Kickoff of COAST 2017!- Written by John Chiarella, COAST Intern

Summer is here and that means it's time to get outside and hit the beach! It's no different for us at Clean Ocean Action, and with the start of the season we're proud to announce the start of our annual COAST Campaign! This is one of our most extensive outreach and education programs, and this year we have BIG plans our campaign to reach the most people yet!

Before we get to that though, some explaining is in order: COAST stands for Clean Ocean Action Shore Tips. The campaign operates on a grassroots level and works to educate the public about environmental issues affecting the NY/NJ Bight (the ocean realm of the NY/NY shore) and what everyone can do to help. Historically, the campaign has consisted of setting up information tables staffed by COA volunteers at coastal businesses and the shore front. While we are definitely continuing in that tradition, this year we are also attempting to expand COAST's reach to those who may not frequent the beach as much but still live in its vicinity and are affected by it. This summer we are going to setup tables at various farmers markets in the area, giving us an entirely new audience of potential Ocean Defenders. Our other initiative is to combine COAST with our partnership program, “Jersey Shore Thing!” to give COAST even more opportunities to let citizens know how they can fight ocean pollution and industrialization.

This summer, in particular, is an important time for COAST. It has recently been announced that seismic blasting, the gateway to offshore oil drilling, is now back on the table for the Mid-Atlantic. This is a disaster waiting to happen for the entire Atlantic Coast. Fortunately, all of our congressional representatives signed a strong bipartisan letter condemning the move. However, much work remains to be done to get the word out that this is a terrible idea, for citizens and marine life alike. It is also a statewide election year, so we must inform the public about these issues before they cast their ballots.

You can help protect the ocean by joining COAST this summer! After our Beach Sweeps, this is one of the best and most flexible volunteer opportunities we have, and we'd love to get you on board!

If you are interested, or have any other questions, please email us at coast@cleanoceanaction.org so you can RSVP for a training session on June 21 (at the Carmen A. Biasi Community Center, 719 Main St., Bradley Beach NJ 07720) OR June 22 (at COA's Headquarters, 18 Hartshorne Dr, Highlands, NJ 07732). If you cannot make either of these dates, or are reading this after those days, please contact us anyway! We have lots of other opportunities in store for you!