2007 International Coastal Cleanup

Top Ten List

Download the 2007 ICC Data Report (PDF)

Trash in the ocean kills more than one million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals and turtles each year through entanglement and ingestion. In 2007, International Coastal Cleanup volunteers found 237 ocean animals entangled in trash during the three-hour event including; 81 Birds, 63 Fish, 49 Invertebrates, 30 Mammals, 11 Reptiles and 1 Amphibian were found entangled in fishing line, fishing nets, six-pack holders, plastic bags and balloon string, to name only a few.

Entanglement in Ocean Trash:

• Wraps around flippers causing circulation loss and amputations
• Creates wounds and cuts leading to bacterial infections
• Slows animals ability to swim making them more vulnerable to predators
• Smothers or traps animals, causing them to drown
• Causes starvation as animals can no-longer eat or feed its young

Ingestion of Ocean Trash:

• Leads to starvation by blocking digestive tracks
• Provides false sense of being full once swallowed, which leads to starvation
• Ingests sharp objects like metal or glass that perforate the stomach, causing internal bleeding
• Becomes lodged in animals windpipes, cutting off airflow and causing suffocation

How Long Does It Take for Trash in the Ocean to Decompose?

• A tin can that entered the ocean in 1986 is still decomposing in 2036
• A plastic bottle that entered the ocean in 1986 is decomposing in 2436
• A glass bottle that entered the ocean in 1986 is decomposing in year 1,001,986

Download the PDF