TSC joined CSA Ocean Sciences Inc. (CSA), a sponsor of the 12th annual Treasure Coast Waterway Cleanup, to remove over two hundred pounds of trash and debris from local waterways.
Team members from TSC and CSA along with a score of local volunteers collected trash and debris from an area that covered one-hundred and twenty-five miles of waterways in Martin, St. Lucie, and Indian River Counties, including the Treasure Coast beaches, shorelines, nearshore habitats, and Peck Lake Reef offshore Martin County.
The community-organized cleanup included an onshore and nearshore team, as well as dive teams on two CSA vessels
Shore-based cleanup crews covered shorelines along Stuart Beach and the nearshore teams cleared trash from the Intracoastal Waterway spoil islands. Meanwhile, the CSA divers removed trash and debris from areas of Peck Lake Reef.
The effort clocked in at just under four hours with the teams collecting over two hundred pounds of marine debris, including bottles, cans, fishnets, fishing poles, and many forms of plastic.
TSC is looking forward to next year’s event and is hoping more volunteers will join us in the efforts to keep Florida’s unique environment and ecosystems clean and safe for all wildlife. Join our team by becoming a responsible steward of the environment. You don’t have to wait until next year. Each and every time you visit the beach, grab one of the discarded plastic bags that you see laying around and fill it with trash as you walk back to your car. Your actions may inspire others.
