Day 133 - July 23, 2010

life guard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 minutes

4.5 pounds

542.6 total
The Nautica Triathlon is coming up on Sept. 11 and 12th. Oceana will be there, and so will I. Interested in registering?

Check out their homepage here.

I'd like to do a beach cleanup with the participants, and volunteers. Want to join us? Let's leave Malibu a little cleaner as a small thank you for the beautiful environment that will provide the athletes with a chance to compete.
This sand toy stands out in stark contrast to the beach for more than one reason. Sure, it's neon orange, but it is also...plastic.
Visit the Smithsonian Ocean Portal Blog for tips on how to take care of the beaches and oceans we enjoy in the summer months.

"Actions that seem small, like dropping a piece of litter or cutting across a sand dune instead of taking the designated walkway, can add up to big problems when repeated by millions, or even dozens, of people. Our coastal waters are heavily impacted and face many threats on an ongoing basis. Surely we can show some respect by recreating responsibly when we visit in person."

Band-aids....one of my least favorite finds on the beach. Water wins the war over sticky adhesive yet there are plenty of people out to prove that theirs will hold where no other band-aid has held before.
This Sunday Rob from MERR (Marine Education, Research and Rehabilitation) will collect trash off his local beach in Delaware that gets a lot of use in the summer months. I'll do the same here in Santa Monica and report back both of our findings here on The Daily Ocean.

MERR was a finalist in this years Ocean Hero Contest from Oceana. We connected through this honor, became friends, and have committed to working together in the future. Like minds have to stick together.

MERR is an incredible program. Rob said they recently found a dead Northern Right Whale though. Right Whales stay close to the surface and move slowly. Therefor they were named, the "Right Whale" to hunt for. Now it just means that they are casualties for shipping accidents. Very sad. But they take care of lots of other marine animals, spread awareness and ocean love. Check them out!