Ocean Conservancy organises an annual International Coastal Cleanup. The Albatross Foundation is the organiser of this campaign in the Galapagos Islands, and every year, teams of local people and other volunteers collect trash from the beaches and inter-tidal areas of the islands.

This is important for several reasons; the trash is unsightly, polluting and damages the coastal ecosytem. Birds, fish and cetaceans (whales and dolphins) can get caught up in rope, plastic and fishing lines; they can be injured by cans, hooks and glass.

Click here for pictures of the 2004 Coastal Cleanup on Isla Santa Cruz

Click here for general information from The Ocean Conservancy about the Coastal Cleanup

to read these more in-depth reports

• International Coastal Cleanup 2003 - Ecuador Summary Report
• Preliminary Report of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy - Governors' Draft
• Cruise Control: How Cruise Ships affect the Marine Environment
• Marine Debris - An Overview of a Critical Issue for Our Oceans
• Quantifying the effects of fisheries on threatened species: the impact of pelagic longlines on loggerhead and leatherback sea turtles