NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. — On an afternoon along the Anclote River in New Port Richey, a group of teens turned their passion into action.
They're part of SCUBAnauts International, with a mission to educate teens in the marine sciences and empower them to make positive impacts on the environment.
On Wednesday, the goal was simple.
"There's been a huge increase in debris both in the water and just on the shorelines. Looking at this site, we suspect that this river came up really high and then went back down,” said Katie Cooper, the Chief Operating Officer of SCUBAnauts International. "We decided to add an extra cleanup at our watergoat site after the storms, anticipating that there would be a lot more debris in the water here."
A watergoat is a collection of plastic buoys with eco- and wildlife-friendly netting that helps intercept litter at its source before it reaches Florida's coastal waterways.
"We find huge styrofoam boxes. We find plastic, we find like takeout food, water bottles,” said Swara Patel.
"If the water doesn't get cleaned out here, it'll end up getting into the ocean, which will add to the growing problem of trash in our gulf which is a big concern,” said Elijah Yerex.
The group scooped out debris from the water and picked up trash on the banks, which are small steps that make a big impact.
"I really want to play a part in helping conserve the ocean, especially because it is our livelihood,” said Patel.
