Clean Ocean Initiative is a collaborative program for cleaner oceans to better enhance and support sustainable fisheries, marine mammals, and an all around healthy marine life environment. The objective of this program is to spread public awareness of marine debris through collection and hands-on experience while the passengers are enjoying eco-tourism activities.
How it works:
Step 1: Marine debris, such as balloons or plastic waters bottles, is spotted floating on the surface of the ocean by a captain, biologist, or passenger on a marine eco-tourism vessel, such as a whale watching boat.
Step 2: The debris is collected from the surface of the water.
Step 3: The debris is logged on the Southeast Atlantic Marine Debris Initiative’s Marine Debris Tracker, a free app found at both the Apple App Store and Google Play, to log the debris found. The Marine Debris Tracker logs what you found and the latitude and longitude of where you found it. Submitters can also submit pictures of the debris they found.
By seizing the opportunity to collect the debris and encouraging the passenger to become engaged in the activity, the passenger is educated in both the harmful impact of marine debris on the marine eco-system as well as the personal steps they can take to help prevent marine debris.
What items do we collect?
We collect balloons, water bottles, fishing line, rope, net pieces, containers, bags, and other items that can fit in our net on the American Star.
#CleanOceanInitiative
For more information about the Marine Debris Tracker App as well as where you can download it head to: http://www.marinedebris.engr.uga.edu/
Interested in collaborating with us and tracking marine debris in New Jersey?
Call (609)-898-0055 !
