Living in San Diego, one of the biggest things people tend to take for granted is also one of the most important­–the ocean. It affects numerous aspects of our county, from economics to aesthetics, and, to many, it is one of the area’s defining characteristics. It supports innumerable marine organisms and their ecosystems, as well as provides a steady income for a variety of professionals around San Diego, such as hotel personnel, local restaurant owners, and scientists, to name only a few (sdcoastkeeper.org).

However, according to the Surfrider Foundation, in recent years, the amount of beach litter along the coast has greatly risen, posing serious problems to all of the livelihoods the ocean supports (sandiego.surfrider.org). As summer vacation approaches and students prepare to escape the inland heat, it is important to remember to respect our beaches and to actively participate in making them a place everyone can enjoy.

According to a US city profiling website, “San Diego’s tourism industry is the third largest segment of its economy, with more than 26 million visitors to the county bringing more than $5.6 billion in annual revenues.” The ocean, along with its cool, relaxing breezes and overall calming atmosphere, plays a large part in attracting so many tourists, especially during the summertime (city-data.com). In addition to tourism, the ocean provides many other necessary and profitable services that are also threatened by seashore litter.

With the national and state economies as bad as they are now, it is vital that San Diego citizens try to preserve any and all natural advantages the county already has, especially when those advantages bring in such a large portion of the county’s profit. By permitting the beauty of local beaches to be marred by old sandals and cigarette butts, residents are not only hurting their eyes, but their wallets.

In addition to the financial benefits of a clean beach, there are ecological reasons to help clean up. Trash washes up from and into the ocean across the globe, allowing a piece of plastic from Japan to end up on the coast of California. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, ocean debris can negatively affect marine and terrestrial plants and animals that cross its path, generally by entangling, poisoning, or being ingested by an organism (water.epa.gov).

Every summer, there is an influx of pollution along the beaches, according to the San Diego Clean Beach Coalition (cleanbeachcoalition.org). Luckily, there is also an influx of young people with ample spare time over summer vacation. To make matters even better, there are various easy ways for anyone to lend a hand in combating the problem of beach debris. For those who want to donate a morning, beach clean-ups are held regularly by countless groups, many affiliated with the San Diego Clean Beach Coalition. For others, simply remembering to pick up any belongings brought to the beach helps lessen the problem in the future.

As members of the San Diego community, UC High students and staff have a duty to help preserve our beaches. As said by Senior Bridget Webb, “The environment is the basis of life. We derive all of our resources from it. Encouraging people to clean-up after themselves is obviously a good idea. Everyone should help when they can.” This summer, take the time to spend a day at the beach–you can help the environment and get a nice tan.