CFK students and employees celebrate their 120-lbs. collection of marine trash they removed from the Cayman Salvage Master shipwreck on Thursday. 

CFK students “Dive Against Debris,” remove 120 lbs of trash 

KEY WEST, FL, November 16, 2021—Students at The College of the Florida Keys (CFK) took part in a global initiative called Dive Against Debris, led by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) Aware Foundation, to remove trash from the ocean. On Thursday, the students boarded the FKCC 2, the College’s catamaran, to travel to their selected clean-up site, the Cayman Salvage Master shipwreck south of Key West. They dove depths of 75- to 90-feet to collect a trash bounty that weighed in at 120 lbs. The marine debris included 17 lbs of monofilament, chains, line, and an anchor.

Prior to diving into their clean-up work, 11 students completed training to earn Dive Against Debris specialty certifications through PADI. They learned how to collect trash as well as data about the clean-up site and the items removed. The research they gathered was entered into PADI’s Dive Against Debris database, which is the world’s largest underwater database with contributors from around the globe who share in the goal of reducing marine debris worldwide.

“I felt what we were doing was important– like every piece of trash we picked up was making the ocean safer and healthier,” said student Nasir Kearse, who is studying Marine Environmental Technology at CFK and is now a Dive Against Debris certified diver.

The College is planning more Dive Against Debris clean-up events in 2022.

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