The photos and report are courtesy of Seattle Dive Tours:
On December 1st, more than 30 volunteers braved the cold temperatures and the forecasts of snow showers to protect marine wildlife from dangerous underwater debris in Puget Sound.
SR3 and Seattle Dive Tours coordinated the event to clean under the pier at Seacrest Marina Park that is generally off limits to divers. The upper pier was closed to fishermen and spectators to ensure the safety of the volunteers.
Divers entered the water in three shifts to remove marine debris lurking below the surface of the Salish Sea. Additional volunteers on the dock sorted through the debris and documented the weight and types of debris found. This data will be uploaded to larger, worldwide datasets in order to reveal the greatest threats around the world.
Over 420 pounds of debris were removed in this short cleanup! This included over 300 fishing lures, five lighting systems used for squid fishing, four traffic cones, six abandoned crab pots, a lot of plastic cutlery, many mobile phones, and multiple tires.
This event could not have been done without the partnership of our hardy volunteers, Seattle Parks and Recreation, and the King County Water Taxi (Department of Metro Transportation, Marine Division). We look forward to continuing and expanding this event in the future.
This video from a volunteer participant includes a longer look at what was brought up:
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