Dive into Earth Day 2005 was a great success thanks to Dano Norris, Michael Schruben, Eileen Byrne, Cheryl Hill, Jim Karos, Aaron Burke, James Karos, and Anna Krowczynska.

The foggy weather did not keep these divers from participating in this event. Seas were calm and vis was about 25 feet. About 180 pounds of trash were removed from the water’s edge. Mostly bottles, cans and food wrappers. Much fishing line and gear as well as plenty of plastic bits and plastic lobster id tags. Some of these tags were Maine lobster pot id tags. Dano found some green army men (we seem to collect these every year here). Jim Karos removed a hair brush from underwater and his grandson James removed a golf club. I also found a golf club along the coastline as well as a few golf balls. What made this day even better was that we finished just before the deluge of rain, it was perfect timing. Thanks again to all participants, you made a difference. Want to participate in a cleanup this year? You still can, check the dive calendar to learn more.

There are more photos in the scrapbook, take a look

Here's an interesting aticle from Wood's Hole's Oceanus Magazine about whether closing parts of the ocean to fishing really works to preserve fish stocks. It specifically focuses on George's Bank

"These closures have given us a unique opportunity to examine a marine protected area in a temperate system under a “macroscope”—to examine how marine ecosystems are structured and how they function and recover. The long history of research on Georges Bank adds a foundation of scientific knowledge that makes the Georges Bank MPA an ideal system to test the effects of year-round fishery closures."
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Don’t need your old scale? Donate it to the NEADC. We are in need of unwanted bathroom scales for our cleanups. This will enable us to get more accurate weight measurements of the trash we remove from the beaches and the ocean. With your help, we can make a difference. Contact: Alicia, environmental@neadc.org or 617 285 6737.

Many thanks to all the participants at both our Fall 2004 Fort Wetherill and Canoe Beach Cleanups. Although divers tend to me more aware of the problems of marine debris and remove trash from each dive, new divers might need to be reminded. Not only do we have to be careful with the picnic items we bring to the beach (always carry in-carry out) we need to always take just a few moments before we leave to gather any trash that might be there. The best way to do that is to make it a part of your shore diving check off list. After your diving take 5 minutes to remove some deadly marine debris from the shoreline. Fishing line and bait bags are the worst. If you need trash bags and gloves to keep in your automobile then let me know. Stock up. If you are a frequent shore dive leader you can obtain, from me, extra bags and gloves. You can even stock up on trash data cards and fill them out each time you remove trash. Even if it is just a 5 minute cleanup. This is vital, this data is literally being used to revise national maritime disposal policies and is used to advance environment-protecting legislation. Not only have I personally removed trash from stomachs of marine animals and rehabilitated marine animals that were entangled, I have been entangled in fishing line while diving as well.

Cleanups don’t have to be just once a year!
5-Minute Shoreline Cleanups Make a Difference

Canoe Beach Cleanup 2004

Along with the usual picnic and fishing trash items removed, also removed were cell phones and television parts. Trish, our membership coordinator, removed over 15 golf balls and a beginner fishing kit (not even opened yet) from one of her dives at Canoe Beach. Didn’t make a cleanup this year? Check out the dive calendar for 2005. I usually plan 4 each year. If you can just make one, I recommend the Canoe Beach event. It is our most popular event. Check out the photos (and on website) to get an idea of how much fun you can have. Special thanks to Anna, our club secretary, for taking photos and Michael Schruben for providing fun critter display and touch tanks. The club also provided healthy snacks, sandwiches and beverages. All our participants received one of the new NEADC water bottles. Thank you Fred Calhoun and Veronica Atlantis for donating some of their published books for our lucky volunteers. Thank you to the staff at the NEU Marine Lab for their continued joint effort in making it such a fun filled day. This year Mike Schruben and I setup and donated some tropical fish we collected in RI for their new 100 gallon tank for their up and coming outreach education center (in the bunker) so be sure to join us in 2005 to see how much they’ve grown.

Touch Tank Canoe Beach 2004	Closer Look Tank showing 2004 Tropicals
Volunteer shaded lounge Canoe 2004	Volunteer divers take a break Canoe 2004
Volunteer diver Canoe Beach 2004	Volunteer diver Canoe Beach 2004
Volunteers getting started Canoe 2004	Volunteers Canoe Beach 2004
Volunteer diver Canoe Beach 2004	Volunteer divers recording and recycling trash Canoe 2004 The club provided healthy foods to volunteers
Volunteer divers hauling out trash Canoe 2004	Volunteer diver gearing up to collect critters for touch tank
Volunteer divers share stories at the “Lounge” Canoe Beach 2004	Volunteer diver heading out on calm seas at Canoe Beach Cleanup 2004

Just announced at the June Meeting! Alicia is looking to collect golf balls and fishing lures that people have found while diving. She will have a bucket set up at the next meeting, and will do something special with them once she has enough.

3rd Annual CoastSweep of Canoe Beach and Pumphouse Beach/NEU Marine Lab Open House was a great success thanks to Dan, Carol, Laurel, Ariel, Alex and Rosie Geist, Ann Lambert, Anna Krowczynska, Jacki Kronenberg, Kelly Crawford, Jessica Perritt, Gabrielle Guagliano, Andrew McLaughlin, Anastasia DiTomaso, Dian Koliylarz, Mike Landino, Bob Ragucci, Arthur Caissie, Anne Magee, Frank Magee, Louise McBryde, Michael Schruben and the NEU Marine Lab Staff. Many other passersby participated in the clean up too. Special thanks to Michael Schruben for creating a wonderful North Atlantic marine display tank for all to enjoy. Special thanks also goes out to Oceanic Research Group Inc. for donating 3 spectacular Jonathan Bird underwater photography books that were raffled. (www.oceanicresearch.org)

Lucky volunteers also left with club fleeces and shirts and everyone left with our new weather proof club decals. Since our volunteer divers have worked so hard over the past years not much trash was found underwater. (Next year we will hit Forty-Steps area) But there was trash washed up on Canoe Beach and Pumphouse Beach. Over 30 bags were filled with over 500 pounds of trash. It was not an easy job for this year's volunteers. There were hypodermics needles still attached to syringes and far too many tampon applicators. This most likely means these items are being flushed down toilets. A big NO NO! Once the entire Commonwealth's tally of trash is complied I will post it on the web/newsletter For more on human-made debris, trash and litter and how you can prevent it go to: www.state.ma.us/czm/links.htm. If you did not get a chance to participate this year, or participated in previous years and thought it was dull, please consider next year. After a few years of organizing these…along with NEU, we are trying to make the event more fun so please join us next year. You can make a difference.