Through a miniature watershed, children and adults learned the impact of storm/typhoon water runoffs in the community on the marine environment.
At the 13 Fishermen Pavilion on Beach Road, Division of Environmental Quality personnel Lisa Eller, Sharisse Rivera and Olivia Tebuteb provided volunteers with information about the marine environment.
There were also similar marine debris learning stations at Jeffrey’s Beach and Wing Beach, hosted by the Coastal Resources Management Office and the Mariana Islands Nature Alliance.
Games and prizes were provided.
Beautify CNMI executive officer Angelo Villagomez lauded the efforts of DEQ, CRMO and Coral Reef Initiative Program.
It was the first time for Saipan and Tinian to join the worldwide cleanup, which Rota has been joining since 2007, said Eller, DEQ’s federal programs outreach and publications coordinator.
She said data will be collected regarding the types of marine debris encountered during the cleanup.
Between 8 a.m. and 12 noon on Saturday, volunteers from 25 groups on Saipan covered 18 beach sites.
On Rota, William T. Pendergrass was the cleanup coordinator, while on Tinian, the chamber of commerce led by its president Phillip Mendiola-Long led the cleanup. (See story on page 8)
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Web site, marine debris is any persistent solid material that is manufactured or processed and directly or indirectly, intentionally or unintentionally, disposed of or abandoned into the marine environment or the Great Lakes.
NOAA said marine debris can come in many forms, from a plastic soda bottle to a derelict vessel. Types and components of marine debris include plastics, glass, metal, styrofoam, rubber, derelict fishing gear and derelict vessels.
Marine debris comes from two main sources, the land and the ocean. Activities in both areas contribute to marine debris.
Floatable marine debris moves with ocean currents and winds, sometimes being carried far from its origin, NOAA said.
It said the impacts of marine debris are wide ranging.
“Marine debris is everyone’s problem. It is a global problem affecting everything from the environment to the economy; from fishing and navigation to human health and safety; from the tiniest coral polyps to giant blue whales. Marine debris also comes in many forms, from a cigarette butt to a 4,000-pound derelict fishing net,” NOAA stated.
“Marine debris is a problem we can solve together. Although marine debris is found worldwide, we can all help with the smallest actions. Reduce, reuse, recycle, and participate in local beach or stream cleanups. If we each do a little, together we can make a big difference,” NOAA said.
Last year, nearly 400,000 volunteers collected more than 6.8 million pounds of trash in 100 countries and 42 U.S. states during the 2008 International Coastal Cleanup — the world’s largest volunteer effort of its kind, according to the Washington-based Ocean Conservancy.
