Beach and Highway Clean-Ups are an important and ongoing effort of the Oregon chapters of Surfrider Foundation. Whether you want to give a little love back to your local beach, gain volunteer & community service hours for your group or business, or you are interested in meeting some new folks while engaging in beach stewardship, the Surfrider Foundation would love your support! Pound for pound and volunteer for volunteer, no group in Oregon is as dedicated as our chapters to ongoing cleanup efforts. Be sure and visit each of our chapter pages to learn more about how you can get involved and support our cleanup efforts. Ask about our educational clean-ups for school groups! Having trouble contacting our chapter cleanup coordinators? Contact oregon@surfrider.org for statewide support.
Oregon Marine Debris Team and Japanese Tsunami Debris
In late 2011 following the aftermath of the Japanese Tsunami event, we formally helped establish the Oregon Marine Debris Team. The goal of the Oregon Marine Debris Team is to protect Oregon’s beaches from marine debris through stewardship, education, science and monitoring.
The Oregon Marine Debris Team, a partnership between CoastWatch, Surfrider Foundation, SOLVE, Washed Ashore, and Oregon Sea Grant, was formed to collaborate on citizen-based efforts to track and clean up marine debris. The Team’s focus is on the longstanding, persistent issue of marine debris but also addresses debris generated by the tsunami that struck Japan in March, 2011. An estimated 1.5 million tons of debris pulled out to sea by the tsunami is circulating the Pacific—an unknown portion is likely to wash up in Oregon.
Statewide Agency and Federal Links on Tsunami Debris
Visit the State of Oregon’s Tsunami Marine Debris Page to learn more about common tsunami debris questions, sign up for our Oregon Marine Debris Team listserver and get the latest updates from local, state and federal agencies also involved in this effort.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association’s (NOAA) Tsunami Marine Debris Page to learn more about tracking debris throughout the Pacific, volunteer monitoring partnerships and more!