MARGATE – Sustainable Margate, the city’s green team, presented various displays during Beachstock: The Planet’s Biggest Beach Party, Saturday, June 29, all designed to inform the public about the natural resources of Absecon Island.
Members of the team displayed samples of the marine life gracing the Jersey shore in an effort to educate the public about the fragile marine environment. On display were turtles, shark teeth, crustacean shells and more.
At 11 a.m. Scuba Steve Jasiecki and Alexis Demitrov of the Atlantic County Utilities Authority took participants on a nature walk to the shoreline, where they viewed live marine animals up close. Participants also learned the importance of keeping the beach clean and how to protect the city’s water supply.
One important aspect of the educational campaign is to keep residents and visitors from releasing lighter-than-air balloons, including mylar balloons, which float into the atmosphere only to drop further out into the ocean where marine mammals mistake them for food. Balloon releases often cause the death of marine mammals due to choking or ingesting.
