On Monday a group of 20 volunteers crossed the Santa Barbara Channel and embarked on a day of trash cleanup from the remote shores of the Channel Islands. The result, 470 total pounds of trash and marine debris removed from the rocky beaches of Chinese Harbor on Santa Cruz and Driftwood Cove on Anacapa islands.
“These annual cleanups provide a valuable opportunity to bring our partners and volunteers together for a productive and meaningful day of service in a very special place,” said Channelkeeper Science and Program Manager Molly Troup.
Representatives from local organizations Santa Barbara Channelkeeper, Island Packers, Santa Barbara Adventure Company, and Commercial Fishermen of Santa Barbara as well as members of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Marine Debris Program worked alongside volunteers to remove trash and marine debris from the rocky island beaches.
Mylar balloons, styrofoam, plastic bags, and other trash had been washed by ocean currents from the California coast all the way to the delicate ecosystems that inhabit the islands and their waters, including habitat for endangered species like the giant sea bass and black abalone.
Monday’s (9/21) marine debris pick up. | Credit: Santa Barbara Channelkeeper 
Monday’s (9/21) marine debris pick up. | Credit: Santa Barbara Channelkeeper 
Monday’s (9/21) marine debris pick up. | Credit: Santa Barbara Channelkeeper 
Monday’s (9/21) marine debris pick up. | Credit: Santa Barbara Channelkeeper 
Monday’s (9/21) marine debris pick up. | Credit: Santa Barbara Channelkeeper 
Monday’s (9/21) marine debris pick up. | Credit: Santa Barbara Channelkeeper
Volunteers removed this trash along with lost fishing gear and other ocean-based debris from the sensitive island habitats.
“We hope that these events inspire community members to continue to elevate the plastic crisis and push for meaningful change,” Troup said.
These beaches are only accessible by boat, so the volunteers who went to shore paddled kayaks to shore, and used a skiff to pile trash onto which was towed back to the Island Packers boat and taken to the mainland for proper disposal.
Monday’s cleanup was part of a broader initiative by National Marine Sanctuary Foundation to remove trash and debris from eight marine sanctuaries across California, Washington, the Great Lakes, Massachusetts, and the Gulf of Mexico.
“We are proud to steward these waters alongside our partners,” said Michaela Miller, the foundation’s senior conservation manager.
