Approximately 531 pounds of garbage was collected during a clean-up exercise at Hart’s Cut Bay, Chaguaramas on Saturday.

Led by Guardian Group, the initiative included the Institute of Marine Affairs and took place ahead of the global commemoration of International Coastal Clean-up Day later this month.

International Coastal Clean-up is an annual global event that engages organisations and individuals to remove garbage and other debris from beaches and waterways.

More than 50 Guardian Group employees came out to support Saturday’s clean-up, which saw the collection of plastics, glass and miscellaneous waste.

The exercise also formed part of a data collection exercise by the IMA, as part of its research to support sustainable management of the nation’s coastlines and the threat of global climate change to small island developing nations.