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.

Great Wolf Lodge flip flop collected from Portinfer on Guernsey's west coast on 15th March 2019

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Great Wolf Lodge flip flop collected from Portinfer on Guernsey's west coast on 15th March 2019

This flip flop is presumed to have been lost at sea on the night of 3rd March 2018 when, during a severe storm, containers fell off the Maersk Shanghai while travelling from Norfolk, Virginia to Charleston, South Carolina. The containers were lost 17 miles off Oregon Inlet, South Carolina.

This Great Wolf Lodge flip-flop was collected from the Portinfer sea shore on Guernsey's west coast on 15th March 2019.

The flip flop appears to have been bitten on the toe and the heal during its trans Atlantic journey and it grew an accumulation of goose barnacles.

File No. 051219 5248
©RLLord
sealordphoto@gmail.com

Great Wolf Lodge flip-flop 5248

Great Wolf Lodge flip flop 5248 15 March 2019 Great Wolf Lodge flipflop Maersk Shanghai Norfolk Virginia to Charleston South Carolina North American origin Portinfer beach litter USA barnacle covered biten container loss 3 March 2018 off Oregon Inlet flipflop marine plastic litter lost at sea trans Atlantic right flip flop right foot washed up

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