CleanUp 5 million Pounds of Post-Disaster Debris

Hi friend, 

You may not have heard the news yet - Thanks to the Post-Ian disater debris recovery efforts, Ocean Blue officially recovered more than 1 million pounds of ocean bound waste as of January 31, 2023!

While winning feels fantastic, the Ocean Blue Team feels more motivated than ever to reach our new goal to remove 5 million pounds of plastic from U.S shorelines and ocean bound waterways, and we're doing it by boat in the Chesapeake Bay.

Plastic pollution is an ongoing disaster silently wreaking havoc on wildlife and human health by working it's way through the food web to us. When we collectively understand that disaster isn't just something that happens by natural causes we can mobilize to put a major curve in the trajectory for a clean world ocean.  it's accumulating right under our feet in our city streets. The ocean is a mirror reflection of our city streets and that's why plastic pollution is an urgent disaster. And Ocean Blue is showing up. 

Ocean Blue's founder + director, Richard Arterbury, is assessing the tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay by boat to learn exactly where and how Ocean Blue can make the most impact possible. We understand Chesapeake's waters are faced with many pollutants including the debris Ocean Blue is after, and with a full assessment we will develop and implement a strategic plan to tackle the debris to reach our new goal of 5 million pounds of plastic + debris!

Why the Chesapeake Bay?

The Chesapeake Bay is the 3rd largest estuary on the planet and the largest estuary in the United States where Ocean Blue operates. The meandering shoreline alone measures 12,000 miles and there are more than 100,000 stream miles in over 150 streams and rivers in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. There is a solid understanding of the major pollutants plaguing the Bay - nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment. Erosion and polluted runoff water are a major concern and we know that derelict fishing gear, microplastics and other marine debris are present in the Bay.

We want to understand how much, and the best way to do that is to clean as we go. Ocean Blue Founder + Director Richard and his CleanUp Crew are actively assessing types and numbers of marine debris and have already begun by assessing the Rivers of Virginia's Middle Peninsula and Northern Neck. We look forward to his report this year.

Celebrating National CleanUp Month

The Ocean Blue Team looks forward to reaching our goal to remove an additional 1 million pounds of plastic + debris this year on our way to 5 million pounds by 2025! Thank you for being a part of it and for providing the much needed financial support to cover costs of equipment and paid employees, also supporting the local economy where we work and play this year in the Chespeake Bay. 

Warm regards, 

Karisa Arterbury

Director of Operations + Development

www.oceanblueproject.org