Thousands of volunteers have swept across dozens of Jersey Shore beaches as part of an environmental group's annual cleanup program.
Clean Ocean Action staged its 29th annual fall beach sweeps Saturday at more than 70 coastal locations.
Volunteers collected, tallied and removed hundreds of harmful and unsightly debris, including various plastics, cigarette butts and syringes. They also found part of a car door, a large piece of fiberglass from a boat, a trunk of metal tiles and a bag of mice.
Organizers say the data collected from these sweeps will be combined with information collected during similar events held this spring, then analyzed and presented in an annual report.
The reports identify pollution problems, educate citizens on the types and quantities of debris and contribute to local and international efforts to combat marine pollution.
