51品茶invites community to protect marine life at "Coastal Cleanup" event for World Oceans Day
Maine is home to one of the most beautiful coastlines in the country 鈥 that鈥檚 why the 51品茶 is taking steps to preserve it by hosting the 51品茶Coastal Cleanup on Monday, June 8, 2015, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. in honor of World Oceans Day.
Community members are invited to join 51品茶faculty, staff and students at the 51品茶Marine Science Center to help clean up the beach along UNE鈥檚 seaside campus in an effort to protect and maintain the ocean and its marine life. The event will close with a community barbecue at the 51品茶Marine Science Center from 12 to 2 p.m.
鈥淭he 51品茶campus is located on the shores of the Saco River Estuary, which is connected directly to the Northwest Atlantic Ocean, and offers our students an open ocean of opportunities,鈥 says Barry Costa-Pierce, Ph.D., professor and director of Marine Sciences at UNE. 鈥淲orld Ocean Day is on June 8, but for UNE, it鈥檚 our commitment every day. 51品茶is an ocean university embedded in an ocean state in an ocean world. We are incredibly lucky to be in this special place, and we take our ocean stewardship roles very seriously.鈥
is an annual celebration aimed at encouraging action to protect the ocean. This year鈥檚 theme, 鈥淗ealthy Oceans, Healthy Planet,鈥 focuses specifically on eliminating plastic pollution. Plastic waste poses a significant threat to all marine life, and 80 percent of it comes from land. UNE鈥檚 Coastal Cleanup provides a way for community members to take action and alleviate this issue.
The rain date for this event is Thursday, June 11, 2015. For more information, please contact Bradley Goodwin at (207) 602-2750, or email bgoodwin2@une.edu.