From Coast to Coast: Surfrider Chapters and Clubs in Action for the International Plastic Pellet Count

Last month, the second annual International Plastic Pellet Count took place across the country. Surfrider chapters and student clubs teamed up with partner organizations to host pellet counts from New York to Ohio, South Carolina to Texas, and Orange County to San Diego! Volunteers stepped out into their local environments to document plastic pellet pollution firsthand. While each location tells its own story, together they reveal something much larger: a widespread and persistent issue that spans coastlines, waterways, and inland communities alike. This collective effort not only strengthened the dataset, but also underscored the impact of grassroots action in building a clearer national picture of nurdle pollution and the urgency of addressing it.

The Day of Action: California and Texas

The “day of action” that was encouraged was Saturday, May 2. Four Surfrider chapters and one Surfrider student club participated on this day! 

In San Diego, volunteers teamed up with partners at California Public Interest Research Group (CALPIRG), Oceana, and San Diego Coastkeeper. Their 10-minute cleanup of just 12 volunteers produced 697 nurdles, and their effort was picked up by NBC News!

1 Janis Jones, the Plastic Pollution lead for the San Diego County Chapter, prepares for her interview with NBC. Photo credit: Steven Gaskin.

2 San Diego Coastkeeper demonstrates a useful counting method by sorting pellets in piles of ten, making it easier not to lose count! Photo credit: Steven Gaskin.

3 The Surfrider San Diego County Chapter volunteers teamed up with San Diego Coastkeeper, CALPIRG, and Oceana for their pellet count. Photo credit: Steven Gaskin.

Further up the coast, we also saw a pellet count by the North Orange County Chapter, teaming up with CALPIRG again, on the first Saturday in May! 4,138 nurdles were found on Seal Beach within a two-hour window. This was accomplished by only 21 volunteers in a very small area. It’s amazing to see that small crews of volunteers can collect such high numbers of nurdles in a short amount of time. 

1 Volunteers from the North OC Chapter hold up their collection jars.

2 A closeup of pellets in North OC.

3 A total of 4,138 nurdles were found on Seal Beach within a two-hour window.

Meanwhile, in Texas, there were a few pellet counts going on. The Texas Coastal Bend Chapter worked with the founder of Nurdle Patrol, Jace Tunnell, a researcher who started the website and mobile app to document the problem of pellet pollution. Even though their beach in Corpus Christi was flooded, the pellet count was on, and 12 people found another 337 pellets in just a twenty-minute patrol.

Also in Texas, the Galveston Chapter worked with a Surfrider student club from Ball High School. This dynamic duo has been working together to host cleanups on Galveston Island, drawing more people to their events. They decided to add the ten-minute pellet count into a cleanup they were already planning for May 2. While their search only turned up one nurdle – which is a good thing – it’s still important to log the data, even if the number is zero. 

1 Volunteers from the Texas Coastal Bend Chapter hold up their findings.

2 A total of 337 pellets were found in just 20 minutes total by the Texas Coastal Bend Chapter.

3 Volunteers in action in Corpus Christi, Texas.

4 The Galveston Chapter and Ball High School Surfrider Student Club were already planning a cleanup for May 2, so they added a pellet count to it. They only found one nurdle, which is still important data!

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The Pellet Counts Continue...

This year, the International Plastic Pellet Count was not limited to a single day. Any pellet count that occurred during the month of May would be counted towards the overall effort. So, we still saw some pellet counts happening over the next few weeks!

• Eastern Long Island Chapter: 4 people, 108 pellets

• Amherst Steele Student Club: 4 people, 31 pellets

• Grand Strand Chapter: 27 people, 2 hours, 79 pellets
  

1 Many Surfrider chapters worked in partnership with local affiliates from Waterkeepers Alliance, Oceana, PIRG, and more! The Eastern Long Island Chapter teamed up with Peconic Baykeeper for their pellet count.

2 On Long Island, data has been lacking on pellet pollution. While these nurdle hunters were not expecting to find any that day, in 20 minutes they had 105 pellets collected.

3 The Surfrider Student Club from Amherst Steele High School search for pellets in Northern Ohio.

4 Meanwhile, in South Carolina, Grand Strand volunteers sort out pellets from other microplastics.

There were two additional pellet counts planned by the Bogue Banks and Charleston chapters but unfortunately were cancelled due to inclement weather. Hopefully it works out for the next International Plastic Pellet Count!

In total, Surfrider Foundation volunteers and student club members helped to collect 5,391 plastic pellets with our partners!

The Count is Over…Now What Do We Do?

While the second annual International Plastic Pellet Count has come to a close, there’s still more that can be done on pellet pollution.

• Host a pellet count anytime. Pellet counts don't just happen in May. You can help document the problem of pellet pollution by gathering pellets and data and upload your findings to NurdlePatrol.org. They also have a mobile app!

• Support legislation. The Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act would set a no discharge limit for facilities that make or transport nurdles. Learn more here.

• Share about plastic pellets with others! Send this blog to a family member or friend to educate about the problem of pellet pollution! Or, check out the Annual International Plastic Pellet Report, just released this week.
  

By continuing to document plastic pellet pollution, advocate for stronger safeguards, and engage their communities, volunteers are helping create a future with cleaner waterways and healthier ecosystems.

Photo credit: Steven Gaskin