Community Shows Love for the Environment

Libby Carnahan, Sea Grant Extension Agent

What do residents love about Pinellas County? The natural resources! This weekend, residents volunteered their time to show their love for the green and blue spaces that we cherish in Pinellas County. In conjunction with National Public Lands Day and National Estuaries Day, cleanup events were organized on land and sea.

At Weedon Island Preserve, Florida Sea Grant/Pinellas County Extension hosted 18 employees of OSI Restaurant Partners for a land-based cleanup of some hard to reach shorelines on Riviera Bay. On Saturday, 24 community volunteers utilized canoes and kayaks to reach the remote shoreline of Googe Island within the preserve. Together, these groups collected approximately 24 bags of debris. Volunteers recorded every item found, giving us a clear picture of the manufactured items impacting the health of humans, wildlife, and economies.

Farther North in the county, Reef Monitoring Inc., a local non-profit, hosted an underwater cleanup of Clearwater Artificial Reefs. 187 certified divers removed an astounding 1,534 pounds of trash!

• Artificial Reefs provide habitat for popular sport fish and other marine life and help alleviate fishing pressures on natural habitats.
• More than 1800 persons in Pinellas County – residents and visitors included – use artificial reefs.
• Fishermen and divers who use Pinellas County’s 12 artificial reef sites spend more than $79 million in the county annually.

Please do your part to keep our oceans clean. Marine debris poses a threat to marine mammals, sea turtles, sea birds, and decreases the quality of life for human residents. When possible-reuse, reduce, and recycle. Don’t wait for an official day to clean up-make every day a cleanup day!