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Beach cleanups, including in O.C., mark World Oceans Day

by in News

The coast is cleaner, thanks to thousands of volunteers who hit the sand Saturday, June 8, for World Oceans Day.

Beach cleanups and gatherings were held at several Orange County beaches, including Huntington State Beach, where an estimated 200 volunteers joined an event organized by Orange County Coastkeeper.

  • Hudson Haskell, 2, is all geared up for the World Oceans Day beach clean up organized by Orange County Coastkeeper as he walks with his dad Jay in Huntington Beach on Saturday, June 8, 2019. More than 144 pounds of trash were picked up by nearly 300 volunteers. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Lena Sojian, of Fountain Valley, and her daughter Grace, 14, left, pick up trash while volunteering during the World Oceans Day beach clean up organized by Orange County Coastkeeper in Huntington Beach on Saturday, June 8, 2019. More than 144 pounds of trash were picked up by nearly 300 volunteers. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  • Brittany Montoya, of West Covina, bottom, and James Garcia, tag team caring for 10-month-old son Ezra Julias and picking up trash as they volunteer during the World Oceans Day beach clean up organized by Orange County Coastkeeper in Huntington Beach on Saturday, June 8, 2019. More than 144 pounds of trash were picked up by nearly 300 volunteers. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Orange County Coastkeeper Beach Cleanup Director Patrick Irizarry weighs bags full of trash as they tally the total during the World Oceans Day beach clean up in Huntington Beach on Saturday, June 8, 2019. More than 144 pounds of trash were picked up by nearly 300 volunteers. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Trash collected by some of the nearly 300 volunteers during the World Oceans Day beach clean up in Huntington Beach on Saturday, June 8, 2019. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Patrick Waiyawaytar, of Mission Viejo, and his nephew Tyson Jackson, 11, volunteer during the World Oceans Day beach clean up in Huntington Beach on Saturday, June 8, 2019. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Bolsa Grande National Honors Society members Janet Le, 17, left, and Kathy Le, 17, both of Garden Grove, sift through sand looking for plastic as they volunteer during the World Oceans Day beach clean up in Huntington Beach on Saturday, June 8, 2019. More than 144 pounds of trash were picked up by nearly 300 volunteers during the event organized by Orange County Coastkeeper. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Golden West Police Academy recruits take a group photo after volunteering during the World Oceans Day beach clean up in Huntington Beach on Saturday, June 8, 2019. More than 144 pounds of trash were picked up by nearly 300 volunteers during the event organized by Orange County Coastkeeper. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Orange County Coastkeeper volunteers consolidate the 144 pounds of trash picked up during the World Oceans Day beach clean up in Huntington Beach on Saturday, June 8, 2019. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Bolsa Grande National Honors Society members Emily Vu, 18, Janet Le, 17, Kathy Le, 17, and Ryan Tran, 17, all of Garden Grove, sift through sand looking for plastic as they volunteer during the World Oceans Day beach clean up in Huntington Beach on Saturday, June 8, 2019. More than 144 pounds of trash were picked up by nearly 300 volunteers during the event organized by Orange County Coastkeeper. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Volunteers comb the beach during the World Oceans Day beach clean up organized by Orange County Coastkeeper in Huntington Beach on Saturday, June 8, 2019. More than 144 pounds of trash were picked up by nearly 300 volunteers. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Brittany Montoya, of West Covina, left, and James Garcia, tag team caring for 10-month-old son Ezra Julias and picking up trash as they volunteer during the World Oceans Day beach clean up organized by Orange County Coastkeeper in Huntington Beach on Saturday, June 8, 2019. More than 144 pounds of trash were picked up by nearly 300 volunteers. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Ryan Tran, 17, of Garden Grove, center, and other members of the Bolsa Grande National Honors Society, volunteer during the World Oceans Day beach clean up in Huntington Beach on Saturday, June 8, 2019. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Patrick Waiyawaytar, of Mission Viejo, and his nephew Tyson Jackson, 11, volunteer during the World Oceans Day beach clean up in Huntington Beach on Saturday, June 8, 2019. Waiyawaytar was with a group of nearly 20 people from California Fish Grill during the event organized by Orange County Coastkeeper. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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World Oceans Day is an international celebration with the goal of keeping the globe’s oceans free of debris.

Volunteers in Huntington Beach spent hours filling reusable bags and buckets with litter found across the sand; and scooping up plastics and trash left behind by beachgoers or washed down waterways and ending up on the sand.

Coastkeeper, this year celebrating 20 years of protecting the coast, also launched a “$1 for Clean Oceans” fundraiser to help offset the cost of running beach clean-up programs. Funds would allow the group to continue efforts not just once a year on World Oceans Day, but each month along Huntington State Beach and San Clemente.

So far this year, the nonprofit has collected 1,665 pounds of trash. In the past two decades, 93,000 pounds of trash has been removed from the sand through regular beach cleanups.

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