Trash in our waterways Katie Register, Executive Director Clean Waterways November 7, Virginia, 2014 Citizens for Water Quality
1995-2015: 20 th anniversary
Why collect data? Key to understanding trends & systemic change You can t manage what you don t measure Not an excuse to delay action
Our programs
International Coastal Cleanup in Virginia Top 20 items in 19 years
19 years of ICC data in Virginia Source: Clean Virginia Waterways & Ocean Conservancy
Balloons as Litter Study
Weddings, funerals, ceremonies
Sports & commerce
Setting records.
Impacts entanglement
Impacts ingestion
Dr. Mike Dawson
Balloons as Litter: Impacts on Wildlife loggerhead sea turtle*** Kemp s ridley sea turtle**** green sea turtle*** hawksbill sea turtle**** leatherback sea turtle**** pygmy sperm whale* northern gannet Guadalupe fur seal***(mmpa depleted) laughing gull common dolphin* Risso s dolphin* blue shark** northern fulmar+ western gull cormorant petrel guillemot rusty blackbird swift anhinga osprey Photo: Blair Witherington +moderate concern (N. America) *protected (MMPA); may become threatened with extinction (CITES App II) ** near threatened (IUCN) *** threatened (ESA) **** endangered (ESA) References: Virginia Aquarium, BalloonsBlow.org, UK Rivers Network, Clean Virginia Waterways and more
Balloons as Litter: Attachments
Balloons as Litter: Attachments
Data Card for Balloon & Attachments Litter Please help Clean Virginia Waterways and the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center collect data about balloons as litter. Instructions: Whenever you find a littered balloon or a balloon ribbon in Virginia, please let us know! Options to report your data: 1. Go to VirginiaBalloonStudy.org and fill out the on-line form. 2. Fill out this form & mail it to: Clean Virginia Waterways, Longwood University, 201 High Street, Farmville, VA 23909 3. Scan and email this form to cleanva@longwood.edu and write balloon litter data in the subject line. Date of observation Location (Name of place and latitude and longitude if possible) Your name, email & phone number (Will be used ONLY if CVW has questions) Latex Balloons Foil * Balloons Number of balloons found Plastic ribbons attached? Yes or no Nonplastic string attached? Yes or no Plastic disk or valve attached? Yes or no Other attachments? Yes or no (describe) Writing on balloons? Yes or no Burst or not burst? Color of balloon(s) Where found? (On beach? Near river? On a farm?) * Foil balloons are made of metalized nylon film, and are often called Mylar. Mylar is trademarked by Dupont Tejjin Films and is made of resin Polyethylene Terephlate (PET), a thin polyester plastic. If there was writing on the balloons, what was the writing? Animal entanglement or ingestion evidence? Please explain. Anything else you want to share about balloon litter: Photos are appreciated. Thank you for your help in collecting data. Here are examples of plastic tie-off disks and clips, plastic valves, and ribbons that are attached to some balloons. For more information about this balloons litter research study, please visit www.longwood.edu/cleanva/balloonresearch.html Enter your balloon data on line at: VirginiaBalloonStudy.org
Virginia Litter Study
Hog Island, June 5, 2013 Approximately 7 miles 168 Balloons 24 Balloons per mile
Hog Island, June 5, 2013 Approximately 7 miles 168 Balloons 24 Balloons per mile
Monitoring Marine Debris in Virginia s Coastal Zone January 2014 through March 2015 Fishermans Island, Virginia. Photo by Christina Trapani
Social Marketing & Balloons Social marketing Integrates marketing concepts to influence behaviors that benefit the greater social good. Successfully change behaviors This serves several priorities in the Virginia Marine Debris Reduction Plan
Taking care of Earth starts with action
Thank you for caring for our environment www.longwood.edu/cleanva COPYRIGHT 2014. Clean VA Waterways. All images and content except where noted. Call CVW for permission 434-395-2602 or email cleanva@longwood.edu
Fishermans Island, Virginia. Photo by Christina Trapani
Focus Determine short-term priorities Implementation projects ($20k in each of 2 years) Develop a process/methodology to truly demonstrate a reduction for a small subset of marine debris. Determine long-term vision to reduce marine debris
Seabird Feeding Guilds: how do they ingest plastic? from Ashmole 1971