The future site of Pender Harbour Ocean Discovery Station (PODS) received some underwater care this past weekend. Volunteers came from as far away as Vancouver to Dive Against Debris on Sunday, July 14. This event aimed to improve the health of our local ocean ecosystem and to collect information about marine debris that helps inform policy change.
Divers entered the water and, over the course of an hour, brought bag upon bag of debris to the surface. Volunteers on shore hauled the debris bags to the sorting area for processing. Loon Foundation monitoring staff and volunteers diligently removed ocean life that surfaced with the debris and promptly returned the marine life to the ocean. Much of the debris included bottles and metal, with some interesting finds like a ceramic teapot. Tires were removed by roping and towing out by boat and truck. All debris was transported to the marine debris collection facility, operated by Ocean Legacy, at the SCRD solid waste facilities in Sechelt.
In total, volunteers removed 1,520 lb. of debris from the waters off Irvines landing. As one diver shared underwater footage of Irvines Landing with the group he commented, “We probably only collected one per cent of the debris. There is a lot down there.”
Divers were able to make ecosystem observations while collecting debris too: opalescent squid eggs, booted sponge, schools of shiner perch, leather sea stars, sea cucumbers, and small species of octopus were all spotted.
Local marine diving specialists, Sea Wolf Diving, supported the event with a safety team as well as boat and winch support for heavy items like tires. The Loon Foundation thanks Rob Alliston and his team for the event day support.
The Loon Foundation would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the volunteers, driver and shoreline, who supported the event. There is more work to be done in supporting the ocean ecosystem at Irvines Landing and we’re already looking forward to next year’s event! For more information or to sign up for the Loon Foundation newsletter, contact [email protected].
