Have you ever just stared into the water and wondered how the ocean’s ecosystem relates to ours? Are we doing enough to protect it?
The Bucket Brigade is an organization that educates everyone on how the beach and the creatures living in the water directly correlate with us humans and things we can do to protect it.
Today, we’re going to discuss the teachings of The Bucket Brigade and how they affect marine life and human life.
Beach Code of Conduct
One of the first things learned on the Bucket Brigade tour was beach code of conduct. Some of the basic rules included:
- Prohibited Glass
- Stay away from the dunes
- Proper Disposal of Waste
- No alcohol
Follow the Basic Rules to Save the Environment
Following these basic rules can come a long way in preserving the marine as well as our beach environment. Another jaw- dropping topic we learned about was how long debris lasts in the ocean and how it’s effecting the life of the sea animals.
We learned that:
- Tires almost never leave the ocean.
- Glass bottles will last up to a million years.
- Fishing lines last up to 800 years.
- Plastic bottles last up to 450 years.
These products manage to sneak their way into the oceans food chain, causing death among many of the animals. Messing up the food chain creates an imbalance in the ocean.
If one animal can’t eat their normal food due to the debris in the ocean, they will die causing the animal in the above food chain to die as well due to lack of food. Not to mention, many people rely on seafood for everyday life and when the food chain is thrown off, those people will not have anything to eat.
As you can see, silly actions such as throwing a bottle into the ocean can cause more damage than anyone could have ever imagined.
Beach Safety
The Bucket Brigade also teaches us beach safety. One of the lessons was what to do if there was ever a rip current. The instructor stated that if there happens to be a rip current, swim parallel to it until you get out of it. That was a very interesting piece of advice, because I didn’t know you were supposed to do that in this situation. As most people I would of thought to swim straight towards the shore line to safety. WRONG!
Flag Warning System
Another important fact the instructor taught us was the Flag Warning System when surfing. It is very important to pay attention to the color of the flags out on public beaches
Take the Tour
Get the kids and take the tour! Bucket Brigade tours are offered on Saturdays all throughout May and Wednesday-Sunday throughout the summer. Tours are offered in locations such as Stewart Beach and 61st street.
For more information on how to sign up and more dates and times, please visit the website here.