The ocean’s sparkling surface disguises an unhealthy reality underneath. In Los Angeles, rain washes trash and chemicals on our streets into storm drains that flow straight to the ocean. A rising tide of pollution is sickening and killing marine life. Birds often mistake small pieces of plastic for food, sea turtles mistake plastic bags for sea jellies and chemicals sicken many ocean animals. Find out more about what you can do to prevent trash and pollution from reaching the sea.
 Watersheds: It all Flows to
Sea
Learn about the history of DDT and its impact on Southern California's ocean food chain by downloading the What's the Catch comic book.
We may not realize it, but what we do at
home can greatly affect our ocean. Trash and chemicals wash
down our streets and flow to the nearby ocean through our storm
drains.
Conservation Tip: During your next beach outing, bring a trash bag along and pick up trash on the beach.
Make a difference from home!
Approximately 80% of the pollution in the ocean comes from land-based sources, which means, in part, from the streets, sidewalks and parks around your home. Help stop pollution at the source!
Join the California Coastal Commission each Saturday in September, from 9-12 noon, and beautify your neighborhoods with friends, family and neighbors (at a distance) by picking up litter.
Coastal Cleanup Resources:
California Coastal Commission
Every Saturday in September at your local happy place!
Important Safety Guidelines
Educators, get your students involved for school!
Heal the Bay
Coastal Cleanup Month
Ocean Conservancy
International Coastal Cleanup - learn about global efforts to clean the ocean
Use the Clean Swell or the Marine Debris Tracker Apps to record your cleanup efforts, share with your friends, and provide data for researchers!
Creative Challenge #1
Make a Difference! Given this year's unusual circumstances, it is a great time to reflect and share the ways that each of us can make a difference. Make a 1-3 minute video showing your cleanup efforts and explaining why YOU think cleaning your neighborhood is important and/or how YOU do your part to keep our oceans clean.
Creative Challenge #2
Trash-A-Day: Show off your artistic flair and your commitment to a clean ocean! Pick up one piece of trash a day, and turn it into an Art Project! Make a photo collage, sculpture, mandala or anything your creativity brings to mind!
Did you know: You can help keep the ocean clean just by keeping your street clean!
Living in the City of Los Angeles, you are living in 1 of 4 watersheds that drain into the Pacific Ocean; The Ballona Creek, Dominguez Channel, Los Angeles River Watershed, or Santa Monica Bay Watershed.
Our natural waterways, in addition to our storm drain system and channelized rivers and creeks, allow storm water to quickly flow from our city streets. This can be helpful to prevent flooding but it also diverts a lot of usable water (and any pollution it picks up) quickly into the ocean.
Trash, oil, chemicals, fertilizers and pesticides, even dog poop that is left on streets all have the potential to end up in our ocean.
Watersheds are about where water flows. Learn about your neighborhoods micro-watershed by taking a Watershed Walk and jotting down your findings in our Watershed Worksheet.
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