Silver Spring, Md. – October 29, 2024 – The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation announced a milestone with the removal of 100,000 pounds of marine debris from NOAA’s Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary through the Goal: Clean Seas Florida Keys program. For scale, that’s more than the weight of:
- Two humpback whales, one of the largest whales in the world!
- Three full sized school buses
- Fifty of the “Southernmost Point” concrete buoys in Key West
Established in 2018, Goal: Clean Seas Florida Keys is a community-led partnership between Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, the Foundation and local dive operators to remove underwater marine debris from the waters of the Keys and engage and educate the public about its role in marine debris prevention.
Cortney Benson, Marine Debris Removal Stewardship Coordinator at the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, said, “Goal: Clean Seas is a tremendous partnership that we have with Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. I am beyond proud of the Blue Star Dive Operators and both the professional and recreational divers for accomplishing this monumental feat. This work really makes a difference not only for the reefs and biodiversity under the water, but for the recreation economy of the Keys which rely on thriving sanctuary ecosystems.”
Marlies Tumolo, Team Lead for Education & Outreach at Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, said, “The idea for Goal: Clean Seas Florida Keys came from the Keys community and with their stewardship the program has flourished. I am so proud of the work of our partners, Blue Star Diving Operators and the individual divers who have had huge conservation impacts in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary!”
Goal: Clean Seas Florida Keys works with sanctuary-recognized Blue Star Diving Operators to educate both professional and recreational divers on best practices for removal of marine debris from protected waters; identify debris hotspots; remove, dispose, and recycle underwater debris; conduct post-removal data reporting and analysis; and engage the public in marine debris awareness and prevention.
Over the past six years,18 participating dive shops have completed more than 1,500 Goal: Clean Seas Florida Keys dives funded through the Foundation and permitted by NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, with nearly 8,000 recreational divers participating.
Marine debris is one of the greatest challenges facing our global ocean. Marine debris threatens marine wildlife and sensitive habitats and can create safety and navigational hazards for recreation, tourism, and fishing and pose risks to animals through ingestion or entanglement.
The most commonly removed debris items include fishing line, cloth rope, fishing sinkers, lures, and hooks, wood/trap fragments, plastic and nylon rope, derelict fishing traps, fishing rods and poles, aluminum beverage cans, and wire mesh and metal trap fragments.
Blue Star Diving Operators who have participated in the Goal: Clean Seas Florida Keys program include Amoray Dive Center, Captain’s Corner Dive Center, Captain Hook’s, Conch Republic Divers, The Dive Shop at Ocean Reef, DiveN2Life, Finz Dive Center, Florida Keys Dive Center, Forever Young Charter Company, Horizon Divers, Islamorada Dive Center, Island Ventures, Key Dives, Longtab Charters, Lost Reef Adventures, Pirates Cove Watersports, Quiescence Diving Services, Rainbow Reef Dive Center, Sail Fish Scuba, Sea Base (Boy Scouts of America), Sea Dwellers Dive Center, Silent World Dive Center, and Southpoint Divers.
All removal work completed was in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and conducted under permits from the sanctuary and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
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The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, established in 2000, is the official non-profit partner of the National Marine Sanctuary System. The Foundation directly supports America’s national marine sanctuaries through our mission to protect species, conserve ecosystems and preserve cultural and maritime heritage. We accomplish our mission through community stewardship and engagement programs, on-the-water conservation projects, public education and outreach programs, and scientific research and exploration. The Foundation fosters innovative projects that are solution-oriented, scalable and transferable, and develop strategic partnerships that promote the conservation and recovery of species and their habitats. Learn more at marinesanctuary.org.
Contact: Chip Weiskotten
Director of Strategic Communications
301-754-6134
chip@marinesanctuary.org