Hundreds to collect trash, record data for marine research
SEACOAST NH –
It may say September on the calendar, but some New Hampshire
students are still heading for the beach. Students from all over the state will
gather at Hampton Beach State Park, North Beach, Foss Beach, and Wallis Sands
on Friday, September 14 to participate in the New Hampshire Coastal Cleanup.
New Hampshire schools include Little Harbour and Dondero Elementary Schools
from Portsmouth, Hampstead Middle School, Nottingham School, Sant Bani School
and Nute Middle School. Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation is
coordinating the cleanup, which is expected to involve more than 400 students.
Students will pick up trash on the beach and record their
findings on data cards for further study by Blue Ocean Society for Marine
Conservation and the Ocean Conservancy as part of their efforts to learn more
about marine pollution, both locally and internationally.
This is no ordinary day at the beach. Before heading out to
the cleanup, students will learn about the environmental problems related to
marine debris, including the dangers to marine mammals, fish, and birds from
entanglement or ingestion. Through their participation in the cleanup, students
will have a hands-on experience with scientific data collection. Their data
sheets will contribute important data to ongoing research concerning the
worldwide sources of marine debris. Ultimately, the trash that these students
collect will help us to learn how we can prevent more from showing up in its
place.
Last year, more than 500 students, teachers and chaperones
participated in the cleanup and collected 19,946 pieces of trash. The number
one item collected was cigarette butts - close to 11,000 were collected by
students alone.
The cleanup continues for the general public on Saturday,
September 15, when more than twenty sites will be cleaned. Volunteers are
needed in Durham, Rye, and Hampton. In addition to the cleanup, Blue Ocean
Society offers interactive presentations about marine pollution, research, and
conservation to area schools. To learn more about the cleanup or to schedule a
presentation, call 603-431-0260 or visit www.blueoceansociety.org.
Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation is a Portsmouth-based
non-profit organization whose mission is to protect marine mammals in the Gulf
of Maine through conservation, education, and research. Blue Ocean Society
conducts much of its work in the New Hampshire Seacoast region. Funding to
coordinate the Coastal Cleanup was provided by the New Hampshire Coastal
Program (NHCP) under the Coastal Zone Management Act by NOAA's Office of Ocean
and Coastal Resource Management. The NHCP is a federally approved coastal
program and is administered by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental
Services. The NHCP strives to maintain a balance between the use and
preservation of coastal resources. Through partnerships, funding and science,
the NHCP works to improve water quality and decision-making in forty-two coastal
watershed communities, supports maritime uses, and restores coastal wetlands.
