(Clean Ocean Action photo)

On Saturday, Clean Ocean Action is holding its annual beach clean-up in New Jersey. Apparently, there's always plenty to do. Last year, 5,163 volunteers collected 289,976 pieces of debris from 63 locations during two cleanups, held in spring and fall.   The total weight was 36,041 pounds. 

Plastics overall pretty much always top the list of items.  But as far as individual items, cigarette filters remain the most ubiquitous, smoking bans at various beaches notwithstanding. According to the 2008 annual report, the  "Roster of the Ridiculous," which lists the most unusual items found, include: 1977 Bradley Beach badge in Point Pleasant, a Canoe, bottle of Holy Water, $20 Bill, beer keg, Whole Jar of mayonnaise, containers from Asia, a refrigerator door, a vacuum, a ship brace from an old ship, a high chair, and 500 pounds of lumber.

The beach sweep events are more than people picking-up trash from beaches, the nonprofit association points out. The intent is also to build community support for solutions to marine litter, as well as raises awareness about the negative impacts of litter on wildlife and the ocean.

The sweeps will be held from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and you can get information about where to meet at the organization's website, www.CleanOceanAction.org

Speaking of things washing up on beaches, Congress is taking steps to get cruise ships to quit dumping raw sewage into coastal waters. According to Friends of the Earth, cruise ships are now allowed to dump raw sewage just three miles offshore -- which is roughly as far as you can see to the horizon. So if you're at the shore, and you see a cruise ship ... 

On Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) and U.S. Rep. Sam Farr (D-Calif.) introduced legislation that would end the dumping. It would establish a no-dumping zone in waters within 12 nautical miles of U.S. shores and strengthen standards for treatment of waste outside that zone. The bill also would require an onboard monitoring program. 

"This practice is not only disgusting, it can threaten the public health, coastal tourism, fishing economies, and marine ecosystems,” said Neesha Kulkarni, legislative associate at Friends of the Earth, in a prepared statement. “Advanced technology is available to treat this waste, but the cruise industry has failed to install this equipment on a majority of its ships. The Clean Cruise Ship Act would put a stop to this practice and hold the cruise industry accountable.”

 Some ships carry 7,000 passengers and crew. In one week, a ship with 3,000 passengers can generate 200,000 gallons of sewage and 1 million gallons of graywater (water from showers, floor drains, and kitchens).

"The cruise ship industry is way overdue to take responsibility for its actions,” Farr said. “It’s ironic that the cruise industry relies on a clean ocean and pristine coastlines for its livelihood, but doesn’t put in the effort to sustain them. This carelessness must not be allowed to continue.”

More information can be found here.