New Ocean Photos! Plastic Balloons and Ghost-Fishing
Last week, I participated in a beach cleanup with New Hampshire's local Surfrider Chapter. We ventured across a stretch of New England's classic rocky coastline to see what forms of marine debris are washing ashore here.
What we found wasn't too surprising.
Rye Harbor isn't exactly a crowded beach destination, but it is a popular fishing spot. We stumbled across a classic scene in the region - lobster traps that have washed in from sea in a tangled mess, and plenty of monofilament fishing line.
The surprising find during this cleanup was the amount of plastic balloons that had washed ashore here and become stuck between the rocks. I have a personal vendetta against balloons, as I see them almost every time I fish or surf on the coast. These plastics can entangle and choke marine species of all shapes and sizes, and are completely avoidable.
The next time you celebrate a special event with friends and family, try finding a new way to celebrate the occasion without using plastic balloons. What goes up, must come down, and when you release a plastic balloon into the air, it's bound to find water.
Download free plastic pollution photos from this beach cleanup!