Run The Hook: Sold Out! Come Cheer Them On—Mother’s Day, May 12

Registration for the race to keep our oceans wild and pollution free has officially sold out, thanks to interested runners and walkers. Spectators are welcome and encouraged to attend Run The Hook on May 12; the race starts at 10am in the area of S. Bragg Drive & Kilpatrick Road on Sandy Hook. The 5K/10K race is rain or shine, so dress for the weather! 

Special thanks to event organizer, COA Board of Trustees Secretary and Beacon Events owner Joey Garofalo. A portion of the event’s proceeds supports COA’s mission to improve and protect the ocean off the NJ/NY coast and local waterways. We’re thrilled to celebrate our 9th year collaborating with Run The Hook, raising awareness about ocean pollution. The course is within the scenic setting of Sandy Hook and is a favorite race for many. Wishing all the Run The Hook participants a smooth event!

More details available at RunTheHookNJ.com. 

Stay tuned for event highlights in COA’s June newsletter!

Run The Hook Details:

Location: Field 102, S Bragg Dr. & Kilpatrick Rd., Sandy Hook, NJ

Time: Sunday, May 12, 2024, 10:00AM

BIB Pick-up: Road Runner Sports, Shrewsbury, NJ on Saturday, May 11, 2024 (11AM – 2 PM) or Race Day at Field 102 starting at 8:30AM. Advanced pick-up is highly encouraged!

Families show up to support mothers, friends, and loved ones
participating at Run The Hook

Informing Communities about Offshore Wind

Members of the Cape May Court House community attend COA's
offshore wind information session

Executive Director Cindy Zipf gave an informative presentation about offshore wind energy to interested and passionate locals on April 25th in Cape May Court House. Cindy discussed the organization’s position, not opposing offshore wind, and shared information about impacts of offshore wind on the New York/New Jersey marine ecosystem. Attendees were invested and engaged, and the discussions continued with many people staying long after the presentation had ended. Special thanks to Cape May GOP Chairman Michael Donohue and Cape May County Commissioner Melanie Collette, and to members from local groups, including Defend Brigantine Beach, Protect Our Coast, Sustainable Downbeach, and other groups, for attending. Also, COA thanks and appreciates the staff at the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Building in Cape May Court House for welcoming us with open arms. 

Stay tuned for more events to share information in the South Jersey region.

If you would like to host or see information sessions like this in your area, please contact Outreach@CleanOceanAction.org.

A “Sweeping” Success: Another Spring Beach Sweeps in the Books!

On April 13, COA rocked Jersey shores and local waterways across the state with its 39th Annual Spring Beach Sweeps. Thousands of volunteers gathered for the windy day to remove litter, collect important data about the debris, and protect the ocean from pollution. This extraordinary event included: a record breaking 81 sites, a record high of 40 Junior Beach Captain volunteers (both returning and new) to assist Beach Captains; and stickers to promote BYOB (“Bring Your Own Bucket”), encouraging volunteers to bring buckets to reduce the use of plastic bags for collecting litter.

A few highlights from the day include:

• A large group of students from Newark swept the beach clean with dozens of volunteers participating in Keyport.

• Some of the ridiculous items found included a sneaker, old figurine, a toy piggy, and a crab trap.

• Perth Amboy’s debut as a Beach Sweeps site was host to a great turnout and a special guest (see photo)!

Waves of thanks to all the dedicated volunteers who participated in the Spring Beach Sweeps; to our dedicated Beach Captains and Jr Beach Captains who organize and manage Sweeps sites; to students and staff at the Marine Academy of Science & Technology (MAST) who assisted with organizing and registration at the Sandy Hook site; MAST student coordinator, Angelina “AJ” Vaclavik, for assisting with Beach Sweeps preparations; Liza Baskin, MAST Marine Research/Oceanography Instructor; National Park Service – Sandy Hook Unit; to the towns who hosted Beach Sweeps and helped support and promote the event; and to the Department of Public Works in each town who help remove the debris collected. COA is grateful for all the commitment, participation, and true-blue support to make the Beach Sweeps program possible. 

Waves of special thanks to the dedicated statewide, countywide, and site sponsors for their support for Beach Sweeps and a debris-free ocean! Representatives and employees from many of the businesses who sponsored participated in Beach Sweeps throughout the state.

Special guest, SpongeBob SquarePants, at the first-time Perth Amboy
Beach Sweeps site with other volunteers

MAST students helped set up for Beach Sweeps registration and welcomed
volunteers at Sandy Hook

Bank of America team members participated at Margate City Beach (pictured),
West Deptford, and Sandy Hook

The Dirty Details: 2023 Beach Sweeps Annual Report Released

What trash did volunteers pick-up from New Jersey’s beaches in 2023? COA released its 2023 Beach Sweeps Report in April. The report includes the latest litter trends, “Dirty Dozen” list (a list of the top 12 items collected), and whackiest items on the “Roster of the Ridiculous.” Despite the inclement weather in 2023, including the first-time ever cancelled Spring Beach Sweeps, 3,664 volunteers braved the elements and removed 176,206 pieces of debris from shores and waterways across the state. Plastic items remain a top ocean offender. 

Highlights from the report:

• 79.16% of debris collected was Plastic, including Foam plastic.

• The top 8 items listed in the “Dirty Dozen” for 2023 are, or are comprised of, single-use plastics.

• Plastic Bottle Caps/Lids topped the “Dirty Dozen” list with 23,788, making up 12.94% of the total debris collected for the year.

• Metal Beverage Cans, totaling 4,106, made the “Dirty Dozen” for the first time since 2008,

• Some items on the “Roster of the Ridiculous” included a small refrigerator, a 1960s manufactured dinosaur toy, and a pregnancy test.

For more data and highlights, including our largest "Roster of the Ridiculous," a new perspective of analyzing the data, Beach Sweeps “Wavemakers,” and more, dive-in deeper at CleanOceanAction.org.