MRC Coastal Cleanup Day

The International Coastal Cleanup began more than 30 years ago when communities rallied together to collect and document the trash littering their coastline. The Marine Resources Council invites you to join in for this year's cleanup to help remove trash and debris from the shorelines of the Indian River Lagoon.

Last year's event resulted in the removal of 8,223 pounds of litter from lagoon shorelines. Thank you! Together we can bring our estuary back to health.

The event is free to participate in. Please register through the orange "Get tickets" button or call 321-725-7775. The supplies for this event are allocated for each site based on these registrations, so it is very important for you to register. Thank you for your support!

~MRC Cleanup Site 1: Cleanup will take place along the shores of the 192 Melbourne Causeway and Kiwanis Park at Geiger Point.

Day of Event Check-in Site Location: Participants can check-in starting at 8 a.m. at Kiwanis Park, at the Geiger Point Parking Lot located at 1313 Melbourne Causeway, Melbourne, FL 32901.

~MRC Cleanup Site 2: Cleanup will take place along the shores of the Eau Gallie Causeway and Boat Ramp.

Day of Event Check-in Site Location: Participants can check-in starting at 8 a.m. at the Eau Gallie Causeway Boat Ramp at Eau Gallie Causeway (SR-518) Melbourne, FL 32935.

~MRC Cleanup Site 3: Cleanup will take place along the shores of the Pineda Causeway & POW / MIA Park (formerly Pineda Landing Park).

Day of Event Check-in Site Location: Participants can check-in starting at 8 a.m. at POW / MIA Park located at 5995 N US Hwy 1. Melbourne, Florida 32940.

~MRC Cleanup Site 4: Cleanup will take place along the shores of the 520 /West Cocoa Beach Causeway.

Day of Event Check-in Site Location: Participants can check-in starting at 8 a.m. at Constitution Bicentennial Park located at 801 West Cocoa Beach Cswy Cocoa Beach, FL 32931.

~MRC Cleanup Site 5: Cleanup will take place along the shores of the 528 /Banana River Bridge A1A, Martin Andersen Beachline Expressway.`

Day of Event Check-in Site Location: Participants can check-in starting at 8 a.m. at Kelly Park East, located at 2550 N. Banana River Dr., Merritt Island, FL 32952.

~MRC Cleanup Site 6: Cleanup will take place along the Turkey Creek Sanctuary, Palm Bay.

Day of Event Check-in Site Location: Participants can check-in starting at 8 a.m. at Paddling Paradise, 4220 Dixie Hwy Palm Bay, FL 32905.

*Kayaks and life vests are available for those who would like to clean up on the water and are first come, first serve on the day of the event and only at site 6, Turkey Creek Sanctuary, Paddling Paradise check-in location.

*Funds for the cause are raised through event shirt sales, sponsorships, and donations. Event shirts are $28 (+Eventbrite Fees). Event shirts must be purchased by August 31, 2023. *Shirts are only available by preorder and are not available for sale on the day of the event.

*The shirts will be available for pickup on the day of the event at your designated cleanup site. If you are unable to attend but would still like to purchase a shirt in support, we can make arrangements for special delivery or pickup at your expense. You can select to have your shirt mailed to you through the "Please Mail My Shirt" ticket, which is a separate and additional fee per item that is shipped.

*View all sponsorship opportunities by clicking on the orange "Get tickets" button. Specialty sponsorships are available; please contact Steve at SharkeyMRC@gmail.com or call 321.978.8862.

See "All waterways lead to the ocean" limited event shirt design below, by Jessica Larned at Digital Ink Graphic Design and Printing.

Event Fundraising T-Shirt.

Show support by clicking on the orange "Get tickets" button to buy yours today!

2022 Event Highlights

Recommended Supplies:

• Work gloves (bring a pair of gloves with you)

• Dress appropriately (the shoreline is covered with boulders, rocks, and potentially dangerous rigid & sharp objects)

• Water to keep you hydrated; it will be especially warm (bring your own cooler)

• Food (bring your own food)

• Sun Screen

• Bring reusable containers or buckets for trash

• Pens or Pencils (for data collection)

• Optional: If you have a fish or a luggage scale (a scale with a hook) at home, you can use it to weigh the trash you collect

Keep These Safety Tips in Mind: Review what to do in case of a health emergency (heat exhaustion or heat stroke, a broken bone, etc.)

When visiting the site, look for natural and man-made safety hazards, such as rocky areas, highly variable tides, poisonous plants, high-speed roads, power lines, etc. If necessary, dress accordingly, such as wearing long pants or closed-toed shoes.

Plan ahead for handling sharp items, including syringes or pieces of broken glass. We recommend disposing of these items in a container with a tight screw lid, such as an empty liquid laundry detergent bottle that you have clearly labeled.

Feeling more ambitious? Recruit friends and family to join you in this cleanup. Explain to them that no matter where you live—whether on the coast or thousands of miles away—all waterways lead to the ocean. If we take action and work together, we can improve the ocean’s health and make trash-free seas a reality!

Every year this event engages people to remove trash from shorelines, lakes, rivers, and beaches around the world, identifying the sources of debris and changing behaviors.

No matter where you live—whether on the coast or thousands of miles away—all waterways lead to the ocean. If we take action and work together, we can improve the ocean’s health and make trash-free seas a reality.

For more information, please visit LoveOurLagoon.com.