Sa Ràpita: Beach Cleanup

Throughout our Marine Biology program, we have had special opportunities to interact with marine life. Sadly, each year, pollution and water contamination make such opportunities more difficult to come by. That is why some of the most impactful and rewarding parts of our program are our beach cleanups. Last Monday, our CIEE Marine Biologists took a trip to the scenic Sa Ràpita. The beauty of the crystal clear waters is captivating. In order to preserve that beauty, we got to work cleaning the beach. But we were not simply picking up trash, we operated in a scientific fashion. 

Split into ten groups, half of us sifted through the white sands in a one-square-meter area while the other half scanned the top of the sand in a 50-square-meter area. Each piece of trash was recorded and logged. This information is currently being sent to scientists in Palma to be analyzed. When we know exactly how much trash is found in a specific area and what that trash consists of, we can then attack the problem in a smart and effective way. And of course, after our hard work under the Iberian sun, we had to take a dip!