Nick & Heal the bay

The Backstreet Boy helps beaches breathe and educates his fans on pollution by touring the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium

Nick Carter, the blonde-haired, blue-eyed heartthrob from the singing group the Backstreet Boys, joined forces with Heal the Bay to fight for continuous improvement of Southern California's coastal environment — a cause close to his heart — by visiting the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium.

Like many people, Nick uses the ocean as a respite from his hectic schedule. When not recording or touring, he enjoys surfing, sailing, boating and diving.

Nick commented: "This is such a small effort to give back to the ocean which has given me such great pleasures all my life. I am thrilled to do my part."

As part of his efforts in support of the coastal cleanups among Los Angeles County beaches and waterways, Nick toured the Heal the Bay's Santa Monica Pier Aquarium in September to learn more about the ocean and the problems of pollution. "When I found out that a plastic bottle takes 450 years to deteriorate, and a balloon (which many animals attempt to eat and die because it looks like a jellyfish) takes up to 50 years to do the same, I was shocked! I also didn't realize that all the trash that people throw down drains end up in our oceans, so cups and cigarette butts all the way from Hollywood litter our beaches!"

In addition, a pair of celebrity-signed sneakers, designed exclusively by Dada Footwear featuring the Heal the Bay logo, was auctioned off last month on eBay. Autographed by Nick, together with a host of celebrities including Cindy Crawford, Leonardo DiCaprio, Xzibit, Tobey Maguire and fellow Backstreet Boy A.J. McLean, the shoe's auction proceeds were donated to Heal the Bay.