OCEAN CITY - Volunteers descended upon Ocean City today with the non-profit Maryland Coastal Bays Program for an ocean and beach cleanup - the organizations annual "Marine Debris Plunder." Volunteers collected trash and various items littering the streets and waters near Ocean City.
The volunteers collected an array of items, from tires and chains to cups. In an imaginative twist, they delivered their "bounty" to a special guest impersonator – Captain Jack Sparrow – for weighing and proper disposal.
One primary goal of the initiative was to locate and remove "ghost pots," which are discarded crab traps. These abandoned traps can inadvertently kill various marine creatures.
Sandi Smith, Outreach Coordinator for The Maryland Coastal Bays Program, says it's crucial to connect the community with their environment,
“Until you participate in a trash cleanup you don’t realize how careless people can be or how careless our trash is disposed of.” said Smith.
She added it's often an eye opening experience for many,
“Most of our participants will come back and be like, I had know idea, or look at all the bottlecaps that just washed up in the water. Even when they do cleanups outside the plunder they become inspired.”
Rosemarie Libezey, a volunteer, says the reward is giving back,
“You want to keep everything clean and nice, for the people, and the people thank you as they go by, it’s just really nice to do.” said Libezey.
Organizers say their first year of the event saw three tons of waste collected, and they hope to remove even more at this years event.
Organizers added if you see debris you are not able to collect, to register it on the Maryland Coastal Bays website as they often seek grant funding to facilitate collecting that debris.
You can register here: https://mdcoastalbays.org/marine-debris-collection/