ECO Barge took to the seas last week for its third four-day Southern Island Expedition.

Run annually, the expeditions provide the opportunity to clean the southernmost Whitsunday islands, which are inaccessible during a one-day trip because of their distance from Airlie Beach.

Due to the south-east tradewinds transporting debris, the islands further south are most vulnerable to marine damage.

Blacksmith Island, Goldsmith Island, Ingot Island, Silversmith Island and Thomas Island were visited during the expedition, in which 10volunteers removed 2.5tonnes of marine debris from 18 beaches. Eco Barge project co-ordinator Fiona Broadbent said the amount of debris collected was "colossal”.

"Since the first Southern Island Expedition, a colossal 7891kg of marine debris has been removed from these islands,” she said.

"We are still finding beaches that have never been cleaned before, with huge amounts of marine debris that has accumulated over the years.”

Eco Barge founder Libby Edge agreed the amount of debris accumulated was at a concerning level.

"The sheer volume of marine debris that is coming off these southern Whitsunday islands is unbelievable,” she said.

"It reminds us of what our local islands were like before the Whitsunday Marine Debris Removal Program was launched.”

In 2016 alone, Eco Barge has removed 11,140kg of marine debris from the Whitsunday region.

This brings the total removed since the inception of the Whitsunday Marine Debris Removal Program in 2009 to more than 153tonnes.

To find out more about Eco Barge Clean Seas, visit www.ecobargeclean seas.org.au.