Aquarium officials said the event is “the largest effort of its kind to engage volunteers of all ages to help conserve the environment.
MANHATTAN BEACH, CA — A South Bay Aquarium will be leading coastal clean-up efforts as part of an annual event aimed at removing millions of pounds of debris and trash from waterways around the world.
The California Coastal Cleanup Day began in 1985 as a worldwide volunteer effort, bringing hundreds of thousands of people together to help clear beaches, rivers and lakes of pollutants worldwide, according to the California Coastal Commission.
The OTS Roundhouse Aquarium has led its own cleanup efforts since around 2016 near the Manhattan Beach Pier, according to aquarium officials. This Saturday, they’ll be one of multiple cities across Los Angeles taking part in the event.
“We are all hoping to clean up our beautiful sandy beach site along with the surrounding streets, pier, and parking lots to make it spotless for wildlife to thrive and for all visitors to enjoy,” Roundhouse Aquarium Programs & Operations Director Marissa Wu told Patch. “We are hoping to encourage record numbers of folks to come out and come together under a sunny blue sky to have fun and help the wilderness heal one piece of trash at a time.”
The event is free to register, and individuals who sign up as volunteers will undergo a brief safety briefing before being equipped with the necessary tools to assist with site cleanup, Wu said.
Before leaving the site, volunteers will need to stop by a designated weigh station, where they will turn in what they have picked up so that data can be recorded and submitted to the California Coastal Commission. The data will then be recorded in a public report, Wu said.
There will also be opportunities to win prizes. Volunteers should look out for golden sea stars “attached to specially hidden trash at our cleanup site,” which can then be turned in for awards, Wu said.
Wu added that this year’s cleanup day will be more significant as the environment and habitats continue to recover in the aftermath of the Los Angeles fires.
Heal The Bay, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting coastal waters and that tests water quality, in April said chemical contamination as a result of the fires no longer posed a major risk to beachgoers. But as of June, physical debris was still being observed in the water.
“Unfortunately, a lot of those homes and communities were right next to the beach,” Wu told Patch back in June. “There wasn’t much of a buffer. A lot of debris and toxins that came from those homes were washed into the ocean directly.”
In addition to helping clean up the coast, the event will educate people about the harmful effects of trash and debris in the ocean, while allowing them to actively take part in conservation efforts, according to aquarium officials.
“Coastal Cleanup Day helps educate the community about the harmful effects of trash and debris that enter the ocean,” Roundhouse Aquarium Executive Director Grace Adams said. “Coastal Cleanup Day should not be just a one-day occurrence, but it is by far the largest effort of its kind to engage volunteers of all ages to help conserve the environment.”
Hermosa Beach and Long Beach will also be holding their own cleanup day events. To register for the free event, click here.
The Manhattan Beach event will take place from 9 a.m. to noon. Roundhouse Aquarium is located at the end of the Manhattan Beach Pier.