HOW THE COASTAL CLEANUP BEGAN In 1986, a staff member of The Ocean Conservancy was appalled by the amount of trash she found littering the shores of South Padre Island, Texas. She took responsible action by organizing a beach cleanup. In three hours, 800 Texans picked up 12 ton of trash from 122 miles of coastline! With that, The Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup was born. That event was just the beginning of a movement for cleaner beaches and waterways. Later it grew to encompass the shorelines of 25 U.S. states and territories. In 1989, the cleanup went international, with the participation of residents of Canada and Mexico. To date, over 6 million volunteers have removed over 100 million pounds of marine litter from a grand total of 170,000 miles of beaches and inland waterways. Volunteers record specific types of marine debris being found, allowing the Ocean Conservancy to compile, analyze and track this data year by year and make discoveries about behaviors that cause debris. This information is then used to educate the public, business, industry and government officials about the problem. | ADVOCATE FOR A WILD HEATHY OCEAN Mission - Ocean Conservancy promotes healthy and diverse ocean ecosystems and opposes practices that threaten ocean life and human life. Through research, education, and science-based advocacy, Ocean Conservancy informs, inspires and empowers people to speak and act on behalf of the ocean. In all its work, Ocean Conservancy strives to be the world's foremost advocate for the ocean. Vision - Ocean Conservancy envisions a world with a wild, healthy ocean, where diverse ecosystems of abundant marine wildlife, natural habitats, and clean ocean waters are restored and conserved for generations to come. Strategic Priorities - restore sustainable American Fisheries; protect marine wildlife from human impacts; conserve special ocean places and reform government for better ocean stewardship. For more information on the Ocean Conservancy and to become a member, please visit their website at www.oceanconservancy.org. |