Marine debris: objects that do not occur naturally in oceans, salt marshes, estuaries and beaches.

The top debris items include objects you may have seen on the beach, such as
•    Cigarette filters
•    Food wrappers
•    Containers, caps and lids
•    Cups, plates and utensils
•    Beverage bottles
•    Plastic bags
•    Glass bottles
•    Beverage cans
•    Straws/stirrers
•    Rope

Leave Only Footprints, the new initiative adopted by both Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, seeks to reduce the amount of trash left on the shore. Beach visitors are asked to take their beach gear, toys and trash with them when they leave. Items left on the beach are collected each night and recycled.

It is illegal in the United States to put any type of plastic trash into navigable waters. While some fishing gear is accidentally lost at sea, other gear – including fishing line, crab pots and fishing net – may be purposely discarded, causing a dangerous threat to fish and natural habitats such as coral reefs.

Teaching kids the elements of keeping the trash out of the Gulf of Mexico is as easy as 1-2-3:
1.    Set the example. Tell your children about Leave Only Footprints and take your beach gear and trash with you when you leave.
2.    Pick up trash you see on the beach (even trash that doesn’t belong to you) and dispose of it in the many garbage and recycling cans placed on the beach.
3.    Check sites such as www.MarineDebris.noaa.gov for publications. One such tool is Turning the Tide on Trash: A Learning Guide on Marine Debris, and it can be used in a variety of ways for grades 1-12.

Learning programs abound for teaching kids about marine debris. Working with an appropriate program and grade level will encourage your child to make good environmental choices for life.