It’s a Clean, Clean Summer - Goal: Clean Seas Florida Keys - a Summer in Review

It’s a Clean, Clean Summer – Goal: Clean Seas Florida Keys – a Summer in Review

1 Oct, 2024

Photo credit: Kurt Tidd

Written by: Cortney Benson, Marine Debris Removal Stewardship Coordinator at the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation

Adding to our outstanding existing partner shops, four Florida Keys scuba dive operators became the newest members of the Goal: Clean Seas Florida Keys community this summer, and boy oh boy did they dive in, eager to save their reefs!

The dedicated staff at Conch Republic Divers, Captain Hook’s Dive Center, Captain’s Corner Dive Center and Southpoint Divers invited the community and visitors along to perform marine debris removal dives on some of their most beloved and vulnerable reefs in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

Photo credit: Kurt Tidd

With support from the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation and The FishAmerica Foundation (FAF), these operators were able to engage 285 recreational divers and 64 professional divers on 24 Goal: Clean Seas dives this summer. Recreational divers have been included since the beginning of this program; however, we are seeing an exciting shift in the program in the past year to engage more locals and tourists. In 2024, Goal: Clean Seas operators engaged a whopping 146% more recreational divers per trip than in previous years (2018-2023), thanks in part to this generous funding from FAF and a shift to a more regenerative tourism focused approach.

What does this mean for the future of marine debris in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary?

We believe that knowledge is a very powerful tool in the fight for the protection of our beautiful coral reefs. When people understand how big the marine debris problem is, what effects it can cause, and what types of debris are causing the greatest threat to the reefs, they are now empowered to make changes in their daily lives to reduce the intensity of their own footprint. Add to that knowledge, an opportunity to get their hands dirty and remove the debris from these vital marine habitats themselves, and you now have passionate environmental stewards who will be eager to spread their awareness to others!

Did we have a productive summer of marine debris removal?

Photo credit: Kurt Tidd

Thanks to a generous award from The FishAmerica Foundation, these 4 dive shops with the help of 349 participating divers removed 1,456 pounds of marine debris and 6,463 feet of fishing line and rope from reefs and wrecks in the sanctuary. 76,000 square meters of marine habitat were surveyed for marine debris, and if any man-made debris was found and it did not have coral growth, excessive growth of other sessile marine organisms or outweighed the capacity of 100-pound lift bags, it was removed.

The removal of this debris not only reduces the risk of damage to existing coral, seagrass and mangroves, but also offers cleared space for habitats to expand and thrive. The preservation of these marine ecosystems is vital to the more than 6,000 species of marine life that call this sanctuary home. So, thank you to all of our Goal: Clean Seas operators for the work you did this summer and continue to do for our reefs and associated marine environments!

We want to thank our partner funder from this summer, FishAmerica Foundation

The FishAmerica Foundation is the American Sportfishing Association’s conservation and research foundation. They unite the sportfishing industry with conservation groups, government natural resource agencies, corporations and foundations to invest in sportfish and habitat conservation and research across the country.

Since 1983, the FishAmerica Foundation has awarded more than $12.1 million to 1,100 projects in all fifty states and Canada to enhance fish populations, restore fishery habitats, improve water quality and advance fishery research to improve sportfishing opportunities and help ensure recreational fishing’s future.

The generous contributions of The FishAmerica Foundation allowed us to kick-start these 4 awesome new operators on their Goal: Clean Seas Journey, to make a difference in their communities.

Dive in with us, there is plenty of work still to be done!
The Goal: Clean Seas Florida Keys program is available to all Blue Star Dive Operators in the Florida Keys who are permitted by the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to conduct removal dives. Check out the list of our existing partners below and sign up with them for their next Goal: Clean Seas dive!