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Clean Oceans International is a nonprofit tackling plastic pollution through global outreach, science, and education. Join us in fighting plastic pollution!

Donate: https://www.cleanoceansinternational.org/donate.html

09/18/2026

🌊 Just 2 days to go!

Grab your friends and family and join Clean Oceans International this Saturday for California Coastal Cleanup Day—California’s largest annual volunteer event!

As Save Our Shores coordinates Coastal Cleanup Day across the Monterey Bay area, COI will be leading the effort at Moran Lake.

We’ll meet at Moran Lake Beach and then spread out to remove debris from the beach, surrounding neighborhoods, and watershed—helping stop trash before it reaches our waterways and ocean.

📅 Saturday, September 19
🕘 9 AM–12 PM
📍 Meet at Moran Lake Beach

No experience necessary, and walk-ups are welcome!

Bring your friends and family, and spend the morning helping protect our coast, waterways, and community. 💙

09/11/2026

🌊 One week to go!

Grab your friends and family and join us for California Coastal Cleanup Day—California’s largest annual volunteer event!

We’ll meet at 9 AM, then spread out to remove debris from the beach, surrounding neighborhoods, and watershed—helping stop trash before it reaches our waterways and ocean.

Individuals, families, students, and community groups are welcome. No experience necessary, and walk-ups are welcome!

🕘 9 AM–12 PM
📍 Moran Lake Beach

09/03/2026

1.3 MILLION PLASTIC BOTTLES. IN ONE CLEANUP.

New results from the 2025 International Coastal Cleanup show that volunteers around the world collected 1,338,712 plastic beverage bottles—making them the most commonly collected item worldwide.

It’s a staggering number. Reuters’ Drowning in Plastic visualization from 2018 puts the scale of global plastic bottle use into perspective. Reuters visualization: https://www.reuters.com/graphics/ENVIRONMENT-PLASTIC/0100B275155/

Now it’s our turn. Join COI for this year’s International Coastal Cleanup at Moran Lake Beach!

We’ll remove debris and document what we find, adding our results to COI’s public marine debris database as well as the worldwide ICC dataset.

🌊 See the flyer for details and join us September 19!

08/19/2026

Exciting progress from our partner Dr. Skip Rochefort and his students at Oregon State University!

Their custom-built Portable Plastic Waste Conversion machine, the “Onionator”, is getting closer to the finish line. Designed for Malheur County onion farmers, this system converts used HDPE drip irrigation tubing into diesel fuel that can be blended for on-farm use.

Innovation like this is helping communities turn plastic waste into real, practical solutions. 🌱♻️

08/12/2026

🌊 Stories from the Shoreline | Volunteer Spotlight

Last summer, Cabrillo College students AJ Escalante and Caleb Armstrong took their citizen science work beyond the classroom.

After first working with COI through a semester Oceanography project, they decided to continue on their own — developing a summer study at Pacifica State Beach, better known locally as Taco Bell Beach.

They had a question: Would they find more plastic debris near the Taco Bell than farther down the shoreline?

They surveyed two locations — one near the restaurant and another about a quarter mile away — and found substantially more plastic debris at the location closest to Taco Bell.

While the surveys can't identify the source of every piece of debris, the pattern raises important questions about how nearby activity may influence what accumulates on our beaches.

We're proud of AJ and Caleb for taking what they learned, asking their own questions, and choosing to keep investigating. That's citizen science in action. 💙

08/06/2026

There’s nothing quite like learning by doing — especially when your fieldwork comes with an ocean view. 🌊

COI intern Jimmy Zhang spent his time with our Environmental Plastic Assessment Program (EPAP) collecting and sorting plastic debris, working with his team in the field, and helping turn the data they collected into meaningful insights.

Here’s what Jimmy had to say about his experience:

“During my internship with the Environmental Plastic Assessment Program at Clean Oceans International, I spent time on gorgeous beaches collecting and sorting plastic debris and helped turn that data into clear, meaningful insights. I learned how to work well with a team, solve challenges in the field, and really understand how even small actions can make a difference for our oceans. It was so satisfying to see the beach a little cleaner after each survey — and I’d love for more people to get the chance to join and experience the fun and impact for themselves!”

Thank you, Jimmy, for bringing your time and enthusiasm to EPAP and helping us better understand plastic pollution along our coast!

08/05/2026

Plastic Free July may be over, but the challenge doesn't have to end. 🌊

Throughout July, we explored simple ways to reduce single-use plastics through everyday choices. While each action may seem small, together they help prevent plastic from becoming marine debris and protect our waterways, wildlife, and oceans.

As we move into August, we encourage you to keep the momentum going. Continue bringing your reusable bottle, shopping bag, utensils, and food containers. Join a local cleanup, participate in our Beach Adoption Program, or inspire someone else to make one small swap.

Protecting our oceans isn't a one-month commitment—it's a habit we build every day.

Thank you for joining us during Plastic Free July. Let's keep creating cleaner beaches, healthier oceans, and stronger communities, one choice at a time. 💙

07/31/2026

🌟 Volunteer Spotlight: Meet Abdul Rahman and Youth Impact Iraq!

At Clean Oceans International, our mission reaches far beyond borders thanks to dedicated stewards like Abdul. As one of our international volunteers, Abdul leads cleanups along highways in Baghdad with the incredible team at Youth Impact Iraq, using COI's EPAP field protocols to help keep plastic pollution out of our environment.

His commitment reminds us that protecting our planet is a global effort and that meaningful change can begin anywhere.

Thank you, Abdul and Youth Impact Iraq, for reminding us that the future is built by people who choose to take action today. We're grateful for your leadership and the positive impact you're making in your community and beyond. 🌍

07/29/2026

Plastic-Free July Tip #5: Choose Reusable Containers 🍱

Choosing reusable food containers is an easy way to reduce single-use plastic. Whether you're packing lunch, storing leftovers, or bringing your own container for takeout, choosing reusable containers helps reduce single-use plastic waste.

Many single-use food containers are difficult to recycle because they're contaminated with food or made from multiple materials. As a result, many end up in landfills or become litter that can be carried into rivers, beaches, and eventually the ocean.

This week, challenge yourself to pack your meals, save leftovers, or bring a reusable container the next time you order takeout. Small everyday choices add up, and together they help create cleaner communities and healthier oceans. 🌎💙

07/22/2026

Meet our 2026 Summer Interns! 🌊☀️

We're excited to introduce our 2026 Summer Interns to the Clean Oceans International community. Throughout the summer, our two intern teams have been conducting Environmental Plastic Assessment Program (EPAP) surveys at Albany & Alameda beaches in the San Francisco Bay Area and Manresa & Sunset State Beaches along California's Central Coast, helping us collect valuable data on plastic pollution.

Through this internship, our students are gaining hands-on field experience while contributing to meaningful scientific research that supports cleaner, healthier coastlines. We're excited to share more of their work and the impact they're making throughout the rest of the summer.

Please join us in welcoming our 2026 Summer Interns! 💙🌎

Address

345 Lake Avenue, Suite G
Santa Cruz, CA
95062

Telephone

+18312262937

Website

http://www.cleanoceansinternational.org/

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