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.
Links
Click here for general information from The Ocean Conservancy about the Coastal Cleanup
to read these more in-depth reports