Worldwide, 14 million tons of trash are dumped in the ocean annually. Marine debris is not only ugly, but dangerous to marine life and human health. Many forms of debris are not biodegradable, causing problems for years to come.
Improperly discarded fishing line from popular fishing spots or boats can entangle birds and be inadvertently transported to bird roosting and nesting areas, where birds and other wildlife can easily become entangled or hooked.
Plastic line can take over 500 years to decompose, so Tampa Bay Watch has 175 fishing line recycling stations or “monotubes” around to encourage the proper disposal of line. In 2016, with the help of volunteers, 434 miles of line was collected and recycled.
Tampa Bay Watch organizes three large annual coastal cleanups. In 2016, 621 volunteers removed 4,569 pounds of debris including items like styrofoam cups, construction debris, car batteries and countless cigarette butts, party balloons and plastic bags from shorelines.
Learn more & make a difference. Visit tampabaywatch.org.