Cleanup Scheduled for Appledore Island

Appledore Island

A recent trip to Appledore Island, one of the Isles of Shoals, yielded more than just beautiful scenery. The trip’s goal was to scout for marine debris on the 95-acre island, and plenty of it was found, including broken lobster traps, rope and buoys, candy wrappers, Styrofoam, plastic bottles, and even a plastic Shrek toy.  The trash-finding mission was conducted by personnel from Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation and NH Sea Grant through our Marine Debris to Energy Project. Thanks to the help of the Shoals Marine Lab, a local fishing vessel, and the Maine Department of Marine Resources we'll return to the island this Monday, June 11 to retrieve the debris.

During our all-day cleanup on Monday, we'll retrieve the debris, look for identification tags on the fishing gear so that any usable gear can be returned to its owners, and bring any debris and unusable fishing gear back to the mainland for recycling and disposal.

Marine debris can be hazardous to wildlife through ingestion or entanglement, and can cause problems for boaters, fishermen and beachgoers.   The Isles of Shoals are close to important feeding grounds for whales and other marine life, making it especially crucial to rid them of debris.

This project is conducted with funding from the Fishing for Energy Partnership and NOAA that was granted to the Marine Debris to Energy Project, a partnership between Blue Ocean Society, NH Sea Grant, UNH Cooperative Extension and Dr. Jenna Jambeck at the University of Georgia. The goal of the project is to monitor and remove marine debris from the coastline and local waters from southern Maine to northern Massachusetts. With the help of local fishermen and volunteers, more than 115 tons of marine debris has been cleaned-up since 2008.   The Appledore cleanup is part of a recently-funded effort to to clean up accumulations of marine debris on the Isles of Shoals and later, underwater.

More information on the project:

• www.nhmarinedebris.org
• The Not-So-Pristine Isles of Shoals (article in The Wire)

Marine Debris- It is everywhere...

Part of Blue Ocean Society's work includes identifying and removing derelict fishing gear (DFG) or marine debris both in the ocean and on the coast. One of the current projects involves going around the 9 Isles of Shoals in the Gulf of Maine and using sonar and fishermen reports to locate areas of debris and DFG. In addition we are also attempting to do coastal clean-ups on each of the Islands.  This past Sunday, Mother's Day, Dianna Schulte (BOS Research Coordinator) and myself set foot upon Appledore Island, the home of UNH/Cornell's Shoals Marine Lab (SML), to get the Marine Debris, DFG party started.  This was a scouting mission to see what exactly we were dealing with in terms of accessibility, terrain and need.  Hal Weeks, Assistant Director of SML met us at the dock and we were treated to a very nice lunch before we began our trek around the island.

Appledore is the largest of the 9 Islands of the Isles of Shoals archipelago.  Since it is home to the Marine Lab it is also a green and sustainable campus meaning that the lab community is self- sufficient. Electricity is generated using a combination of wind, solar and diesel generated power, composting bathroom facilities and strict water conservation and composting and recycling systems. The island itself is considered to be in " near-pristine" condition and every effort is made to keep it as such.  Appledore is also well known for it's feathered inhabitants- Black Backed Gulls and Herring gulls which are all nesting currently and quite noisy, some what aggressive and on high alert! One has to walk around with a "gull stick" for protection from dive bombing animals!

Looks beautiful and pristine doesn't it?

Knowing the green and sustainable record and history of the SML, I was a little skeptical. I wasn't sure how much debris or DFG we would find out there.  From far away, the coastline indeed looks pristine and somewhat treacherous because of the jagged rocks and terrain.  However, as we got down onto the rocky beach at our first potential clean-up site we discovered that in fact there was a lot of debris and trash and derelict pots, rope, foam and even Shrek. Yes Shrek- even you are considered plastic, marine debris!

But a closer look...

A lot of ropes and lines...

Lobster pots...

It was shocking to see that even in a place that is diligent about maintaining the ecosystem as undisturbed and pristine as possible that all if this garbage and DFG could still be found on its shores.  The same was true for the other couple of sites that we investigated.  At the "best" site, where we found Shrek, we also found a plastic cooler lid, many, many bits of lobster pots, whole pots, ropes, bottles, styrofoam, a plastic bucket, candy wrappers and many of the usual suspects in the marine debris catalog.  I was excited because it would make our work here matter, but sad that even in a place that is well taken care of, this is still a problem.  It was also quite strange to be walking along (trying not to get pecked and pooped on by the giant gulls) and documenting everything we found and NOT pick it up.  I also wonder what the other 8 islands are going to look like.  I expect Star Island will be chockfull of trash treasure as there is a lot more human impact due to the presence of a hotel there, but what about the other, less visited islands. I have to say that I will not be surprised to find similar accumulations of DFG and marine debris on those either.  It will be very interesting as this project unfolds to see which Islands were better or worse off and how the type of debris that we collect and cart off will differ.

Although we spent the day focusing on trash, it was an absolutely gorgeous day on the water and on the Island and at least for me, it made me appreciate what Blue Ocean Society is trying to do even more because without their efforts who would be doing this?  

For more information on BOS/UNH Marine Debris program got to

 http://cecf1.unh.edu/debris/ and to http://www.blueoceansociety.org/Research/pollution_research.html

Beach Cleanup this Saturday!

Come out and join Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation for our monthly cleanup at Jenness Beach in Rye, NH this Saturday, 10:30 AM!

The cleanup will last about 1.5 hours and all supplies (including reusable bags and gloves donated by Shaw's and the NH Dept. of Environmental Services) will be provided. You can RSVP to info@blueoceansociety.org, by phone at 603-431-0260 or on Facebook. Hope to see you there!

Plastic Gets Personal

Last Wednesday, April 25, 2012 we hosted Karen Ristuben, an artist from Gloucester, MA. She gave a beautiful and eye-opening presentation called Just one Word.... It was full of information about plastics and what they have been doing to our planet since they came into every day use in the 50's.  I won't go into the details of her presentation. I hope you will click on the links we have provided so that you can go and look for yourselves at some of what she was talking about but let me just say that it moved me to tears and it has caused me to really think about my own consumption of plastic, convenience and how unbelievably careless and cavalier I have been.  Like many of us, I try to be conscious about my impact on my environment but Karen's presentation really brought it home to me (and I hope to others like me) that I say a lot but when it comes right down to it, I don't do enough. I thought I did. I really thought I did but in one hour I was forced to be honest and admit that I am not consistent and that sometimes the convenience that plastics afford my life often trumps the environment. We can all do more. How many times have we heard that and try to do just that? After listening to Karen's performance I realized that we HAVE to do more.  We have a lot to take care of.

7 billion tons. That's how much plastic is floating in our oceans. I'm sure you have all heard of the floating island of plastic that is the size of Texas.  Well it exists. And it isn't just one. It is at least five.  Plastic islands gather in the 5 gyres in each of the five oceans.  And it isn't just floating on the surface it is pervasive into the water column.  Plastics break down into smaller floating bits that outnumber plankton 5 to 1. And let's talk about all of the chemicals that also leach out of the plastic into the water column.  Bisphenol A (BPA) and polystyrene to name a few.  Plastic soup.  So all this plastic that was created to last forever, and it does, was created for convenience and usually to be used once.

These 7 billion tons of forever plastic doesn't just float indefinitely- it gets eaten by fish, turtles, whales, seals and ultimately us.  It gets into the guts of birds, around heads of animals and residual chemicals can even end up in breast milk -not in trace amounts- but in significant concentrations.  The most natural and "breast is best" idea can actually be a direct line to toxic exposure for your infant.  So just because we don't chew on plastic bags or mistake floating plastic bits as food we are still ingesting it in one form or another.

There is so much more information out there on this. But I have to admit that listening to this presentation made me realize how pervasive, and insidiously embedded in MY life (and possibly yours too) plastics are. When I got I home I noticed it EVERYWHERE IN MY HOUSE. Plastic gallon water bottles that I used to make my baby's plastic bottles with formula that is in plastic containers. I noticed that all of our medications are in plastic bottles. Soda bottles. Tupperware.  Plastic take out containers. Cups. Kids plates. A Bumbo and its tray. Toys. Utensils. And this was just in my kitchen.

Taking inventory of the plastic that is in my life and home I am overwhelmed.  How did I get here? How do I get out of it? I know that every little bit can help but where to start? So here is MY list of what I am going to do to curb my plastic consumption. It is not extensive- YET- but it is a starting point.

-I will try to not ever use another plastic bag again.

-Spend the money! I will get my water treated so I don't ever buy another plastic water bottle again.

-I will not buy another drink in a plastic container.

- Recycle as much as I can.

-Learn what plastics are truly recycle-able and try not to use the others.

-I will help clean up my beaches and my woods.

-I will donate toys and hope that the next owners will donate them when they are finished.

-I will decline a straw at restaurants.

-I will always have my travel mug or cup with me.

-I will bring my reusable bags everywhere.

- I am switching my baby to cloth diapers

-I will join the local effort to make Portsmouth, NH plastic bag free. If we can make places implement a non-smoking ban I am sure we can make them be plastic bag free.

-I haven't figured out what to do about other plastic containers and packaging- how do I avoid having to buy those?

This is hardly anything but it is a start.  

Anyone reading this- if you have other ideas- please comment and let me know. We can start a list and pass it around.

I want to leave this planet knowing I did as much as possible to keep it healthy and alive. And this is how I am starting.

How will you?

Beach Photo Contest!

Courtesy Inger Arky

Blue Ocean Society is excited to announce...our winter beach PHOTO CONTEST!

Do you have a great picture of a local beach in the winter, or love to take nature photos? We will be accepting submissions either on our Facebook page or via email to heather(at)blueoceansociety.org.

Send us your best photo - the top pictures will be awarded prizes, and possibly featured on our website and in our newsletter! The deadline for this contest is FEBRUARY 20TH.

Image: A recent photo contest entry, submitted by Inger Arky.

Beach Cleanup at Jenness Beach on Saturday

Hi everyone!

Hope you can join us for our monthly cleanup at Jenness Beach this Saturday, February 4 at 10:30 AM. All supplies are provided, and we'll have some hot coffee there, too (please bring a mug).

If you can't make this one, consider joining Friends of North Hampton Beach on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 9 AM at North Hampton State Beach.

We're also happy to set up your own private cleanup for a group of 10 or more! To book, e-mail patty(at)blueoceansociety.org or call 603-431-0260.

We hope to see you soon!

Sustainable Holiday Shopping

When completing your holiday shopping, do you consider the environmental impacts of your purchases? It is important to take into account not only the price tag of the products, but also the environmental and human health costs of these items.

GreenTV episode 110 discusses sustainable shopping with the Green Alliance and the Associate Director of the UNH Sustainability Academy.

The first thing to consider when holiday shopping is if our friends and relatives really need any more STUFF. Why not spend money on an enjoyable experience instead, such as tickets to a concert or sporting event? Another idea is a gift certificate to their favorite salon or even to a local farmers market. This type of present cuts down on waste production during the holidays, and can be even more personal and thoughtful than something from the mall.

Another factor to consider when shopping is how items are packaged. If possible, try to avoid buying products with excess packaging, especially plastic, that will just end up in our landfills, or worse, the ocean. And whenever possible, bring reusable bags to every store you visit instead of accumulating more plastic shopping bags!

In addition to the type of packaging, it’s important to consider what materials the items themselves are made from. Are the gifts on your list made out of recycled or local sources? A great example of this is Earth Tec, which recently opened a store in downtown Portsmouth. Much of their clothing is made from recycled plastic bottles!

You should also think about where you are shopping this holiday season. Do the stores have sustainable business practices? Are they a local company? Shopping locally cuts down on the carbon footprint of the products by greatly reducing transportation costs, and it contributes to the local economy. On November 26^th, celebrate Small Business Saturday by shopping at your favorite local store. Visit their facebook page for more information and to find participating businesses in your area!

For more great local companies, eco-friendly goods, and recommended gift certificates, check out the Blue Ocean Society Holiday Gift Guide. Or even better, shop at the Blue Ocean Society store for marine creature adoptions, clothing, stuffed animals, photo notecards, and more!

In addition, you can join Blue Ocean Society and Historic New England for a Holiday Sale & Open House at the Gov. John Langdon House at 143 Pleasant St. in Portsmouth. A selection of gift items will be offered, including free gift wrapping with any purchase. There will also be refreshments and free tours of the house. These will occur on Sunday, Dec 4^th from 12-4 pm and Thursday, Dec 8^th from 4-7 pm.

For more information about our upcoming events, visit the Blue Ocean Society website. And feel free to add your own suggestions for sustainable shopping ideas or your favorite local businesses in the comments here or on Facebook or Twitter !

Good luck shopping sustainably and have a great holiday season!