Clean-ups to aid marine ecology

Several beach clean-ups are planned as part of Seaweek.

People are being called on to take responsibility for waterways under the week's theme - One Ocean, it Starts with Me.

Locals yesterday collected and counted litter on the dunes and the seabed of Auckland's Long Bay Beach and Okura Marine Reserve that had either been left or washed up. They were trying to reduce the threat to marine life.

The rubbish was then sorted and counted to help in gathering scientific data on the type and amount of waste being dropped.

Data was sent to the Auckland Regional Council and Project Aware, a global organisation dedicated to conserving underwater environments through education, advocacy and action.

All material that could be recycled was delivered to the nearest recycling centre.

Prizes were raffled off to keen volunteers after the clean-up began at noon.

Collecting and assessing the rubbish will also be the focus of Seaweek for schools on the Coromandel Peninsula this week.

The Thames-Coromandel District Council has teamed up with schoolchildren, teachers, parents and volunteers from Te Puru, Whangamata, Coromandel, Whitianga and Hikuai.

In clean-ups last year 4400 pieces of rubbish were collected after just an hour at four locations.

Council communications officer Alison Smith said different areas had different types of litter - a build-up of fishing gear and industrial and farm rubbish in Whitianga, cigarette butts and lolly wrappers in Whangamata, rope fragments and lolly wrappers in Coromandel and beer bottles (450 in total), plastic bags and lolly wrappers in Tairua.

"Little actions like not putting your rubbish bag out before collection day, reducing the packaging you buy, or making it a habit to collect one piece of rubbish every time you visit the beach can make a difference."

Last year more than 1700 cigarette butts were collected from a 1km stretch of beach near the Whangamata Surf Club.

Seaweek is led nationally by the Association of Environmental Educators and has a number of partners including the Department of Conservation, the Ministry of Fisheries, St Kilda Trust and the Ministry for the Environment. It began as an art competition with a marine theme in 1987.

CHANCE TO HELP ON BEACHES

* Maketu Kaimoana Festival, Saturday, Okurei Point.

* Karekare Beach Races, Sunday, Karekare Beach.

* Take a closer look at the waters of Great Barrier Island and learn how to monitor shellfish, March 9 or March 23.

* Join local natural history writers and photographers Tony and Jenny Enderby on Goat island to discover the secrets of rocky shores and learn snorkelling tips, Saturday, 9.30am to 4.30pm.

* Join Mid-North Forest and Bird to visit the Muriwai gannet colony, Sunday.

* Listen to experts talk about the significance of the southern Firth of Thames and the project helping to protect it, Thursday 4pm to 6pm, Miranda Shorebird Centre.

* Join in activities and learn about the beauty of the ocean during your lunch break in Tauranga, Friday, from 11am, Red Square.

* Join a beach clean-up run by the New Plymouth District Council, various beaches during the week.

* Meet the Tauranga branch of Forest and Bird, Saturday, 9am to 4.30pm, Tauranga Library Arcade.

* Join a school group on the Coromandel Peninsula for a beach clean-up - Mercury Bay Area School, from 9am today, Hikuai School from 9am tomorrow, Whangamata Area School from 9am tomorrow, Te Puru School from 9am to 10am on Wednesday.