A Huntington Beach oil spill is rapidly spreading and threatening marine life in its path. The devastating event has left students wondering what they can do to help. Naveen Gulati, president of the Surfrider club, is always looking for ways to clean up our oceans,

“After an event like this, all you can do is wonder what you can do to help,” said Gulati.

Gulati knew he wanted to help, and that his club with over 100 members had a chance to make some change. But, Gulati was not entirely sure how he could make a change. In order to help him, Gulati posted an open forum to his club’s chat room,

“some people came up with some really helpful ideas,” said Gulati.

The responses that followed Gulati’s open-ended question ranged from fundraisers to contacting the city, to promoting awareness within our community.

“I was really proud of those who responded, it seemed like they gave the question a lot of thought and it proved to me that they actually did care,” said Gulati.

The oil spill not only affects marine life but our lives as well. Beaches spanning from Huntington Beach to Newport Beach have been shut down to mitigate the spread. City workers are fighting to contain the spill and save our oceans.

“The Surfrider club has always been about protecting our oceans,” said Gulati, “disasters like these prove to me that what we are doing is necessary and that we have the opportunity to make a change in our community,” he continued.

On top of helping out in times of need, the Surfrider club holds monthly beach cleanups and aims to keep our oceans clean and safe.

“We usually have between 15 and 30 people on a given day and we just pick up trash for about three hours,” Gulati said, “It’s really gratifying to see yourself actually making a difference in real-time,” he continued.

The Surfrider club, along with millions of Californians are looking to help keep our oceans clean. With collaboration, perseverance, and education, Gulati knows that this goal is possible.