Storms Plus High Tides Equals Large Amounts of Trash at the Beach
A Special Thanks to the Beach Ambassadors
When we experience storms and unusually high tides, the sea returns and deposits a large amount of trash onto the beach. Most of it is broken pieces of plastics - much of it is caught up in the seaweed. The trash is strewn along the entire beach.
Photo credit: IG @DZIRRY
Removing trash from the beach is important year-round. Removing these plastics, shoes, bottles, bottle caps, balloons/balloon strings, and other harmful debris before they are washed back into the ocean an especially important environmental initiative during storm surge and high tides.
Many of the Amelia Island Beach and Marine Life Conservancy Beach Ambassadors stepped up to the recent challenge of removing storm and high tide debris washed up on shore. We thank the Beach Ambassadors for combing the sand to recover items that had been in the sea for years.
Some comments from Beach Ambassadors - visit our Facebook page to see more.
“You actually wouldn’t have to walk much. Just turn over the seaweed which is tangled with plastic...”
“I spent over an hour in a very small space. I was between access 9 & 6 combing through piles of seaweed. Lots of plastic & rope.”
“We filled 8, 5-gallon buckets in all and were surprised by how much of the long balloon ribbons were tangled up in the seaweed.Lots of sandals and personal care items too.”