The Marine Conservation Society is among one of the most prevalent Recognized Student Organizations that aims to protect and conserve various aspects of marine life. On Oct. 8, the club hosted a Coastal Cleanup event that was held at the Canal Dock Boathouse in New Haven, CT. The event encouraged campus communities to spread awareness about environmental cleanliness and promoted student action for change while protecting various species of marine life.

The garbage collected from the Coastal Cleanup event has been displayed as art in the Seton Gallery on campus as of yesterday, highlighting the university’s contribution to spreading awareness about climate cleanliness.

Isabella Tomassi, a junior marine biology major, said that in the past when the organization has hosted these “Coastal Cleanups,” they’ve found plastic utensils and paper napkins lying around near the water where people have disposed of their trash from local food trucks nearby. She said, “The types of trash there change every day, so we don’t know exactly what’s being collected until that day.”

Tomassi said that the university can help keep the environment safe by raising awareness about the issues that impact marine life as well as hosting more events that support this goal. She said, “The Marine Conservation Society holds campus and beach cleanups that help to clean up litter. These clean ups are open to the entire campus population, so definitely getting the word out will help collect more trash. The more cleanups, the better!”

Tomassi emphasized the fact that most people, especially students on campus, aren’t aware of the impact that pollution and litter have on the environment as a whole. “Most people don’t really know how bad the pollution is until you are really working with it. The school can maybe add more trash and recycling bins around campus and try to encourage recycling as much as possible,” she said. “Even having a competition between buildings with prizes can make it fun and interactive for everyone, encouraging students to properly dispose of trash.”

Tomassi also highlighted the various interconnected programs that the university offers to students who are interested in studying marine biology, which include marine affairs and environmental science.

She encourages students to “Stay engaged during class and take in everything that you are taught because it’ll be helpful later on. Learning about marine life and the effects that humans have on it can only help us in the future to try to make a difference. We are the future of saving this earth.”