On 15 July 2026, as part of ongoing efforts under the PROMAR BVI initiative, Beyond The Reef partnered with Green VI to conduct a beach clean-up on Cooper Island, covering a total of 1,093 ft (approximately 333 m) of shoreline. The clean-up formed part of PROMAR's wider mission to prevent marine litter and reduce plastic pollution across the British Virgin Islands, bringing together nine volunteers, including seven members of Beyond The Reef and two members of Green VI, to remove marine debris from one of the BVI's coastlines.

 

The team departed from Village Cay Marina aboard the Beyond The Reef boat, Kevlar Kat, travelling to Cooper Island for the clean-up. The boat was briefly anchored off the coast of Cooper Island in Hallovers Bay, allowing the team to swim to the designated clean-up location in Cooper Island Bay, before being securely tied off to a nearby mooring line for the duration of the operation.

 

In line with PROMAR's focus on data-driven marine litter prevention, the team carefully sorted and recorded all debris collected. Plastic waste was found to be the most abundant type of marine litter on Cooper Island, made up primarily of water bottles, bottle caps, plastic crates, and gas or fuel containers. This reflects a wider pattern seen across PROMAR clean-ups in the BVI, highlighting the significant and ongoing impact of single-use plastic products on the region's coastal and marine ecosystems. In total, 158.1 kg of plastic waste was collected, nearly equivalent to the weight of an adult male silverback gorilla.

 

The second most abundant category was ALDFG (Abandoned, Lost, or otherwise Discarded Fishing Gear), often referred to as "ghost gear." A total of 103.9 kg of ALDFG was removed, consisting mainly of large ropes and small fishing nets, likely originating from vessels operating in or passing through BVI waters. Ghost gear remains a major source of marine plastic pollution, indiscriminately trapping wildlife and damaging marine habitats, an issue PROMAR continues to monitor and address through its ongoing clean-up and awareness efforts. Finally, 10.5 kg of "Other" waste, mostly small pieces of metal and miscellaneous debris, was also collected.

 

Altogether, the team removed 272.5 kg of waste from Cooper Island, reinforcing the value of PROMAR's continued beach clean-ups and data collection efforts in tackling marine debris across the BVI. Large amounts of sargassum present in the area also made the operation more challenging, likely burying additional waste materials and making them harder for the team to spot and remove, a reminder of the persistent, often hidden scale of marine litter along the region's shorelines.

 

Looking ahead, Beyond The Reef and Green VI plan to continue their collaboration under the PROMAR BVI initiative with further beach clean-ups in the coming months. Building on the success of the Cooper Island clean-up and previous efforts, this partnership reflects PROMAR's broader commitment to reducing marine debris, strengthening community-led conservation, and helping maintain a clean, healthy marine environment throughout the British Virgin Islands.