Greetings colleagues!
I want to take a moment to say thank you for the warm welcome I have received from all the members of our Pacific Northwest Marine Debris community that I've been fortunate to connect with so far. I am continually amazed by the phenomenal work that each of you have accomplished, even more so in light of the current "Stay-at-Home" orders that most of us are dealing with. I look forward to the time when we can all meet again as a community to conduct beach cleanups and attend workshops, but for the foreseeable future, all planned in-person workshops sponsored by NOAA have been postponed. Pictured above: Andrew on a hike in the Superstition Mountains east of Phoenix, AZ in September 2019 (Photo: Andrew Mason).
Now more than ever I am happy to share with you a taste of what your peers have been doing over the last six months to a year. Thanks to each of you who contributed to this update. Keep up the good work!
Andrew Mason NOAA Marine Debris Program, Pacific Northwest Regional Coordinator
|
 A week’s worth of cleanup efforts for this EarthCorps crew in July 2019 (Photo: Samish Department of Natural Resources).
Submitted by: Casey Palmer-McGee and Matt Castle, Samish Indian Nation
For the past six years, in partnership with Washington Department of Natural Resources, Washington Conservation Corps, Veterans Conservation Corps, and EarthCorps, Samish Department of Natural Resources (SamishDNR) has been removing creosote and marine debris from shorelines of the San Juan Islands and surrounding areas. In 2017, to help expedite cleanup efforts, SamishDNR began surveying the San Juan Islands for creosote and marine debris prior to summer cleanup. In the past six months, SamishDNR completed their 2019 season, removing over 65,000 pounds from Samish Traditional Territory, and began their 2020 survey season. SamishDNR and partners have removed over 767,000 pounds of creosote and marine debris, or rather over 18,000 gallons of chemical creosote from Samish Traditional Territory and the Salish Sea in the past six years.
 In experimental field trials such as the one shown here in April 2019, volunteers searched for known marine debris items (Photo: Nir Barnea).
Submitted by: Hillary Burgess, COASST
In recent months, the Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team (COASST) continued to train and support citizen scientists monitoring marine debris along Washington's coastline within the Puget Sound, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and on the outer coast. We are also wrapping-up a project conducted in partnership with the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) that evaluates survey methods and will inform improvements to data collection and interpretation. Look for results on the NOAA MDP and COASST websites soon!
 Lions Club members volunteering at the most recent Western Strait beach cleanup on September 21, 2019 (Photo: Roy Morris and Nancy Messmer).
Submitted by: Roy Morris and Nancy Messmer, Lions Club
The Lions Club recently conferenced with some of our partners, as represented in the Washington State Marine Debris Plan, including Heather Trim of Zero Waste, about collaboration for activating our volunteers in waste management projects, activities, studies, and to reduce waste and in flow to watersheds and our marine environments. We are also working with Nicole Harris of the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary on similar activities, and shaping them into activities for learners at this time when schools are seeking online and home learning activities.
Unfortunately, we had to cancel our April Beach Clean Up here in the Western Straits with Lions Clubs and CoastSavers. Locally, folks are still cleaning beaches. A group of us are working on grant modifications and CoastSavers outreach and planning.
 Valerie Riser's family sporting their CoastSavers t-shirts during the 2019 Washington Coast Cleanup (Photo: Valerie Riser).
Submitted by: James Roubal, CoastSavers
In partnership with the Clallam County Parks Department, CoastSavers is partnering with small community groups who have agreed to clean “their” beach during the Washington Coast Cleanup, the International Coastal Cleanup, and at least one other time throughout the year as a part of our new Adopt a Beach program. We are hoping to expand this program outside Clallam County once more funding is secured.
We ask our volunteers to collect data about the type and amount of debris they find on "their” beaches. This data collection not only helps with program management, but it is also shared with the Ocean Conservancy. Volunteers who agree to clean “their” beach at least three times a year will be recognized both on the CoastSavers website as well as on a sign installed near the beach.
Currently, Marlyn Nelson County Park has been adopted by the Olympic Peninsula Paddlers, Pillar Point County Park has been adopted by Olympic Mountain EarthWisdom Circle, and Valerie Riser's family have adopted Cline Spit County Park.
 An enthusiastic 7th grade student keeps these items off the ground and out of Puget Sound (Photo: Malia Jones).
Submitted by: Aimee Christy, Pacific Shellfish Institute
For Earth Day, Pacific Shellfish Institute (PSI) hosted a trash BINGO cleanup! This fun event provided the community with a way to work “together” to enhance their neighborhoods and protect water quality while remaining close to home and maintaining social distancing guidelines. The trash BINGO data sheet was based on Ocean Conservancy’s Clean Swell app with modifications made to target trash categories more relevant to neighborhoods (e.g., fishing gear eliminated, dog waste bags). While results are still rolling in, 48 people have participated picking up 1,700 items with the top 5 items being small plastic pieces, food wrappers, cigarettes, plastic bottles and beverage cans. One entire classroom even participated, tallying their combined results via ZOOM. Families will receive NOAA Marine Debris Calendars and NOAA Phytoplankton Flash cards for their amazing work. You may view the trash BINGO datasheet on PSI’s homepage.
 Julie Masura leading a discussion with Girls at the Helm on Sound Experience’s tall ship Adventuress in July 2017 (Photo: Julie Masura).
Submitted by: Julie Masura, University of Washington Tacoma
Researchers at the University of Washington Tacoma (UWT) have been exploring microplastic pollution in the Salish Sea region since 2008. Over the last six months we have given eight research presentations to several groups through the Pacific Northwest. These include talks at the Stormwater Outreach for Regional Municipalities Symposium, Seward Audubon Society’s Science and a Biscuit, Action Network, Marine Pollution course at the University of Washington Seattle, and Heron’s Key Lifelong Learning Community to name a few; fulfilling our Marine Debris Action Plan outreach and education actions. Just before the Stay-at-Home Order was given, a podcast highlighting the partnership of UWT and Sound Experience with undergraduates was recorded. The podcast can be found here.
Finally, our research student MaggieJo Baer presented her group’s undergraduate research poster at the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference. Her poster can be found here.
 Bagmonster with Representative Fitzgibbon and Senator Das on Environmental Lobby Day on January 29, 2020 (Photo: Zero Waste Washington).
Submitted by: Heather Trim, Zero Waste Washington
The Washington State Legislature passed and the governor signed the Bag Ban Bill on March 25, 2020. This bill was supported by numerous partners and the state effort was led by Zero Waste Washington, Surfrider Foundation, Seattle Aquarium, Puget Soundkeeper Alliance, and Environment Washington. The effort culminated from work over the past 14 years. The Washington bag effort started in 2006 with the first steps on a Seattle bag ordinance. Now, there are 39 local bag ordinances in place. The statewide bill, which was championed by Senator Mona Das and Representative Strom Peterson, goes into effect on January 1, 2021. Thin carry-home plastic bags are banned. There will be an 8 cent pass-through charge for a paper or a 2.25 mil thick plastic carry-home bag. In 2026, the plastic carry home bag will ramp up to a 4 mil thick bag and a 12 cent pass-through charge.
 Washington Conservation Corps crew removing tires from the Samish Island beach on February 19th, 2020 (Photo: Lynne Nowak).
Submitted by: Andrew Hacker, Washington Conservation Corps
Over the last six months, the Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) has removed tens of thousands of pounds of marine debris from our local environment. Field crews clean up all sorts of marine debris from the beach, but focus on creosote removal. The chemicals in creosote-treated wood leach out of the logs and into the marine ecosystem, causing damage and death to marine life. Creosote logs typically come from old marine structures like docks, and are used as railroad ties and telephone poles.
Recently, our crew traveled to Samish Island to clean up creosote and other marine debris at the Samish Flower Farm Conservation Area. When we found a creosote treated log, we reported it on an app called “MyCoast.” While we collect smaller pieces of debris as we survey, we flag larger logs or debris items to come back to over the following days.
Creosote logs can range from one-pound chunks to 1,000-pound, 40-foot long poles. Once removed, the logs are loaded into a trailer and sent to the dump.
 Freshly formed plastic wrackline along Washington’s Long Beach Peninsula (Photo: Russ Lewis).
Submitted by: Russ Lewis, GrassRoots Garbage Gang
At first glance all seems tranquil looking across a Washington State beach and out over the Pacific Ocean. But look closely at the sand you are standing on and you’ll see tiny shards of oxidizing plastic littering the shore.
How does it get there? It’s adrift in the ocean. Each winter and spring brings storms that can cause countless numbers of plastic fragments to wash ashore and leave behind synthetic wracklines in a multitude of colors, like a plastic rainbow. In time most of it migrates into the upper beach zone by wind and water, up to near the dunes, where it can be found without fail even years later.
Where does it come from? Plastic pollution can originate from both far and wide, ranging from human activities being conducted anywhere out over the ocean and also generated from sources along local and distant shorelines. Much of it starts out in larger sizes that in time oxidize and will fragment into micro sizes that continue to negatively impact the marine ecosystem. It's an ongoing world-wide pollution problem affecting all the oceans.
What are we doing? The GrassRoots Garbage Gang, spearheaded by Russ Lewis, has partnered with NOAA’s Marine Debris Program to conduct a one-year beach cleanup project along Washington’s Long Beach Peninsula. So far over 13,000 pounds of marine debris have been collected and responsibly disposed of with the overall project on target for more than 15,000 pounds of debris removed by the end of June.
 Shellfish farm at low tide outside of Shine Tidelands State Park, Washington (Photo: Kris Clark).
Submitted by: Kris Clark, Oceans Blue Corp
Oceans Blue Corp (OBC) is newer to the Washington area but is making waves quickly. Since the start of 2020, OBC has removed 69 three foot by two foot plastic mesh shellfish pins in or around Shine Tidelands State Park. Along with the pins comes numerous straps and iron rods washing ashore. To date, OBC has removed an estimated 380 pounds of debris associated with a geoduck farm degrading just out of the park’s boundaries.
Additionally, OBC is building a team of dedicated individuals to tackle large-scale marine debris in a timely manner. These items that may be just a little too big for the average beachcomber include derelict boats, lost floats or buoys, large derelict fishing gear, and other difficult to remove items. If you are interested in joining the team or would like to report debris for removal, contact kclark@keepingtheoceansblue.org. More information can be found at www.keepingtheoceansblue.org.
|
Update your subscriptions, modify your password or email address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page.