Featured Image Credit: Sea World Gold Coast Facebook
Sea World Research & Rescue Foundation joined forces with Environmental Divers to help clean the Gold Coast waterways of marine debris. The initiative will last a year and teams will target the North Wall and the eastern end of the South Wall at the Spit, Wavebreak Island and South West Wall of South Stradbroke Island.
Sea World Director of Marine Sciences Trevor Long stated that marine debris is proving to be a major issue. Kelly Fletcher from Environmental Divers also said marine debris is a growing issue globally as it is very much a case of out of sight out of mind.
The year-long initiative will be the longest continual marine debris data survey ever attempted.
“We are proud to assist Environment Divers on their mission to reduce marine debris with the Sea World Research & Rescue Foundation providing vessels and divers to join their team on their cleanups on selected days in the seaway,” Long said.
The Sea World divers joined the Environmental Divers to conduct a mock clean-up at Shark Bay’s Tropical Reef Pool where both teams tested out their skills in debris collecting, sorting and data entry updates.
“What we are aiming to do with 365 Diveable Days of Debris is bring the issue of marine debris to the surface and allow people to see what is happening in our waterways and oceans,” Fletcher said. “As a heavily used waterway, the Gold Coast Broadwater and Seaway are the perfect place to undergo this challenge.”
The hope is by documenting 365 days of debris data it will help planning for local, state and federal governments moving forward to combat and prevent debris and rubbish from entering the waterways.
For more information about the Sea World Research & Rescue Foundation, click here.