Marine trash is responsible for the entanglement, strangulation and smothering of aquatic life, the destruction of fishing gear, boat loss of use, and lost tourism dollars every year.
And every year for three weeks in the fall, Coastweeks is dedicated to increasing community awareness and understanding of the importance of beaches and marine resources by cleaning shores and reef in the territory and throughout the world, said Paige Rothenberger.
From Sept. 18 through Oct. 11, Coastweeks will be held in the Virgin Islands. As part of the celebration and cleanup, the VI Marine Advisory Service, a part of UVI’s Eastern Caribbean Center, will be assisting local groups, clubs and schools to organize and conduct shoreline and underwater cleanups, said Rothenberger, a VIMAS marine advisor.
Last year in the V.I. alone, 219 volunteers cleaned up 3,425 pounds of trash from the beaches and reefs, Rothenberger said. This year’s volunteers will join citizens worldwide to pick up millions of pounds of debris from more than 4,500 beaches, lake shores, riverbanks and underwater sites. This year’s cleanup will involve volunteers in 54 U.S. states and territories and more than 80 countries.
"Coastweeks . . . are important because all marine debris ultimately comes from humans, and only humans can solve the problem," said Rothenberger. "By participating in a cleanup at your favorite beach or reef, people become part of the solution."
VIMAS has been the coordinator of Coastweeks on St. Croix for more than eight years. This year, the event will be kicked off by the International Coastal Cleanup on Sept.18, the planet’s largest volunteer cleanup effort on behalf of the marine environment.
Coastweeks and the ICC are coordinated internationally by the Center for Marine Conservation and are celebrated in over 80 countries. Data from each country and from each of the U.S. states and territories is analyzed and announced yearly. The statistics are used by lawmakers and researchers who study marine debris, said Rothenberger.
VIMAS is a cooperative effort between the University of Puerto Rico Sea Grant College Program and the University of the Virgin Islands.
For more information on Coastweeks, or to plan your own cleanup, call Paige Rothenberger of VIMAS:(340) 779-3141.
