Unusual pieces of foam are washing up along the Jersey Shore
Some people say they are concerned it may be from the broken wind turbine blade that fell into the ocean off Martha’s Vineyard back in July.
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Some people say they are concerned it may be from the broken wind turbine blade that fell into the ocean off Martha’s Vineyard back in July.
“I want to know what this is. I am hoping someone can analyze it,” said Rose Willis.
Willis found foam nuggets while walking along Spring Lake and Bay Head beaches over the weekend.
“When I broke it apart to see if it was foam because it was waterlogged, I could feel the stickiness on my fingers because it was some sort of resin,” she said.
News 12 showed the pieces to Clean Ocean Action’s executive director Cindy Zipf. The organization holds two annual beach sweeps and has taken calls from others who found similar pieces.
“It’s kind of curious as to how it would get here if it was from up there,” said Zipf.
Zipf can’t say for sure if the foam is from the broken blade, which left debris scattered on New England beaches.
“Whenever we get those onshore breezes whatever is floating offshore and out to sea gets pushed back up onto the beaches,” she said.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection tells News 12 it is looking into these reports of foam but a flyover of the beaches this morning shows they’re all in good condition.
Clean Ocean Action does have a staff scientist and a number of partners to help analyze washed up debris. Zipf says more assessments will be needed on the foam to pinpoint where it came from.
Clean Ocean Action will hold its 39th annual Fall Beach Sweeps next month, on Oct. 19 at locations from Sandy Hook to the Delaware Bay.
