Beachgoers have more to worry about than sunburns and sand in their pants this year. The video below features approximately three and a half minutes of individual images of discarded beach litter. Now imagine watching 7.2 million of these images ““ that’s how many items were found by beach scouring volunteers in a single day on the world’s coasts and shorelines, says a report released by the Ocean Conservancy on Wednesday.

During the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup, volunteers combed over approximately 33,000 miles of shoreline in 76 countries and collected 6 million pounds of trash ““ everything from cigarette butts to fishing lines to food wrappers.

The most extensive cleanup was in the United States where 190,000 volunteers covered 10,110 miles - about a third of the worldwide total - and picked up 3.9 million pounds of debris on a single Saturday last September, according to the report.

That’s 390 pounds of trash per mile, among the highest rates of any country, although the high number also reflects the large number of U.S. volunteers who took part. [Wired.com]

The sheer poundage tells only one part of the story, says Vikki Spruill, president of the Ocean Conservancy. The items themselves also tell a narrative about the behavior of the people who use the world’s coastlines and beaches. In total 57 percent of the trash was related to recreational activities, 33 percent from smoking-related activities, 6.3 percent from fishing and waterway activities, and 2 percent from dumping. Less than 1 percent was from medical and personal hygiene activities.

Sadly, volunteers reported coming across 81 birds, 49 invertebrates, 30 mammals, 11 reptiles and one amphibian that had died from becoming entangled in fishing lines, rope and plastic bags. Other items that can entangle animals include balloon ribbons, tires, building materials and beverage six-pack holders.

“This is a snapshot of one day, one moment in time, but it serves as a powerful reminder of our carelessness and how our disparate and random actions actually have a collective and global impact,” said Spruill in an interview.

You can take action by bringing a bag with you to the beach, a taking a little bit of litter with you when you leave. You can also and find out how you can make a difference by participating in one of the Ocean Conservancy’s action alerts.