“Cowboys use rope; you collected dock line.” Consider it another lesson learned onboard the R/V Island C. And there were many more over the six days spent on the outer coast beaches of Kenai Fjords National Park (KEFJ) and Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge (AMNWR).
Research vessel Island C. Photo by Sarah Conlin/NPS.
Remote is often one of the first words that come to mind when describing Alaskan beaches. Or maybe rugged? Pristine? Wild? But certainly not littered. However, if you take a closer look, litter applies. Like other coastal areas of the world, Alaska’s beaches collect marine debris, a.k.a. trash, garbage, litter, waste, refuse, junk. Whatever you call it, it’s out there.