Marina and Watercraft Cleanups

Join family, friends and fellow sea dogs to remove trash before it reaches our ocean! Plan a Marina Cleanup Day with Ocean Conservancy, the North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA), the California Coastal Commission and the California State Parks Department of Boating and Waterways. We welcome all boating facilities, boating groups, sailors, fishermen and water enthusiasts alike to celebrate the aquatic ecosystems we love by holding a marina or boating facility cleanup! By boat, on foot, at your local marina or elsewhere, you can make a difference. Plus, we’ll supply a Cleanup Toolkit to get you started. Simply register below!

Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup™ is a testament to individuals’ ability to create impactful change: removing more than 18 million pounds in one day!

Why?

Trash is the most persistent problem when it comes to a clean and healthy ocean. Marine debris is found everywhere: coastal inlets, the open ocean, the sea floor, and more. Impacts of ocean trash are vast and significant, threatening wildlife, human health, local economies, tourism, fishing, water quality and maritime safety. Fortunately, we can all play a role in the solution.

• Marinas and boating facilities are crucial in maintaining good water quality and are in a unique position to do so as they provide direct access to water, are popular to tourists and engage with boaters who are responsible for proper waste disposal from boats and vessels.
• Tie Marina Cleanup Day into your National Marina Day celebration! National Marina celebrations usually take place in June.
• Hold a Marina Cleanup Day after 4th of July festivities.
• Be stewards off the dock by gathering family and friends to clean a littered area in your community.
• Become a citizen scientist and track the debris you are removing! Citizen science allows all people to contribute to scientific research and advancement. You can do this by downloading Clean Swell® to easily track your trash and submit your data to a global database that helps inform solutions. Available in the App Store and Google Play now!
• Make it a green event! Encourage volunteers to bring their own bucket, reusable bag and work gloves to reduce the amount of plastic bags and disposable gloves used.
• Remember: Safety is first! Do not attempt to remove trash from a location that is dangerous for volunteers or could contain hazardous materials.

Be sure to add your Cleanup’s results to our ocean trash database:

Need help getting started?

For step-by-step guidance on planning a cleanup of your own, no matter the size, check out Ocean Conservancy’s DIY Cleanup Toolkit Page.

Start spreading the word! Click on a flyer below to customize for your Marina Cleanup.

Be a Good Mate

The Good Mate program unites the goal of trash free seas with a community that is directly impacted by ocean trash and has the power to affect change – boaters and marinas. By providing tips to help boaters and marinas minimize impacts on ocean ecosystems, the program seeks to inspire and empower boaters everywhere. The green boating best practices included in the Good Mate program focus on six specific areas: Oil & Fuel Pollution, Sewage Pollution, Vessel Maintenance Pollution, Solid Waste & Debris, Stormwater Runoff and Vessel Operation Damage. Through simple vessel and marina maintenance practices, we all can enjoy and protect the waters we love.

Help Save Our Seas

NAMEPA is a marine industry-led organization that works to educate seafarers, port communities and students about marine environment protection. NAMEPA’s education programs aim to increase public awareness of marine pollution and inspire members of local communities to take action. NAMEPA has published a variety of educational materials on marine pollution, including a marine debris poster, MARPOL brochure, and “An Educator’s Guide to Marine Debris,” published in partnership with NOAA. For more information about NAMEPA’s programs and how you can help, visit www.namepa.net/education.

Boaters in California

California Coastal Commission (CCC)
Since 1985, CCC has been the statewide coordinator of California Coastal Cleanup Day, the state’s largest volunteer event and a major contributor to the International Coastal Cleanup. CCC is committed to protecting and enhancing California’s coast and ocean for present and future generations. It does so through careful planning and regulation of environmentally-sustainable development, rigorous use of science, strong public participation, education, and effective intergovernmental coordination. CCC believes that an educated and informed citizenry is essential to the well-being of a participatory democracy and is necessary to protect California’s finite natural resources, including the quality of its environment. CCC offers a variety of programs for people who love the coast and want to do something to help it. For more information visit: www.coast4u.org

California State Parks Division of Boating and Waterways (DBW)
Since 2011, DBW and CCC’s Boating Clean and Green Program assist with the implementation of the California Coastal Cleanup Day for Boating Facilities. The DBW is a division within California State Parks. The division provides safe and convenient public access to California’s waterways and leadership in promoting safe, enjoyable and environmentally sound recreational boating. Find out more at www.dbw.parks.ca.gov

The Boating Clean and Green Program is an education and outreach program conducted through the California State Parks Division of Boating and Waterways and California Coastal Commission. The program promotes environmentally-sound boating practices to marine business and boaters. Find out more at www.BoatingCleanandGreen.com

Questions? Please contact cleanup@oceanconservancy.org