The War on Trash - Lessons Learned from a Remote Beach Cleanup

Photo by Mike Wheeler

On November 17th 2011, the Surfrider Foundation's Olympic Peninsula Chapter partnered with the Makah Tribe, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary conducting a beach cleanup on a very remote northwest beach. The debris collected both previously and on the day of the cleanup operation totaled more than 1800 pounds . The debris was brought to Arnold and Debbie Schouten's residence in Port Angeles where it was examined by Dr. Curtis Ebbesmeyer, Jim Ingraham and student volunteers. Dr. Ebbesmeyer's team discovered a large black buoy which possibly represents the arrival of tsunami debris from the recent Japanese tsunami. An ongoing effort by the Japanese Consulate and others is currently underway to determine the specific origin of the black buoy and other debris.  The Chapter would like to thank all volunteers who helped make this day happen.

Read the full article here

Meeting Reminder: Wednesday February 1st

OPC Surfrider Meeting Reminder
When: Wednesday, February 1st - 6:30 pm
Where: Smuggler's Landing - 115 E Railroad Ave Port Angeles, WA 98362-2925

(360) 452-9292

Agenda Items:

• Upcoming Events
• Tsunami Debris coverage
• November beach cleanup slideshow and article review (Eric)
  
• Updates from National

See you then,
Eric W.

Presentation by Charles Moore: "Saving our Oceans From Plastic"

Charles Moore to present at The Landing Mall on Thursday January 26th at 6:30pm

Like a synthetic siren, The Great Pacific Garbage Patch drew Charles Moore to science; now his research raises deep questions about plastic. Moore first encountered the 2-million-square-mile floating landfill by chance in 1997, as skipper of a catamaran. His discovery turned him into a scientist/activist, and prompted a global reassessment of plastic's invasiveness. Moore chronicles his investigations of our ocean's plastic load in his newly-published book, Plastic Ocean.

Moore will be speaking in Port. Angeles at The Landing Mall, Upstairs Conference Room, 115 E. Railroad Ave. Port Angeles, WA 9363

For details, please contact Anne Shaffer, anne.shaffer@coastalwatershedinstitute.org. A 5$ donation is requested.

NOAA Tsunami Debris Presentation

WHEN: January 23rd, 5:30-7:30 pm
WHERE: Commissioners Meeting Room, Clallam County Courthouse

Nir Barnea, West Coast Regional Director for NOAA’s Marine Debris Program will be speaking at the regular monthly meeting of the Clallam County Marine Resource Committee.  His talk will focus on the marine debris associated with the March 2011 tsunami in Japan, focusing on early post-tsunami observations, NOAA’s debris modeling efforts and more recent observations of debris made in the northeast Pacific Ocean.  There will be an opportunity for questions.

All chapter members interested in the imminent arrival of debris from the Japanese Tsunami should plan on attending.
Sincerely,
Eric Waterkotte
Olympic Peninsula Chapter, Surfrider Foundation

Meeting Reminder: January 4th

OPC Surfrider Meeting Reminder
When: Wednesday, January 4th - 6:30 pm
Where: Smuggler's Landing - 115 E Railroad Ave Port Angeles, WA 98362-2925

(360) 452-9292

Agenda Items:

• Upcoming Events
• Tsunami Debris Presentation Summary
  
• Updates from National

See you then,
Eric W.