By The Observer Staff

(Charlestown, Nevis) - Every September, from Bangor, Maine to Bangladesh, over 375,000 people in more than 75 countries, including Nevis, remove millions of pounds of trash from waterways and beaches all over the world during Ocean’s Conservancy International Coastal Cleanup.

This year will mark 18 years since Nevis began participating in the international event. The date slated for Nevis’ cleanup is Sept. 20 from 8 a.m.-12 p.m. It is been coordinated by the Nevis Historical & Conservation Society, which can be reached at 869-469-5786.

Volunteers record the trash found on land and underwater allowing Ocean Conservancy a global snapshot of the problem.

"Our ocean is sick," says Laura Capps, Senior Vice President at Ocean Conservancy. "And the plain truth is that our ocean ecosystem cannot protect us unless it is healthy and resilient. Harmful impacts like trash in the ocean, pollution, climate change, and habitat destruction are taking its toll. But the good news is that hundreds of thousands of people from around the world are starting a sea change by joining together to clean up the ocean. Trash doesn’t’ fall from the sky it falls from people’s hands. With the International Coastal Cleanup, everyone has an opportunity to make a difference, not just on one day but all year long."

Trash in the ocean kills countless seabirds, marine mammals and turtles each year through ingestion and entanglement. This year, 81 birds, 63 fish, 49 invertebrates, 30 mammals 11 reptiles and one amphibian were found entangled in debris by volunteers. Some of the debris they were entangled or had ingested include plastic bags, fishing line, fishing nets, six-pack holders, string from a balloon or kite, glass bottles and cans.

Prevention is the real solution to trash in the ocean. The International Coastal Cleanup volunteers make ocean conservation an everyday priority. Since 1986, more than six million volunteers have removed 116,000,000 pounds of debris across 211,460 miles of shoreline in 127 nations.