Plastic in Gore Point

Now that I have giving some detail of Punta Allen, and the problems they are having with ocean trash, lets head north to the cold coast of Alaska and learn of their similar, yet still daunting problems with marine debris.

In this post we will be taking a look at Alaska’s Gore Point, and the individuals that are doing their best to clean up the unforgiving, and never ending pollution on their pristine beaches. According to a New York Times article, in 2004, two oceanographers from the British Antarctic Survey reported that trash had officially spanned both hemispheres of the Atlantic, and said that on average there was a piece of plastic every five meters. What is different about this location however is that on most of Alaska’s coast, the debris washed up is coming from other people. This is because most of Alaska’s shoreline contains no people. This is where we find Gore Point.

Gore Point, Alaska is part of a 400,000-acre maritime wilderness in the heart of Kenai Fjords National Park. Gore Point is only accessible by boat, helicopter, or seaplane and is commonly known as a “collector beach” because of its windward facing shores. It is because of this that pollution from the sea ends up deep in the heart of the forest. Gore Point is also the subject of clean up for many volunteer groups. Volunteer and awareness groups like the Ocean Conservancy and International Coastal Clean Up, along with groups of schoolchildren and more, flock to Gore Point because of the beauty that is being destroyed. One of the clean-up groups most closely associated with Gore Point is that of GoAK, or Gulf of Alaska Keeper, formed originally in the late 1990’s by Anchorage’s own, Chris Pallister, along with other dedicated citizens.

During its first action packed summer, GoAK collected 35 tons of trash among a 350 mile stretch of rugged and remote shoreline. Volunteers for GoAK must be 18-years-old or older and must also sign a waver which they agree not to hold the organization liable for perils like “dangerous storms; hypothermia; sun or heat exposure; drowning; vehicle transportation and transfer; rocky, slippery and dangerous shorelines; tool and trash related injuries; bears; and” — in case that list left anything out — “other unforeseen events.” The expanding program faces the daunting task of cleaning up 3500 miles of shoreline in the Prince William Sound.

Check out GoAK’s slide shown on what they are trying to do, and what they have done, it is pretty neat and I hope it encourages you to KEEP RECYCLING!

Gulf of Alaska Keeper Marine Debris Cleanup

 
If slideshow is not working click HERE