Let’s keep our beaches, oceans clean

I love to go to the beach. I don’t even have to travel far to get to the beach since my family and I live just one block away. It makes me really sad when I see trash all over the place. Why would people throw things on the ground or in the water when there are many trash cans on the beach?

Marine pollution has been documented for many years. It is when chemicals, particles, industrial, agricultural and residential waste enters the water and causes harmful effects. Some people don’t seem to realize how important the ocean really is. Other than its beauty, ocean plants produce half of the oxygen we breathe. The ocean is also known to be the biggest water cycle system that provides us with drinking water. It provides the habitats and nesting grounds for sea turtles and seabirds.

With all that pollution in the ocean, seabirds have no other choice but to go elsewhere. This is why the Rockaway Beach Boardwalk was closed. Seabirds such as the piping plovers were found on the boardwalk nesting. These beautiful birds are now endangered.

If you like seafood, then you shouldn’t mind picking up some trash off the beach. Over the years, many people have died from water-related diseases. It’s not just the water you swim in but the fish you eat that is also taking in pollution.

The trash that you throw in the ocean also acts as a food source to sea creatures. A sea creature may mistake a plastic bag for a jellyfish and eat it, endangering its life. Before you think of dropping that ice cream wrapper on the ground, think about the potential dangers that you can cause.