Audubon Society of Rhode Island's International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) addresses and raises awareness of a growing problem-plastic debris in the ocean. At this annual event, volunteers pick up and document trash that washes up along rivers and beaches at 80 locations around Rhode Island.  By recording each piece of litter, volunteers provide information for actions that reduce trash before it becomes a danger to the boating community or to wildlife.   This year's event takes place on Saturday, September 20, 9 a.m. to noon. Contact Eugenia Marks to express your concern for the Ocean State and to find a convenient cleanup.

"All beach trash is unsightly, and some can be dangerous to wildlife," said Eugenia Marks, Policy Director at Audubon and State Coordinator for International Coastal Cleanup.  "However, plastic poses a special problem-it takes a long time to go away." Lightweight, inexpensive, durable plastic is steadily accumulating in the environment. Impacts to marine birds, the theme of this year's Coastal Cleanup, can be fatal. Birds regularly become entangled in plastic netting, fishing line, or six-pack holders. Birds use plastic for their nests, creating a hazard for nestlings.  In Rhode Island, young osprey have been found dead, caught in fishing line and dangling from their nests.

When plastic blows, washes, or is dumped into the ocean, it may remain intact for decades. When it does break down, it is only into ever-smaller pieces of plastic. These plastic pieces are swallowed by birds and other animals which mistake them for food or simply scoop them up when swallowing other prey.  Internal injury and malnutrition are the result. This is a particular problem in the Pacific, home to an alarming phenomenon called the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch ." Here, an ocean current known as the North Pacific subtropical gyre flows in a massive clockwise circle. Flotsam is swept to the center, where an area the size of Texas is nearly covered with floating plastic debris. It is impossible for birds or anything else to feed there without consuming plastic.

During the International Coastal Cleanup, volunteers do their part to clean up plastic and other trash on the beach. In doing so, they raise awareness of the persistent problem of trash generated by a throw-away society, and encourage people to make better choices. In addition to simply disposing of trash properly, people can buy items with less packaging, re-use and recycle as much as possible.

The International Coastal Cleanup is held each year on the third Saturday of September and is administered by The Ocean Conservancy , a Washington, D.C.- based advocate for marine issues.