'Trash everywhere:' Volunteers take action against marine debris at Atlantic Beach

This Earth Day, people around the world will celebrating our planet. This year's theme, "Planet Versus Plastic," has inspired a group of coastal volunteers to take action against marine debris.

Out in the marsh of Fort Macon State Park in Atlantic Beach, a group of volunteers trekked through the mud and bugs to pick up trash.

For volunteer Tom Roberts, it's all part of the cost of living at the coast.

"There’s trash everywhere," he said “If you live here or visit regularly, it’s a little bit of your obligation.”

Roberts has been volunteering with the North Carolina Coastal Federation for 8 years, and while finding and removing the debris and trash is important to Roberts, he also says it’s always fun to see who can find the most interesting stuff.

“It’s real fulfilling cause you’re going to find plenty of it. You just find lots of debris and you kind of challenge yourself to find unique stuff and look for bottles," he said. “Out at Hoop Pole, I found a motorcycle helmet once that was pretty cool.”

For the North Carolina Coastal Federation, these volunteer clean-up events also offer an important opportunity to track what they are finding and how much of it.

“We try to tally what we find so we can have a better understanding of what is ending up in the Salt Marsh and where it's coming from and use that data to support funding for clean-up efforts in the future," he said.

The Coastal Federation says that knowing what type of debris is being found can help experts determine if there is a way to prevent it from ending up in these invaluable habitats along the coast.

"The litter in the marsh can be harmful it can damage the habitat if it’s crushing the grasses or other plants and animal life in the salt marsh. It can also be harmful if the animals try to eat the debris or become entangled in it," he said.

Plastic and microplastics are some of the most common debris found. It is estimated that there have been 9.1 billion tons of plastic produced since the 1950s. One reusable bottle is estimated to save about 156 plastic bottles annually.

During the group's two hour clean-up effort, more than 1,500 pounds of trash, wood and tires were picked up.