A big thank you to all who participated in the September 2012 Coastal Cleanup, and a special "thank you" to Ada Long for coordinating the Coastal Cleanup program in Franklin County! Over 200 volunteers collected more than 40 tons of trash from 10 sites in the county.

For the past 26 years, the Ocean Conservancy and coordinators from over 100 countries have worked together to create the oceans largest volunteer effort in the world. Every year during September, volunteers work together to clean beaches, rivers and other waterways. Trash is one of the most widespread pollution problems threatening our ocean and waterways - yet it's entirely preventable. Marine debris is more than an eyesore, it's a threat to marine wildlife and ecosystems; and undermines tourism and economic activity, potentially threatening our food supply and human health. When we trash our ocean, we trash our life support system.

From product design to disposal, we all have a role to play in keeping our ocean clean and eliminating marine debris. Individuals can take steps every day to protect our ocean - everyone counts. Reduce, reuse, recycle and rethink your connection to the ocean.