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Island Divers Hawaii Staff Members
Marine Debris Rapid Response Team
Matt Zimmerman
Table Of Content
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Marine Debris Rapid Response Team makes its debut
Oceans Defenders Alliance (ODA) and Island Divers Hawaii have teamed up to form the Rapid Response team. These partners, while a team of dedicated volunteers, have been doing cleanups in Maunalua Bay since 2017. The Rapid Response team is new. The idea comes from the occasional drifting net that is observed during the daily Island Divers boat charters. These things are marine life killers. We are removing them!
How it works
Basically, Island Divers (or anyone really), reports a new to team leaders Ken Staples or Glenn Roberts and Island Divers finds a captain for one of our dive boats. The time frame is short as these babies are often time on the move. Ken and Glenn make some calls to organize a group of volunteers and the boat gets underway. Ocean Defenders Alliance and Island Divers Hawaii team up to defray the boat operating costs. Thank you ODA financial supporters!
Recovering the ghost net in Maunalua Bay
In this case the net was spotted on the morning charter from Island Divers. Bonus, it was snagged on the bottom so we were fairly confident that it would be there at the end of the day. Captain Tim grabbed the GPS coordinates and put the team into action. It being a holiday week and it being the first time, there were limited folks available, but the net wasn’t too huge for a small team. The boat was ready to go just before sunset and the divers were equipped to dive at night. That ended up being a good thing as it definitely ended up being at least part night dive. Here is a link to the rapid response team entering the water and seeing the underwater portion of the debris for the first time.
By the time the net was recovered it was fully dark and the boat made it way back in. Island Divers Hawaii has made some initial contacts with state representatives regarding disposal of the nets. There is rumor of a grad student that is actually studying them. Hope to get that contact soon. Reaching out at 4:30pm on a holiday week didn’t work to well this time.
All in all it was a successful outing.
Monthly marine debris cleanups
Want to get involved? We have been doing monthly single dive cleanups along the popular fishing spots along the Portlock wall since 2017. These are somewhat challenging dives as they involve drift diving in currents from the boat, handling of lead weights that effect buoyancy, and using lift bags to float debris. Lead fishing weight, abandoned fishing line, and some trash is the usual haul. To participate, you need a rescue diver certification from a recognized training agency and we ask for a $10 donation to Ocean Defenders Alliance (the majority of cost is covered by major ODA donors). Check here for the schedule.
