Metal Dolphin sculpture filled with marine debris following a beach cleanup. Ranger Nate is showing his commitment to keeping the beach and ocean clean by holding a sign in front of the sculpture
NPS/BG Horvat
Have you seen the large metal sculpture of a bottlenosed dolphin by the Light Station Visitor Center on the island? The sculpture is filled with trash and marine debris found on the beach after it had washed ashore near the lighthouse. This debris in the dolphin is from just one beach cleanup effort as part of the park's My Clean Ocean (#MYCLEANOCEAN) campaign. Although we found all kinds of things during the beach cleanup, objects like rope, fishing line and plastic containers ended up taking up the bulk of the space in the sculpture. The dolpin sculpture, stuffed full of marine debris, serves as a visible reminder of the negative impact that human-made debris has on oceanic life.
Although the problem of marine debris -- basically any human-made item, from plastic bottles to commercial fishing gear, that ends up in the ocean -- can seem overwhelming and impossible to solve, working together we can reduce the effects along our coasts and in the water. My Clean Ocean (#MYCLEANOCEAN) is a campaign to help clear the beaches and waters in and around Cape Lookout National Seashore of trash and other debris that washes ashore. Through the efforts of volunteers and others, large clean-up efforts on the islands of Cape Lookout National Seashore are held at least once a year. Generally this annual effort is in late September for National Public Lands Day. If you feel like getting involved in the cleanup effort here at Cape Lookout, you can check for the next scheduled coordinated cleanup on the Beach Cleanup Volunteer Opportunities page, or work with us to organize your own! If organized groups aren't your thing, everyone can take smaller actions all year long to prevent marine debris and other trash from harming wildlife and visitors to our islands.
Here are a few easy things that you can do to help:
Bring a bag with you to the beach to collect all of your picnic lunch trash to be carried back to the mainland for proper disposal. There are no trash cans on the islands of Cape Lookout National Seashore.
Reduce your reliance on single-use items.
Drink from reusable containers.
Bring reusable shopping bags to the market.
Recycle any item that you cannot reduce or reuse.
Use items made from biodegradable materials.
Encourage friends and family to make changes.
Did you take part in a cleanup? Share your photos and commitments to help on social media using the hashtag #MYCLEANOCEAN
