FORT LAUDERDALE --  Over 120 volunteers consisting of local divers, snorkelers, surfers and beach-goers participated in the first annual  SOS Ocean Clean-Up to help support the Project AWARE movement for a trash free ocean and environment. Volunteers collected over 92 pounds of trash!  The 4 hour event was held Saturday, September 6, 2014 on East Las Olas Blvd & A1A along Fort Lauderdale Beach followed by a Volunteer Awards & After Party at Quarterdeck’s sponsored by SweetWater Brewing.

Divers are fortunate to submerse themselves in a world many people have never seen in person. It’s beauty is breath-taking yet they witness marine debris (trash) piling up on the sites they dive. These sites are also home to over 260 species of tropical fish, dolphins, sea turtles, sharks and other marine life and is the only natural coral reef in North America.  With the support of the “Team SOS” volunteers, they plan to clean it up!

The FREE event kicked off the day with a beach yoga workout by Erika Lima Yoga, donuts from Rhino Doughnuts, bottled water by GFS Marketplace and live drumming sounds from the Drum Café entertainers.  The first 100 volunteers also received a free SOS Ocean Clean Up tee shirt and prize give-aways from local surf and dive shops. It was a community project of so many participants who care about the environment.

In addition to music, food, drinks, and laughter, Stoked On Salt held a free Volunteer After Party & Raffle at Quarterdeck which raised over $400 to benefit the BioRock Project (Artifical Reef) located off the Lauderdale-by-the-Sea Pier. Trophies were awarded to 3 individuals for collecting the most trash.  Sweetwater Brewing offered a free beer and/or soda to all volunteers who participated in the clean-up.

“My family found so many water bottles, lots of cigarette butts, syringes and even a dirty diaper!," said Jennifer Doxsee. "We picked up all kinds of trash up and down the shoreline.”

The safety of marine life depends on getting the debris out of the water, especially during sea turtle nesting season. “Much of our waste products do not biodegrade and many plastics, for example, break down into smaller fragments posing danger to marine life and human health,” says Lisa Miceli-Capano, founder of the SOS Ocean Clean-up. “Together, we can change and work towards a clean, healthy ocean planet.”

Stoked On Salt submits their findings to Project AWARE’s Dive Against Debris map which has all the trash data from around the world. Stopping the trash flow at it's source, before it can reach the water, is everybody's responsibility. Waste, and how we choose to handle it, affects all ecosystems on the planet. 

“Please, spread the word about the SOS Ocean Clean Up events through all of your social networks and help us make this happen!  Or, simply share the SOS Ocean Clean Up page on your Facebook, Twitter and Instagram page and engage your friend network to do the same and get involved.”