On September 16th, 2017 the Coastal Society’s URI Chapter participated in the 32nd annual International Coastal Cleanup at Scarborough State Beach in Narragansett. URI students from a number of departments gathered to collect over 80 pounds of plastic bottles, discarded clothes, fishing line, cigarette butts, and more. In order to contribute to the Ocean Conservancy’s 2017 item-by-item Ocean Trash Index, collected marine debris was sorted into categories and counted. Piles of metal cans, straws, fishing gear and napkins were counted and recorded, and then submitted to the Ocean Conservancy’s database.
Other coastal cleanups as part of International Coastal Cleanup occurred throughout Rhode Island, as well as on other coastal locations around the globe.
For more information about the Coastal Society’s University of Rhode Island chapter, and to get involved in future beach cleanups, contact thecoastalsocietyuri@gmail.com
