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It's important to keep our oceans and beaches clean. It's something we've all heard before but did you know discarded fishing equipment is one item that can be potentially dangerous for wildlife.

The MERR Institute is hoping vacationers and fishermen are careful when handling their gear because things like the fishing line can entangle sea animals, injuring them or even kill them. 

The good news there's ways to prevent this from happening. The MERR Institute says there are all kinds of developments in fishing gear, like break away lines that could be less of a risk for animals if used.

"The animal might be able to get out of it a little bit more easily and this goes from everything from smaller animals like seals, dolphins up to the very large whales and entanglements are a huge source of injury or death to large whales that most of them are endangered species," explains Suzanne Thurman, MERR Institute Executive Director. 

They also remind people who are visiting the area we to avoid using plastic bags and forgo the plastic straws.

These little consumer choices that anybody can easily make will have a huge positive impact on the marine environment.