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

Problematic Plastic Pollution

When most people hear the words “beach” or “ocean” an image of sandy, white, deserted beaches and pristine, turquoise waters comes to mind.  Few people however, unfortunately picture trash-covered beaches where the sand is barely visible and sludgy, polluted water. Waste from cruise ships, fishing vessels, cargo ships, even trash from land, is increasingly contaminating and destroying beaches and oceans all over the world.

This waste, frequently called "marine debris" is, defined by the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as "any persistent, manufactured, or processed solid material that is directly or indirectly, intentionally or unintentionally, disposed of or abandoned into the marine environment." This debris can consist of any object that threatens marine life, the health of humans, or interferes with navigation.  

Cruise ships are one of the oceans biggest enemies. These ships, also known commonly as “floating cities” produce an unimaginable amount of waste. According to oceana.org, the average ship holds between 3,000 and 5,000 people and produces:

-          Up to 30,000 gallons of human waste (sewage).

-           255,500 gallons of gray water (water produced from laundries, sinks, showers, etc).

-           7,000 gallons of oily bilge water that is all released into the ocean.

-          In one day, they can produce the amount exhaust equivalent to 12,000 vehicles.

Worst of all, however, is that in one year, 15 billion pounds of trash is dumped into oceans worldwide. The most abundant form of trash floating around or washing up, is plastic. According to an article by Donovan Hohn from the New York Times, as of 2008 oceanographers have concluded that, depending on the location of the sample, between 60 and 95 percent of the trash in the ocean is made of plastic. Plastic does not disintegrate; if anything, it breaks apart.

When I visited Punta Allen, Mexico with my family, we were allowed to borrow snorkeling gear only if we collected trash while on the beach. I was completely appalled at the number of plastic bottle caps I collected; well over 100 in a matter of minutes. Along with the bottle caps, I collected shampoo bottles, soda bottles, milk cartons, plastic silverware, netting, shards of sharp, broken plastic, a baby doll arm, 12 flip-flops, and hundreds of other pieces of debris.  

Trash is something that we humans produce and therefore should take responsibility for. Why are the helpless beaches, and oceans and marine life paying consequences for all of this?