Guernsey beach cleans and marine litter

Marine debris and particularly floating plastic is a major hazard for wildlife. Seabirds, turtles and marine mammals may ingest plastic, which may cause their death. Discarded plastic erodes to microscopic particles, which can enter the human food chain. Some plastic softeners may mimic endocrine hormones which impact reproduction.

Marine debris washes up on the Guernsey shore regularly. Much of it is from ships including fishing boats. Storms bring up broken crab and lobster pots. Beach cleaners often find an odd shoe, cigarette lighters, plastic polymer fishing rope, twine, and line, pieces of polystyrene and insulation foam, plastic bags and plastic bottles, and thousands of pieces of hard plastic including disposable plastic cutlery, plastic bottle tops and plastic toys.

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A thick length of rope was recovered from the Petit Port strand-line on 12 December 2018

Walking down the steps to Petit Port on Guernsey's south coast, I noticed a large green mass on the seaweed strand-line. It turned out to be the thick rope at the right of the image. There has been a rock fall on the west side of Petit Port bay. Boulders the size of cars trap netting that washes in from the sea. These boulders move a little when covered by the tide. The red buoy was found trapped in a void underneath one of the boulders, and the netting was wrapped around a pinch point between two boulders, and removed.

File No. 121218 5512
File size: 20.76 MB Jpeg
©RLLord
sealord@me.com

rope Petit Port beach clean litter buoy polyform buoy fishing industry litter fishing litter marine litter strand line litter sea shore litter plastic container fishing nets trawl net plastic litter marine plastic litter ocean debris marine debris marine plastic pollution

Sealord photography's biodiversity images began with a focus on international commercial seafood species and the marine life of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, Great Britain.

Sealord photography has a growing collection of digital images covering climate change, the environment and sustainability issues.

Sealord photography also covers the Guernsey community and particularly the fund raising activities of Guernsey charities as part of the island's social sustainability.

The fish, shellfish and marine life images would not be possible if it were not for the generosity of commercial and recreational fishermen in Guernsey, and seafood suppliers at various trade shows in the USA, and wholesalers at Fulton Fish Market in New York City.

Many marine biologists have helped identify or confirm the identity of marine species photographed. These people have been mentioned when possible.

Please email: sealord@me.com or sustainableguernsey@gmail.com if you have any questions or comments about Sealord photography. Thank you. Richard Lord

Thank you for visiting Sealord photography on Smugmug.

Sealord photography focuses on three themes:

Biodiversity with an emphasis on marine life

Sustainability relating to construction & urban development; energy; food; transport; and waste.

The Guernsey community

Guernsey beach cleans and marine litter