World Ocean Day Beach Cleanup

Overview

On Saturday, June 8, 2024, The International SeaKeepers Society partnered with Blue Scholars Initiative, Clean Miami Beach, and ARTSail to host a beach cleanup to celebrate World Ocean Day. We were joined by 61 volunteers on the sand of Miami Beach who set out with buckets, gloves, and pickers to collect any trash they could find on the sand, on the dunes, and in the parking lots. Staff and volunteers from Clean Miami Beach and SeaKeepers created a visual display of all the trash brought back by categorizing it by type and material, such as plastic bottles, aluminum cans, cigarette butts, and bottle caps. During the two-hour cleanup, our volunteers collected over 238 pounds of trash which was bagged and properly disposed of, preventing it from entering the ocean and endangering local marine life. The beach cleanup followed an array of activities offered by Blue Scholars Initiative, and attendees were encouraged to participate in the Beach Blitz educational activities to enhance their knowledge about ocean conservation and local organizations. We are grateful to our volunteers for their hard work, as well as to Blue Scholars Initiative, Clean Miami Beach, and ARTSail for making the event happen!