Our ocean is home to hundreds of thousands of marine species and sustains life for all 7.8 billion people on earth. Yet, our local beaches, the sea floor, and the ocean itself are littered with marine debris of all kinds. Manmade items such as plastic bags, glass bottles, and used fishing gear pose serious threats to marine life and to the ocean ecosystem as a whole. Sea birds and animals face injury, entanglement, ingestion of litter, and disruption of their natural habitats as a result of this pollution, not to mention the negative ramifications for human health.

While marine debris enters the ocean in many different ways, it ultimately comes from us. As humans, what can we do to prevent this from happening? A lot, if you ask Oracle Volunteer Kevin Parrington. "Even if you pick up just one piece of plastic, you're helping, but much more is needed," says Kevin, who participates in regular beach cleanups in and around Tokyo, where he's based. "Just go out and do it."