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A green sea turtle entangled in a fishing net. Credit: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The day before Georgia hosts a football game against Florida, thousands of Bulldogs fans congregate on St. Simons Island for a big party. And the following day, county workers congregate there for a big clean-up.
The trash is more than unsightly. Birds can get tangled in plastic, and if the trash washes out to sea, turtles can choke on plastic bags they mistake for jellyfish.
Over the last few years, though, a project by scientists and volunteers has helped make the beach a little safer. An education campaign and extra litter barrels try to cut down on the trash, and a brigade of volunteers — more than 170 in 2014 — helps clean up what’s left.
While climate change and coastal development are big problems that require big solutions, many other marine problems are being helped with small solutions, like the Georgia beach project. They combine the talents of scientists, government agencies, and volunteers to help make things a little better.
In Oregon, for example, a project allows residents to bring in oysters and clams from their beaches for testing. Scientists check them for harmful bacteria, and help the locals identify and correct sources of pollution.
And a Texas project collects old fishing line. Scores of collection bins are located on beaches and at businesses along the Texas coast. Anglers dump used line in the bins, and volunteers pick up discarded line they find on the beaches.
These and other projects help make the coast a little bit friendlier for marine life — and for people, too.
