Trash Travels

“Where does all this trash even come from?” A stunned guest watching Loggerhead Marinelife Center’s conservation team sort through beach cleanup debris asks.

“Well, this yellow bottle most likely came from the Dominican Republic,” one volunteer offers, holding up a jagged yellow bottle.

“See this gray container?” another volunteer pipes in, “this is from West Africa.”

After every beach and underwater cleanup, Loggerhead Marinelife Center’s conservation team sorts, counts, and records every single piece of trash removed from the beach.

Marine debris is man-made items that enter the marine environment (the ocean or waterways)

The ocean’s gyres act as conveyor belts, picking up trash from one shore and carrying it to another.