January Beach News

A big thank you for a great turnout at the January 24th Beach Cleanup at South Beach with a huge haul of over 100 pounds of trash and the help of 60+ volunteers.

January usually starts with the traditional New Year’s resolution, and for the volunteers from the Marco Island Academy’s Key Club, Marco Island Shell Club, and members of the community, it looked like they made a resolution to keep Marco’s beach clean and pristine. Monthly beach cleanups are organized by Marco’s Beach and Coastal Resources Advisory Committee (BACR) and they provide the bags, gloves, buckets, and grabbers for use by beach cleanup volunteers.

For January, the biggest trash haul came from under the Winterberry beach boardwalk. It was littered with cans and bottles of all sizes, paper and plastic products, and straws. A beachgoer alerted a group of volunteers that a baby diaper was hanging from the branch of a sea grape by the boardwalk. On the beachside, ten wildlife-proof green trash bins are lined up against the boardwalk – but there are NO yellow-top recycle trash bins to be found.

On January 12th, a 12-foot deceased Tiger Shark was reported on the beach at South Beach. According to the MIPD Facebook page, land-based shark fishing is legal in Florida, and officers do check for proper permits and compliance with state regulations. Fishing laws are governed by the State of Florida, and the City of Marco Island cannot supersede state law. According to the FWC website, “prohibited sharks include Great White, Whale, Lemon, Sandbar, and all hammerhead species. If a prohibited shark is caught, it must remain in the water with the gills submerged and be released without delay.” FWC was called to the site and beach vendors with their equipment helped lift the dead shark from the water onto the FWC truck.

Ask Me About the Birds shorebird volunteers are back on the beach to monitor the winter migration. They provide outreach to the public while monitoring Residents Beach, Sand Dollar Island, Caxambas/Dickman’s Island, and Clam Pass/Pelican Bay. According to Brittany Piersma, biologist for the Audubon of the Western Everglades, the flocks shift to different areas pending predators, disturbance, and food sources. The Tigertail Beach Lagoon and Sand Dollar Island have had one of the lowest seasons in bird counts. Piping plovers are at an all-time low, and as the dredge project returns to alter habitat again, mudflats are negatively impacted. The number of wading bird numbers have plummeted in the lagoon. Neither Black Skimmers nor Least Terns have returned to successfully nest on Sand Dollar since the dredge project began. Tilling and driving heavy equipment causes instability to the natural habitat birds desire with shells and small areas of vegetation for coverage and protection.