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Dive Against Debris Data Submission

SOUTH EAST FRENCH REEF KEY LARGO

12 August, 2023

Team Leader
Jennifer Kerr
Number of Participants
7
Total Debris Collected
450 lbs (estimated)

25.028449, -80.352734

Survey Information

Location Name
SOUTH EAST FRENCH REEF KEY LARGO
Organization/Dive Centre
Sail Fish Scuba
City
Key Largo
Country
United States
Date
12 August, 2023
Survey Duration
63 Minutes
GPS Coordinates
Latitude: 25.028449
Longitude: -80.352734
Weather Conditions
Flat to 1 foot seas, Air Temp daily near 100 F. Water temp daily near 90 F. No rain for nearly a month. Winds SSE 5 knots.
Survey Depth Range
34–64 feet
Area Surveyed
13 ft2
Dominant Substrate
coral
Ecosystem
coral reef
Wave Conditions
Smooth (wavelets) for waves 0.1 - 0.5 meter high
plastic materials collected
Bags-grocery/retail (plastic) 1
Fishing: Line 18
Fishing: Nets & Pieces Of Nets 1
Gloves (latex) 1
Plastic Fragments 1
Rope (plastic/nylon) 1
metal materials collected
Wire, Wire Mesh & Barbed Wire 1
Metal Fragments 1
rubber materials collected
Gloves (rubber) 1
wood materials collected
Lumber (processed Or Cut/milled Wood) 1
Fishing: Traps & Pots 4
cloth materials collected
Rope And String (cloth) 2
Cloth Fragments 1
mixed materials collected
Bricks, Cinderblocks & Chunks Of Cement 9
Clothing 1
other materials collected
Steel Anchor 1

Commercial Lobster Fishing in Upper Florida Keys contributed all this debris.

Seems like a lobster fisherman may have gotten his overalls caught in the one trap as it went off his boat, a portion of the body was likely trapped under the lobster trap these past 1+ years and all evidence of the human remains was eaten by the creature on the bottom of the ocean along with the pigs feet they bait the traps with. We reported detail to FWC and posted on FB social media for anyone missing a person who lobstered these past 1+ years. Overalls images under trap before removal & on surface provided.

Hundreds of feet of 1" thick lobster lines tangled in the reef and barrel sponges.

Anchors and anchor lines all over the reef - tangled and causing damage

Ghost lobster traps - lulling all over the top of the reef on windy days

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