2019 Marine Debris Sort Report

Did you know?

An estimated 8 MILLION metric tons of plastic enter the ocean every year. That is the equivalent of an ENTIRE garbage truck of plastic being dumped into the ocean every minute of every day.

100% of post-hatchling sea turtles that came to LMC’s sea turtle hospital had plastic in their stomachs.

This is why addressing marine debris, especially ocean plastic, was at the forefront of Loggerhead Marinelife Center’s conservation initiatives for 2019.

2019 Marine Debris Removal Results

In 2019, 110 beach cleanups were conducted by LMC and partner organizations on Florida’s beaches.

During these cleanups, 3,960 volunteers helped to remove 4,578.9 pounds of trash from the marine environment, 94.2% of which was made of plastic. 

Once plastic enters the marine environment it will never go away. Instead, plastic breaks down over time into smaller and smaller pieces, posing a threat to sea turtles and other marine life that mistake it as food. 

In our 2019 Sort Report, we highlighted the top 10 items removed from the beach by LMC volunteers and partner organizations. 9 of the top 10 items removed were made of plastic. 

The strangest items found were a couch, 5 octopus traps from West Africa, a soccer goal, and a motorcycle helmet. 

Thanks to everyone who came out to help us keep our beaches clean and marine life safe from debris in 2019! Here’s to removing more debris in 2020!