Prevention

One way to fix beach clean up is a large scale project where everyone gets together and cleans that beach. This method is very effective. But what you really want to do is prevent having to be in this situation. Here are some ways that you can do this.
-keep septic systems running smoothly
-conserve and keep water clean
-dispose of boat waste properly
-pick up after yourself at the beach
-clean out all storm drains twice a year to reduce stormwater pollution
-cut up plastic and find out where you can dispose of it safely
-and most important support clean beaches and laws that help

Pollution Facts

-In the year 2002, there was a reported 12,184 closings of beaches, bays, lakes, and fresh water beaches.
-Beach pollution is a problem in just about every coastal state and is getting worse.
-It is also usually confined to local areas.
-87% of beach closings were because of bacteria caused by fecal contamination
-estimated that about 7 million Americans get sick from contaminated water each year from both recreational and drinking water
-pollution kills and affects many different types of marine and land species
plastic a type of rubbish that does not decompose. So when it gets into the ocean, it stays in the ocean. This harms the animals because sometimes they mistake it as food. Dead fishes and marine animals have been found with plastic in their stomach's that was the cause of their death. Also, sea turtles have been found choking on the plastic from a 6 pack of cans. Birds can also get caught in these.
Also, any nets and fishing lines left in the ocean entangle fish and kills them unknowingly.

Process

To begin this beach clean up, the only material that I needed was a trash bag in which to put the rubbish in. Once I had my trash bag, I drove out to Wailupe beach park and walked to the end of the beach. To ensure that I would get all of the pollution on the beach, I walked slowly while looking first in the water, then further up the beach finally stopping after searching the bushes. I did this for the length of the beach which was about a quarter mile long. After I finished cleaning the beach, moved onto the bathroom area. I did not go inside, but cleaned up the area around it and by the showers. Then before I left, I made a sweep of the parking lot.

Types of Pollution

Beach pollution can be caused by all different types of waste. Some of the most common are the usual cans, plastic bags, and fishing supplies. Another type that you dont usually see is sewage and polluted stormwater that gets released into the ocean. This polluted water exposes bacteria, viruses and protozoans to beach goers. This can cause infection and symtoms such as headache, vomiting, and fever.

During my beach clean up, I found a bunch of different types of pollution. Some examples are plactic bags, cans, fishing supplies, and a toothbrush. These were strewn about along the whole length of the beach, in places such as the sand, bushes, and water. Another type of pollution that I encountered but did not clean up was the invasive limu. This limu is called Grasilaria Salicornia. This type of limu takes over native species and covers coral reefs. If I were to clean up the limu it would have to be a large scale project because of the great amount .


Without testing, I can't tell if the water is polluted, but from the looks of it, it is highly possible that the water had some type of pollution. There was a lot of debris in the water, and the color was brown and murky. There was also a storm drain opening near the waters edge which could release polluted stormwater into the ocean.

One way that the pollution could have gotten on the beach was by people visiting that leave their trash behind. Another is from the homeless people. While walking along the beach, I saw many homeless living on the beach and in the bushes. Around these areas is where i found the most trash. They lived in very messy areas and didnt take care of the land around them. This was a problem that I did not think of before.

Beaches

In Hawaii, we are surrounded by water on all sides which makes us an island. Because we are surrounded by water, we have very beautiful beaches. They give us a place to go and relax and have fun. You can go have family picnics or body board in the water. But soon this may end if we do not stop the pollution. Hawaii's beaches are becomng more and more polluted each year. This not only affects the land, but also the ocean and sea creatures.

The beach which I cleaned up was called Wailupe. Because of time constraints I had to change from the original Sherwoods beach. The difference between the two beaches was the amount of beach itself. This is because Sherwoods has about 40 meters of sand while Wailupe has only about 5 meters meaning the water is pretty much up to the edge. This means that it is easier for the rubbish on the beach to enter the water.