In recent years, the beaches of Anna Maria Island have become less pristine. Although they still compare well to most beaches, there has been an increase in litter. It doesn’t all come from those who spend time at the beach, but much of it does. In addition, trash from boats washes ashore.
The biggest problem is how this affects our precious wildlife. Sea turtles, who eat jelly fish, can easily mistake a plastic bag for food. We’ve all see birds entangled in fishing line, or caught in plastic, such as that which comes with six-packs of cans. There are many small pieces of colored plastic on the beach, from toys and containers and other objects that have broken up, but are not going to decompose for many more years. Such small, bright items are interesting to birds. It is sad how many pieces of plastic are found in the stomachs of dead sea birds.
