Lake Superior marine conservationists seeking help for weekend cleanup

A stretch of shoreline in northwestern Ontario will get a bit more attention this weekend and area residents are being asked to help with the cleanup efforts.

Officials with the Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area are hosting a cleanup at Mountain Bay, located between Nipigon and Rossport, northeast of Thunder Bay.

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"We're going to be going to Mountain Bay and conducting a shoreline [cleanup], focusing on nurdles and marine debris that shows up on the shoreline," said Sarah Shiruff, a spokesperson for the Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area.

Nurdles are small plastic spheres that are essentially the raw materials from which all plastic products are made.

"Manufacturers will have them shipped to them and then they will melt them down and make the different products," Shiruff said. "They're about the size of a split pea and they sometimes, unfortunately, spill into the environment, especially aquatic ones and they're very hard to clean up."

Their size and appearance, which is similar to fish eggs, also makes them a unique environmental hazard, she said.

"A lot of different aquatic animals will eat them, they also absorb the toxins that are in the water and start breaking down to smaller and smaller pieces," Shiruff said. "So we want to get them out of the water as quickly as we can."

Mountain Bay tends to attract a large number of nurdles and other debris, she continued, adding that local residents suggested the site for a cleanup.

Sunday afternoon event

In addition to members of the public having a say in the site selection, Shiruff said residents can also help with cleanup efforts Sunday afternoon.

The initiative will also feature Parks Canada staff and youth ambassadors, along with members of the Nipigon Bay Remedial Action Plan.

Participants are being asked to sign up through the Parks Canada website ahead of time, Shiruff said. The cleanup is scheduled from noon to 4 p.m.

"We're just really excited to have this event happening and being able to help protect the Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area," she said.