Grassy Key, FL… On Tuesday, November 12th, Dolphin Research Center (DRC) hosted and coordinated a Toms Harbor Bridge Clean-Up, located at mile marker 60.6, in an effort to contribute and clean-up the Keys local environment. To keep more trash from entering the water, and to raise public awareness of the problem, Dolphin Research Center coordinates bridge clean-ups throughout the year.
It’s estimated that 24 million pounds of plastic enter the ocean each year which is roughly equivalent to an entire truckload of trash each minute. This trash contains a number of materials that last a very long time in the ocean from a couple weeks to hundreds of years. While marine debris will eventually break down or biodegrade, it will never completely disappear and every year, 43% of marine mammals are affected either through ingestion or entanglement. Discarded monofilament lines pose a huge threat to marine life. There was a significant amount of fishing line collected during this cleanup. Over the years, Dolphin Research Center has rescued and treated manatees numerous times for monofilament entanglement injuries. Florida manatees, dolphins, turtles, birds, and other animals frequently become entangled in or ingest marine debris and can suffer life-threatening injuries. During this cleanup, DRC was able to collect 15 bags of trash and recycling. Some other notable items that were collected were:
- Over 200 plastic and glass beverage bottles combined
- Over 60 food wrappers/containers
- 76 beverage cans
- 48 caps, lids
- 35 cups, plates, forks, knives, spoons
- 25 plastic straws, stirrers
- 1 plastic patio chair
- 1 beach umbrella w/o the canopy
- 30 zip ties
- Over 40 cigarette butts & vape pens/cartridges combined
The statistics from the cleanup were shared with the Ocean Conservancy to compile cleanup data from around the world. This information aids in public education and awareness, to influence and drive legislation, and also to celebrate the good that people are doing.
