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Dive Against Debris Data Submission

Mevagissey Harbour

25 April, 2015

Team Leader
Rob Thompson
Number of Participants
13
Total Debris Collected
72.34 kgs (measured)

50.269962, -4.78384

Survey Information

Location Name
Mevagissey Harbour
Organization/Dive Centre
Dive against Debris Volunteers UK
City
Mevagissey
Country
United Kingdom
Date
25 April, 2015
Survey Duration
59 Minutes
GPS Coordinates
Latitude: 50.269962
Longitude: -4.78384
Weather Conditions
Fine, dry and sunny
Survey Depth Range
2–8.4 meters
Area Surveyed
5871.19 m2
Dominant Substrate
sand
Ecosystem
rocky reef
Wave Conditions
Smooth (wavelets) for waves 0.1 - 0.5 meter high
plastic materials collected
Bags-grocery/retail (plastic) 16
Bags: Trash (plastic) 1
Beverage Bottles: 2 Litres Or More (plastic) 1
Beverage Bottles: Less Than 2 Litres (plastic) 2
Bottles: Oil/lube 1
Buoys & Floats (plastic & Foamed) 2
Cups, Plates, Forks, Knives, Spoons (plastic) 1
Fishing: Line 48
Fishing: Lures, Rods/poles 39
Fishing: Nets & Pieces Of Nets 2
Food Wrappers (plastic) 7
Pipes (plastic-PVC) 7
Plastic Fragments 15
Strapping Bands (plastic) 1
Rope (plastic/nylon) 19
glass materials collected
Glass & Ceramic Fragments 1
metal materials collected
Beverage Cans (aluminium) 15
Cars & Car Parts 1
Pipes & Rebar 1
Wire, Wire Mesh & Barbed Wire 2
Metal Fragments 9
Fishing: Sinkers, Lures, Hooks 3
rubber materials collected
Gloves (rubber) 3
Rubber Fragments 5
cloth materials collected
Rope And String (cloth) 4
Towels/rags 5
Cloth Fragments 1
paper materials collected
Bags (paper) 1
mixed materials collected
Clothing 2
Toys 2
other materials collected
Engine air filter (?); plastic and unknown 1
Small bilge pump from boat toilet; plastic and metal 1
Lump of thick blue paint (probably bilge paint); plastic 1
Lobster pot; remnants of; plastic and rubber 1
Plastic-sheathed electrical wire 4
Heavy plastic-covered metal bar 1
Paint roller 1
Rubber anti-slip deck matting 1
Heavy solid black rubber pulley; likely from fishing boat 1
Plastic-covered copper pipe 1
Tennis shoe bag (Wimbledon) 1
Large fibreglass shield-shaped fragment with metal loop attached (part of boat) 1
Fibreglass fragment (from boat) 1
Length of heavy rubber 'bumper'; identified by Harbour Master as having once been attached to harbour wall to protect boats against damage; returned to HM for reuse 1

Mevagissey is a small, but busy commercial fishing harbour and the majority of the debris we brought to shore could be clearly identified as being associated with various aspects of this industry. Be it the nets, pots, lines and lures, the broken boat parts or even a former part of the harbour wall bumper (which the Harbour Master gladly took off our hands for reuse-see photo!). It is also a very popular tourist destination, although there was less direct evidence of this - maybe the plastic grocery bags and drinks cans, but these could equally be attributed to the local population. The divers reported sighting at least one large fishing net on the sea bed, with other debris entangled in it, which proved impossible to budge, despite efforts, as it was so entwined in sea weed and partially buried under a weight of sand. There was also a bright, shiny, possibly stainless steel wire object, which was also impossible to dislodge from the sand in which it was buried. It was possibly much larger than it appeared from the part that was visible. These items may become removeable on future debris dives, with the shifting sands; or they may become more buried and unreachable.

I guess that the 'Wimbledon' Tennis shoe bag seemed very out-of-place amongst all the fishing-related debris

Fishing line (please see explanation above)

Fishing lures (please see explanation above)

Plastic/nylon rope (please see explanation above)

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