Volunteers are asked to join Sea Life Weymouth as part of a global event to support World Oceans Day

The 24 hours of beach cleaning will be captured in photos.

Volunteers are being encouraged to take pictures and post their best ‘24 Hour Global Beach Clean’ pictures with the hashtag #24HourGlobalBeachClean

This World Oceans Day, on June 8, the Sea Life Trust will launch its biggest clean-up mission yet. A 24-hour beach clean event starting in New Zealand and ending in California. The 24-hour event will be hosted across 50 different Sea Life attractions including Weymouth.

It is estimated that eight million tons of plastic waste enter the world’s oceans each year and that by 2050, the oceans could have more plastic than fish.

Andy Bool, the head of Sea Life Trust said: “Most of the littered plastic waste worldwide ultimately ends up at sea. The litter washing up on our local shores is not just unpleasant to look at; it also harms and kills our precious wildlife. Hundreds of species of marine wildlife including seals, seabirds, turtles and whales have mistaken marine litter for food resulting in starvation, poisoning and fatal stomach blockages.

“It’s not just animals which are at risk of ingesting plastics,” adds Bool. “Microplastics act as magnets for dangerous chemicals from the water before being eaten by plankton and filter-feeding animals. Once they have been eaten they quickly move up the food chain as predators eat their prey and build up in high concentrations in larger species, such as tuna. These can eventually find their way on to our own dinner plates.”

The 24 hours of beach cleaning will be captured in photos with camera partner Olympus who are asking volunteers to take pictures and post their best ‘clean-up’ pictures on social media. These pictures will be used as a great reference point for what waste is found where and with the added benefit that each post using the hashtag will be entered into a competition One photo will win a brand new Olympus Tough T5 camera.

Weymouth Sea Life Adventure Park is appealing for volunteers to lend a hand and you can find more information on their website and how you and your family can become part of the June 8 activities at sealifeweymouth.com

The SEA LIFE Trust champions the need for seas which are properly protected, free from plastic pollution, and full of diverse life. This year, as well as focusing on plastic pollution and the 24-hour global beach clean, the charity will make ground-breaking steps for previously captive cetaceans by opening the world-first SEA LIFE TRUST Beluga Whale Sanctuary in Iceland.