When you help at a coastal cleanup, you'll be asked not only to remove marine debris, but to record on data sheets the kinds and amounts of trash you find. All data collected will be sent to the Center for Marine Conservation, USA (CMC).

The information on these sheets will be used by the (CMC) in an international marine debris study to help policy makers on the state, federal and international levels develop solutions to ending the serious marine debris problems facing all coastal states.

Data collected since 1986 and analyzed by CMC has been used in reports, in testimny on Capitol Hill (in USA) and at the International Maritime Organization meetings in London to detemine how plastic trash will be handled by ships at sea and at ports all aroud the world.

Data counts! Hence your help makes a difference!

Helpful Tips for Data Collectors

1. Count items in groups of five (4 vertical slashes with 1 horizontal slash across) and record the total in the box.

2. Do not write the words "lots" or "many". Only numbers of items can be put into the computer.

3. Stranded Animals: In this section, please list animals you find stranded or dead on the beach and if possible, any entangling debris items.

4. Sources: In this section, please list foreign items found, country and any debris with identifiable markings, such as a company name. [In Singapore, this data is not meaningful, so we don't record this].

5. Please leave natural items on the beach like driftwood, mangrove seeds and seaweed. Avoid stepping on beach grass and plants. These things hold the sand and prevent erosion.

6. Work with a few people. Have 1 person record the numbers while the others collect and bag the trash.

7. Please return your data sheet to your area coordinator so that all your data will be added to the state and national totals.