MARINE LITTER RECORDING & CLEANUP How much litter do you expect to find on a deserted coast on the South of Samothraki? MARINE LITTER RECORDING & CLEANUP In this activity we will record marine litter and –voluntarily- collect it.

Why is it a “hot” issue ??? Marine litter is any persistent, manufactured or processed solid material that is discarded, disposed of or abandoned in the marine and/or coastal environment. It is waste produced by human activity, either on land or at sea, that somehow finds its way into the marine environment. It is a hot issue, largely due to: a) its increasing amounts all around the world, and b) the threatening and largely unknown effects of microplastics (objects of diameter < 5 mm) generated as the brittle plastic objects break down to small particles and spread throughout the entire sea column.

Solutions ??? Solving the problem requires a series of concerted actions from the states, private sector (producers, tourism & fish industry etc), local authorities and individuals, at the heart of which is Prevention and Good Waste Management. Even though beach cleanups cannot solve the problem, they are considered to: Be a useful tool to raise awareness and sensitise. Generate data highly useful for marine litter scientists and policy makers, when combined with an accurate recording.

Will you give 15 minutes of your time for a cleaner beach? At the Beach… Split in groups of four or five. One person per group only records (1 page form + pencil will he handed to you together with gloves and bags). Others collect and call out to the recorder, as they collect. The groups move, one next to the other, parallel to the shoreline, for a distance of e.g. 50 meters. Optional: You can collect in different color bags: A: recyclable materials: Paper, Plastic, Glass, Aluminum B: Non recyclable: butts, clothing,

When back … One person collects all forms of “Recorders” to calculate the CleanUp Top-10. How do your recordings differ from the international ICC top-10 list of 2016? Think of reasons why? Optional: What is the composition of the ICC top-10 list of previous years? Compare and draw conclusions

At the beach … task for twisted minds This is a more detailed recording form. It is not used so much in large scale cleanups, but because of its detailed categories, it gives more valuable scientific data. From 2017, it will be used in all European Regional Seas, and the data will be compiled annually by EEA. In case your group decides to use it form, study carefully the 7 categories beforehand.