Tour companies in Florida have joined forces in a combined effort to clean up the fragile underwater ecosystem in the wake of Hurricane Irma, which devastated the region late last year.
The effort was organized through the Blue Star Program established by the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, whose primary aim is to reduce the impact of divers and anglers on the reef.
So far, eight tour operators have joined up with Blue Star, and the cleanup effort started in May 2018 in preparation for the summer season. Even though there is a significant amount of marine debris to be cleaned up, the majority of debris found so far was old fishing gear, traps and lines.
You can find out more about Blue Star here, and how you can help here.
Check out a video of the Blue Star Program below.
