Coordinated internationally by the Ocean Conservancy, the activity of cleaning up beaches and waterways takes place on an international level.

UNESCO: SIV Backchat participates in beach clean

The number of each item collected was recorded on data cards provided by the Ocean Conservancy, specifically designed for the International Coastal Cleanup.

UNESCO: SIV Backchat participates in beach clean

"The industry is not going to do the right thing unless there is a universal requirement to slow down, " said Vicki Cornish, vice president of marine wildlife conservation at the Ocean Conservancy.

CNN: Plan to save whales strangling in red tape

When the renewable energy sector started trying to move into the sea, the situation went from crowded to unmanageable and without a clear plan, said Whitehouse, of the Ocean Conservancy.

CNN: Governments trying to reel in 'ocean sprawl'

One reason it's taken so long is that people can't see that the oceans are filling up, said Sandra Whitehouse, a marine biologist and senior adviser at the Ocean Conservancy, an environmental group.

CNN: Governments trying to reel in 'ocean sprawl'

Check out Ocean Conservancy's "Why the Ocean Matters" feature if you want to be truly amazed.

CNN: Oceans: Environmental victim or savior?

The oil spill could not have come at a worst time says Warner Chabot, vice president of an ocean conservancy.

NPR: California Oil Spill Could Affect Migrating Birds