Groups working to clear NC beaches of marine debris and trash
Marine debris is quickly becoming one of the biggest environmental problems on the planet, and experts say combating the problem will require help from everyone.
Commercial fisherwoman Laura Miller and her team often hunt for marine debris instead of their usual oysters or clams.
“Whenever you’re going down the intercoastal waterway you don’t see that, because it’s in the trees and in the grass and it gets overran. You can’t see it, so to see so much once you get into it, it was a lot," Miller said.
Miller began helping the North Carolina Coastal Federation in 2019 when the nonprofit began trying to help clean up broken docks and other debris that found entered the water after Hurricane Florence.
"Marine debris is a huge issue, and there are a couple of different facets," said Sarah Bodin, a coastal restoration specialist. "So there’s a chronic issue of marine debris -- you know, every day, there’s debris here and there. Then when we have a big storm event, if there’s trash along the roadside, that debris is going to ultimately end up in our waterways, and then we have this issue of acute marine debris events, so major storms and hurricanes.”
Miller makes up just one of the teams that help the coastal federation with clean-up efforts from Florence. Now, more than three years later, pieces of docks and piers are still being found, but it’s another type of liter they find that’s the most frustrating to her.
"It’s frustrating more on the end of seeing how much people trash there is, not really storm debris," Miller said.
That’s why experts say community involvement and education are crucial.
“It’s important to educate them what they can do to help prevent marine debris from ending up in our shores and in our waterways, and it’s important to educate all ages, working with towns, governments and school groups," Bodin said.
Thankfully, progress is being made since 2018, and more than 2.5 million pounds of debris have been collected.
“That equates to about eight blue whales, which is just an enormous amount of debris," Bodin said.
There is still much work to be done. Funding to pay contractors to keep clean-up efforts going is made possible with money from The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the state’s general assembly.
The North Carolina Coastal Federation is a member-supported 501(c)3 focused empowering coastal residents and visitors to protect and restore the coast.
