and took a picture. Would this be an omen for my Sunday night collection? Read on to find out.

life guard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 minutes

4.6 pounds collected

817.1 pounds total

Santa Monica has adopted some pretty impressive environmental initiatives over the last few years. One of which, banning single-use plastic bags, just came into effect Sept. 1. But we need to put some lids on these cans! Do you think lids would help keep the gulls scavenger beaks from spreading trash across the sand? Leave me a comment if you have an opinion. I'd like to contact the Santa Monica Office for the Environment and Sustainability soon to ask them to replace these old bins for ones with a top.

Your comments will help.

I have a photography exhibit opening this Sat. the 17th. I am saving my collections from the week to display along with my photographs. This trash collection now includes 2 diapers. 2! If I was worried about how the gallery was going to smell with some salty cigarette butts, now I'm really concerned...

COASTAL CLEANUP DAY - SAT. SEPT. 17TH - SIGN UP WITH HEAL THE BAY

Full moon fever over Santa Monica last night.

PLEASE COME TO MY OPENING ON SAT. CLICK ON THE IMAGE FOR DETAILS.

Day 215 - Sept. 10, 2011

2011-09-10T22:43:00.000-07:00

life guard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 minutes

2.8 pounds

812.5 pounds total

NEXT SAT. THE 17TH, I AM HAVING AN OPENING FOR A DAILY OCEAN PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT. PLEASE COME FOR REFRESHMENTS AFTER CLEANING THE BEACH EARLIER IN THE DAY. THE 17TH IS ALSO COASTAL CLEANUP DAY. SUPPORT HEAL THE BAY, GO TO A CLEANUP SIGHT AND THEN COME BY LATER ON TO MEET MORE LIKE-MINDED OCEAN LOVERS AND SEE WHAT I'VE FOUND ON THE BEACH...THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE "TRASHY"

CLICK ON THE IMAGE ABOVE FOR MORE DETAILS

AND PLEASE

SPREAD THE WORD!

I came home from our research expedition last May with two issues weighing heavily on my mind: climate change, and over fishing. Here's an article that shows these two issues are the basis for the mass extinction of marine life:

"(Reuters) - Life in the oceans is at imminent risk of the worst spate of extinctions in millions of years due to threats such as climate change and over-fishing..."

Today was about catching up with my online communications. Most of which I enjoyed doing. It felt good to uncover emails that had gotten shoved to the bottom of my inbox, but it also meant reading many articles that I had saved for later.

And these articles, like the one mentioned above, were about marine eco-systems in trouble. With all of this information, what are we to do? Well...for a small start you can go to PEW Charitable Trusts website, hook into activism right from your computer. You may want to read an article, take an action, alternating so that you leave your desk, or the coffee shop with some small sense of hope.

PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE SECRET LIFE OF HAWAIIAN GREEN SEA TURTLES: STUNNING

Day 214 - Sept. 8, 2011

2011-09-09T15:34:00.000-07:00

life guard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica, CA

trash collected for 20 minutes

1.7 pounds collected

809.7 pounds total

COMMUNITY COUNT DAY 168

Lisa and friend

trash collected for 20 min.

1.7 pounds

839.8 pounds total

DAILY OCEAN TOTAL = 1,649.5 POUNDS COMBINED

(more than twice the world's heaviest Sumo Wrestler)

This six pack ring was a re-tread from the deep. The plastic was brittle, and yellowed with age. I have a hunch that it washed back up onto the sand after some severe surf pounded the coast last week. Hard to believe we haven't found a better way to package our cans. A way that doesn't strangle wildlife.

California is considering a ban on Styrofoam take-out containers. Here' a recent article from MSNBC to update yourself if you are interested in learning more. I remember days and days in the winter, spending 20 minutes collecting teeny-tiny bits of the stuff from the sand. Toxic confetti for our fish to feast on.

I want to thank Lisa for getting in touch with me and for her interest in The Daily Ocean. We connected through a mutual friend, our Yoga teacher Tara Judelle, who I miss terribly since she moved to Bali.

Tara told a class Lisa was in about a time when we were on retreat in Tulum, Mexico together after a hurricane had demolished the coast. I broke into tears during one of our classes on yogic philosophy and the idea that everything is OK just as it is. Looking at the coastline, and all the crap that was strewn along the picturesque white sand beach behind us, I couldn't reconcile things being OK with what I saw.

I still can't. But I suppose in some way it is alright. And in a very real way, enlightenment is not on this life's "TO DO" list for me. For today anyway. In my limited understanding, it is very human to care and none of us escape here with being anything less than that. From that trip, a seed was planted in me to do something about what upset me. A year and a half later, The Daily Ocean was born.

Swimming in the ocean feels as close as I'll get to flying on my own.

Day 213 - Sept. 6, 2011

2011-09-07T11:37:00.000-07:00

Day 213 - Santa Monica, CA

trash collected for 20 minutes

4.9 pounds collected

808 pounds collected

Barefoot Wine (a huge supporter of Surfrider) has a new film coming out: ONE BEACH

Can creativity save our beaches?

Here's the trailer

OK - Can you say GREEN WASHING?!?!

Turning plastic back into crude is being toted by such environmental groups as Surfrider and GOOD magazine as a solution to our oil dependence. I am highly suspicious. Can you imagine the energy intensive process to get solid plastics back to crude oil? What are the carbon emissions of such a procedure? And that's just for starters....What about other toxic emissions?

READ FOR YOURSELF AND THEN READ THIS COMPANIES CIRCUITOUS WEBSITE

Join the international alliance of STAND UP PADDLE BOARDERS working for the WATER

STAND UP FOR WATER

We're understanding more and more how intelligent some of our fellow earthling creatures are.

And just in time too.

Here's a very interesting article on dolphins in Shark's Bay Australia who have been documented using shells as tools to catch fish.

From this article, you can read more about breakthroughs in understanding on how similar their language and communication capabilities are to us, and watch a video on Bottlenose dolphins hydroplaning onto the beach to catch fish. How smart are they? The answer seems obvious to me. Very.

A NOTE TO DAILY OCEAN BLOG READERS

2011-08-31T13:45:00.000-07:00

I have been under-the-weather for almost two weeks now. Without going into too many uncomfortable details, I will just say that by evening after I have succumbed to hunger, and eaten something, I have to stay close to home. I thought it was a "stomach bug" but that would have passed by now. I go to NYC tomorrow for my dad's wedding, arriving home late Monday night. Please excuse the long delay between collections. Trust me, I would much rather be fully functioning than home taking Tums...among some stronger medicines. I hope to be back soon!