Scores of volunteers spread out along the water side of Bayshore Boulevard on Sunday morning, scooping soggy Gasparilla trash out of the brine and into waiting garbage trucks.
From the Platt Street Bridge to Bay to Bay Boulevard, volunteers waded in knee-deep water, sometimes deeper, to fetch garbage found its way out of the Gasparilla parade route and into the water.
"We've got tons and tons of beads," said Katherine Chakour, spokeswoman for The Florida Aquarium, which spearheaded the effort along with volunteers from Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful and the city.
It's the first time trash in the water was cleaned up after a Gasparilla parade along Tampa's signature boulevard, she said.
The goal is to keep the area free from litter, even if it drifts to the bottom of the bay and even if it's just scraps of plastic or paper.
Between 75 and 100 volunteers fanned out Sunday morning, she said.
The effort was part of the aquarium's "Project Green" which teaches the community about ways to keep oceans and waterways clean. The project also gets people involved in cleanup efforts.
"We found a lot of stuff," she said, "beads, feathers and a lot of trash."
Kayakers also helped, she said. "This is the first time we've done this," she said. We're hoping to make it a yearly thing."
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement
Advertisement