By In 2019, Long Beach was voted fourth dirtiest beach by Heal the Bay, an environmental non-profit focused on water quality within L.A. County.
Then in February of 2021 there was a 222,542 gallon sewage spill that closed all the beaches in Long Beach, according to Heal the Bay.
I decided to walk from Balboa Avenue to 56th Place. It’s a .3 mile walk and at the end my 13 gallon bag was half filled.
It’s important to keep the beaches clean because the ocean regulates our climate and temperature because it distributes heat across the globe. The ocean also absorbs over 90% of the heat and approximately 30% of carbon dioxide emissions produced by human activities, according to Marine Conservation Institute.
If you would like to get involved in making the beach shores cleaner, here’s some beach clean ups in April:
- Saturday, April 16 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. – Justin Rudd’s 30 minute Beach Cleanup at Granada Ave. Belmont Shore
- Friday, April 22 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. – Surfrider Foundation Long Beach Chapter at Belmont Pier
- Saturday, April 23 from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. – Earth Day Clean Up at Belmont Pier
A candy wrapper stuck in seaweed. Photo credit: Ashley Ramos
A mask covered in seashells and leaves left on the beach. Photo credit: Ashley Ramos
3 Musketeers and a straw mixed in other sea debris. Photo credit: Ashley Ramos
A Caprisun and a nail file littered at the beach. Photo credit: Ashley Ramos
A plastic glove next to a dead baby crab. Photo credit: Ashley Ramos
A long green bag washed up on the shore. Photo credit: Ashley Ramos
Coquina clam shells living on seaweed next to a plastic wrapper. Photo credit: Ashley Ramos
Broken plastic Tupperware left in the sand. Photo credit: Ashley Ramos
A plastic bag that made it back to shore after being stuck in seaweed. Photo credit: Ashley Ramos
