Thursday, March 12, 2009

A rising tide of ocean debris and what we can do about it

Source: Ocean Conservancy
"The report features the organization’s annual Marine Debris Index the world’s only country-by-country, state-by-state analysis of trash in our ocean and waterways. The trash was collected and the data recorded by the nearly 400,000 volunteers around the world who combed their local beaches and waterways during the 23rd International Coastal Cleanup the largest volunteer effort of its kind. Volunteers removed nearly seven million (6.8 million) pounds of debris, from 6,485 sites in 104 countries and 42 U.S. states and the District of Columbia with a common mission of improving the health of the ocean. This year’s report zeroes in on the hazardous impacts of trash on wildlife and the resilience of our ocean in the wake of rising sea levels, warming and acidification, some of the most serious effects of global climate change."