Day 264 - March 7, 2012

lifeguard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 min.

2 pounds

973.2 pounds total 

Oceana altered it's followers with a plea to help them stop the sale of Manta Ray Leather. That's right, along with their shark cousins, they're body parts are being ground into "medicine" and tanned into boots. I was unaware that these gentle, slow developing giants, were being threatened like their shark cousins. Help Oceana tell this online retailer to stop selling Manta Ray leather. 

It was a very windy sunset. The wind parted the sand, revealing treasure troves of plastic packaging. 

Fresh tracks at sunset on this stunning beach, but do we see all of what's around us?

Day 263 - March 5, 2012

lifeguard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 min.

2 pounds

971.2 pounds total 

I met my friend Danielle who writes It Starts With Me over a year and a half ago when she came out with her family onto the beach here in Santa Monica with me for a Daily Ocean beach cleanup. She went home and started her own Daily Ocean, which is exactly my hope for anyone who wishes to. Of all the people who have lent their hands to this, Danielle has put forth the most stunning, consistent effort. She's collected over 40,000 butts from her local beach in just over 100 days! 

Here's a quote from her latest post. She needs our help! We'll give it, won't we?

"Interesting fact time!  In 122 days, doing 20 minute beach clean ups.... we've picked up 40,827 cigarette butts off of Wrightsville Beach.  That averages out to picking up nearly 17 cigarette butts every minute! YIKES!  Houston Wrightsville Beach: We have a problem.  The hearing for the proposed smoking ban on Wrightsville Beach is exactly a week away.  Please mark your calendars for March 8.  The meeting starts at 6 PM.... and we need everyone that supports our efforts to show up to the meeting.  We can do this TOGETHER!! :)" - IT STARTS WITH ME

Please sign this SURFRIDER action alert. We can lend our names even if we can't fly to N.C. on March 8th to be there in person for their local meeting deciding on whether or not to ban smoking along their stretch of coastline. 

SUPPORT A SMOKE-FREE WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH

Before this sunset blew my mind, I watched a small pod of dolphins close to shore. Nights like these make me so glad I started this blog. If not me, then who will stand up for this place I love?

Day 262 - March 3, 2012

lifeguard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 min. 

3.3 pounds

969.2 pounds total 

NEWS ALERT -- LARGEST PLANT FOR PLASTIC BOTTLE-2-BOTTLE RECYCLING TO OPEN IN RIVERSIDE CA

I say this in "all caps" with some snarkiness. Beautiful days like yesterday bring people to the beach. People leave water bottles on the sand. Where there are people, there are plastic water bottles. And in Los Angeles, there are a lot of freakin' people. 

Recycling is considered part of the solution to plastic pollution. I do emphasize part of the solution because this plant will have a whopping 20% recycling rate. 

Since when should we tote incredibly low percentages as a win?

You may also sense frustration in this post. I steer away from overt emotionalism on The Daily Ocean, but when I see bottle, after bottle, after bottle, and then celebratory cheers over 20%, I shake my head. This last part you'll have to take my word about. A final word about this subject for the day: reusable. 

Will you add your John Hancock to save sharks from drift nets in Australia? Here's the Care2 petition. 

Day 261 - March 1, 2012

lifeguard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 min. 

1.4 pounds

965.9 pounds total 

90% of all the big fish are gone. 

Gone? Overfished. Out of the ocean. Not around anymore. Yes, gone. I've heard this frightening statistic before, but CNN had an update for us this week. In the esteemed science journal Nature, there's a recent study that took ten years to compile. You can argue with it...but it would be like arguing Global Warming. Like a certain political party, the only ones opposing this scientific research are the people with something to gain by denying the facts - Tuna Fishery Commissions. Come on guys, really? 

Read it for yourself and decide. 

I'm thinking it's damn scary. 

This bottle looks like it's been kicking around in the ocean for awhile. 

Here's an interesting post from Bill Hickman of Surfrider - VOLUNTARY PLASTIC BAG REDUCTIONS DON'T WORK. He covers all the facts, and even includes a photo of a mountain of  used plastic bags waiting for a buyer that's never coming. Single use plastic bag usage is upwards of 

100 Billion to 115 Billion in the USA alone! 

OK, I need a pick-me-up after this post....got it! Here's a bit of hope from PEW - A video from Palau about how sharks are worth far more to their economy alive rather than, well you know. 

Reef sharks swarming around corals does make me smile. Pass it on. 

Day 260 - Feb. 28, 2012

lifeguard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 minutes

2.5 pounds

964.5 pounds total 

Community Count Day 206 - Dom Bonuccelli and the Lonely Planet TV Crew

trash collected for 20 min.

1.5 pounds

927.4 pounds total 

DAILY OCEAN COMBINED TOTAL OF TRASH TAKEN OFF BEACHES: 1,891.9 LBS.

Last night, a film crew from Lonely Planet TV joined me on the beach for an interview. It was a lot of fun meeting their show's host Dom, and the rest of the gang out on the sand. They're doing an episode on Southern California, focusing on taking care of the environment and outdoor adventure. I'm honored that their Program Developer, Maria who follows my blog, suggested including The Daily Ocean in their travels. Thank you!

Dom and I discussed how sea turtles eat plastics that end up in the ocean, mistaking them for their favorite food - jellyfish. 

At Turtle Island Restoration Network, scientists calculated that 37% of leatherbacks (the most prehistoric looking, and giant of them all) have plastic inside them. 

They've created a Kids Coloring Page - California Leatherbacks Sees Plastic Pollution - to educate children about this growing problem. Check it out! It's very well done. 

This is Dom's prize find last night. The last three times I've gone out for a cleanup, I've found sand toys. And like most that I find, nothing seems to be the problem with this witchy bucket. 

My friend Harry (of the cool blog FLOTSOM DIARIES) left a comment on Day 259 describing a very under-priced sack of sand toys he saw that could be grabbed as an after thought on the way to the check out line. He wonders what's the incentive for parents to keep track of said plastic object that cost them less than a dollar in the first place? Nice point Harry. Convenience often equals conveniently left behind or forgotten.

My friend Stiv Wilson wrote an article for ALTERNET called, "7 DANGEROUS LIES ABOUT PLASTIC" It's well worth taking the time to educate yourself on the spin surrounding plastics and the rampant pollution caused by plastic. Nicely done Stiv!

"Lie #4: It shouldn't be called "plastic pollution" but rather "marine debris"" 

Day 259 - Feb. 26, 2012

lifeguard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 min. 

3.9 pounds

962 pounds total

Another sand toy deserted on the beach...this one, unlike the night I came out with the Girl Scouts, has no visible defect. 

My friend Russ at INTERNATIONAL BIRD RESCUE let me know recently that they've revamped their blog, highlighting their heroic, and consistent efforts to rescue sea birds of all varieties. If you love sea birds, if you love the ocean, if you care what's happening to our marine environment then please take a minute to read their blog, and support the work they're doing day after day to make a difference. 

INTERNATIONAL BIRD RESCUE

San Fransisco finally banned the bag city wide. Yay! Effective Oct., 2012

They join over two dozen cities in the USA who have done the same...and counting. 

Here are the specifics of the law from the Huff Post

Community Count Day 205 - Feb. 23, 2012

Community Count Day 205 

lifeguard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 min.

2 pounds

925.9 pounds total 

The Daily Ocean combined total pounds of trash collected  - 1,884 pounds

Want to get involved? Here's how. 

On your mark, get set....go get some trash! All five girls in the local girl scout troop that met me at the beach for a cleanup raced off when I started the timer on my watch. I took this to be a good sign, and I was right. They were engaged, inquisitive and focused for 20 whole mintues, scouring the beach. 

"Is that a jellyfish?" asked one of them. I explained that it was plastic. We discussed one of the reasons to use less plastic packaging in your day-to-day life is because if the wrappers end up in a storm drain and then washed to the ocean, marine aminals eat this refuse and get sick. Jellyfish being the favorite food of sea turtles means plastic is particularly a problem for them. 

My contribution to the collection. The scouts were so fast, bending down to grab up every piece of trash we came upon, but the group passed by this shovel. I believe it may be because a sand toy doesn't register as trash in their minds. Why would someone leave behind a perfectly good digger? They must be coming back for it? Maybe they're just up the beach? It has to be someone's? I've learned that this isn't always true. On closer inspection, when I saw the crack in the pink plastic, I knew it had been apandoned, and I added it to my bag. 

A jolly rancher wrapper - yet another puzzling leftover to find on the beach. 

Top three most frequently found varieties of trash taken off the sand are:

1. cigarette butts

2. candy wrappers

3. fast food wrappers

A big thank you to all the girl scouts for coming out and for my friend Bailey who is one of their troop leaders for arranging the cleanup with me. I hope to see you out here again soon and thanks!!

Speaking of cigareete butts, my incredible friend Danielle who writes the blog, "It Starts With Me," collected her 40,000 cigarette butt the other day. 

40,000!!!!

 Here's her post. 

She adds her collections to my Community Count and has contributed

 over 200 pounds and 120 days to the tally.

Danielle, thanks for the continued inspiration and friendship. 

Day 258 - Feb. 22, 2012

lifeguard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 minutes

1.5 pounds collected

958.1 pounds total 

What I saw at/on the beach tonight:

1. Valentine's Day balloons, like I did in Feb. on Day 99

2. cigarette butts

3. plastic straws

4. Wasabi Seaweed snack packaging from Trader Joes

5. clear plastic packaging

1. A father and two kids playing in the surf

2. Grey Whales spouting closer to shore than I'd ever seen!

3. A Sea Lion keeping an eye on the man fishing from shore, scarfing up loose bait

4. People stopping to tell fellow beach walkers that there were whales! 

5. A father teaching his 13 year old son how to surf at sunset

Here's an incredible collection of photographs from National Geographic photographers whose efforts are in conservation. Photography for conservation....sounds like a good idea that is well used. These shots will stun you with their beauty. 

Federal funding is being cut to monitor beach water quality. Concerned? We should be. 

Here's the scoop. And here's the petition you can sign. 

Day 257 - Feb. 20, 2012

lifeguard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 min. 

2.2 pounds 

956.6 pounds total 

A dispurbing email appeared in my inbox today titled,"100,000 GARBAGE BAGS WORTH OF TRASH WASHES INTO SAN FRANSISCO BAY EACH YEAR."

The assessment was conducted by the Bay Area Stormwater Management Agencies Association. 

This is powerful information to have. There are suggestions given to reduce liter, most of which hand sole responsibility over to the individual. 

While I agree that modifying my own habits reduces liter, and therefor keeps it out of the water, I would like to see more pressure put on companies that create the packaging we buy. 

Extended Producer Responsibility - in shorthand - companies who include reclaimation of their product packaging at the beginning of their business model. It's happening....very slowly. 

But read this staggering report about the Bay Area for yourself. 

How many bags would the LA area fill? I cringe thinking about it. 

Stunning photographs of a "Cloud Tsunami" rolling over Florida appeared on MSNBC's photoblog last week. Incredible. 

People incorporate the beach into their everyday lives around here. I had a simular goal when I started The Daily Ocean in March of 2009. As time ticks on, I get selfconscious of how long my 365 non-consecutive goal has taken me. I mistakenly thought I'd breeze through this task in a little over a year. In actuality, it's taken much longer. I guess being away 3 and 1/2 months out of the last year can set you back...


But as I collected from the beach last night, a new acceptance came to me about the length of this project. The Daily Ocean HAS settled into my day-to-day life whether I'm collecting one day, or blogging the next, and even on the days inbetween posting cycles. This blog HAS inserted a measure of environmental action into my routine that is managable, and ongoing, no matter how long it takes me to get to my perceived "finish line." In the doing, I'm already there. 

Day 256 - Feb. 18, 2012

lifeguard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 min. 

4.3 pounds 

954.4 pounds total 

Little plastic gems like this one always hide in the debris at the high tide line. 

But on a positive note, these photographs of Bottlenose Dolphins catching a ride on a Humpback Whale astound me. You read that right. Now see for yourself. 

Humpbacks and Dolphins hanging out 

The kind folks at GARBO GRABBER sent me this nifty device to collect trash. It turns out this little gadget makes my collection go smoother, and I think I collect more because I am not stooping over, just cruising along snapping up debris. Thanks GARBO GRABBER - your little grabber rocks!

I've been thinking about our President since we saw his Marine 1 Chopper cruise over the beach last week. In fact, I've seen him fly over at least three times in the last year! My fantasy is that he's checking out the surf, thinking "man-o-man why does D.C. have to be on the East Coast?" He's a kick ass body surfer. Now who are you going to vote for? Really. Could we get someone better? I'm clearly biased.

Day 255 - Feb. 15, 2012

lifeguard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 min.

5 pounds

950.1 pounds total 

The processor on my Panasonic LUMIX leaves a purple splotch on some of my photographs. Goodbye LUMIX. I thought I could live with the imperfection, but it took a night like this to realize that unwanted patches of purple light just won't due. The beach tonight was spectacular, contrasts of light and dark illuminated the landscape in dazzling ways every direction I looked. 

"Just because you can't see it, doesn't mean it isn't there."

The picture below courtesy of ADVERTISERS WITHOUT BOARDERS

KIDS OCEAN DAY

Thursday June 7, 2012

Dockweiler State Beach, LA

They are expecting 100 buses and 6,000 kids! 

They'll form an ariel picture within a giant shield saying : DEFEND THE SEA

Think they'll need volunteers? Keep an eye on their website to lend a hand.

A woman reached out to me on twitter to support her new book, "SAVE THE SEA!" Alejandra is an environmental journalist and writer. Her story is colorful and educational, getting the message out to kids that there's a lot of trash in the ocean. She includes how we can help protect this place we love that makes up most of our planet. 

OCEAN OF TRASH BLOGSPOT

Help SURFRIDER keep BP accountable in the Gulf! Support bi-partisan bill RESTORE Act (S. 1400)

Underwater Cinematographer, Mike deGruy passed away after a helicopter accident scouting locations for a new James Cameron documentary. 

Here's what executive director of HEAL THE OCEAN has to say about her friend in the Santa Barbara paper, The Independent. 


My husband Garen mentioned his passing to me this week. He was saddened to hear of his accident after spending time with Mike when he gave a presentation on the Santa Monica College campus last year. He was clearly a man of creativity, passion, and skill with a genuine love for the ocean. He will be missed.