Join us as we clean up Lake Michigan

Local scuba divers and SCUBA EMPORIUM will participate in Project AWARE’s "Dive against Debris" project by doing a clean-up dive event this Saturday, Sept. 17, 2011, at Burnham Harbor in Chicago, IL. As part of SCUBA Emporium's commitment to protecting the ocean and inland lakes, trained divers will not only remove underwater debris such as bags, bottles, fishing line, and other trash but also identify and document everything we see underwater in a larger effort to prevent marine debris.

We are taking a positive, practical approach to the marine debris issue by cleaning up one of Chicago’s landmark harbors from the bottom up. Patrick Hammer, founder of SCUBA Emporium, has been training divers here in the Midwest since he opened his first store in 1974. Mr. Hammer cannot believe all the debris he sees underwater today and wants to get it cleaned up.

"Dive against Debris" is a new program organized worldwide by Project AWARE Foundation, a nonprofit organization mobilizing divers to protect the ocean and inland lakes. This new project has an underwater approach that’s totally unique. It’s a year-round, citizen science program to tackle trash beneath the surface and address its negative impacts.Marine debris – or our trash in the ocean and inland lakes – makes its way to our underwater environments by the ton through poor garbage disposal practices, inland runoff, and deliberate use of the water as a dumping ground. SCUBA Emporium, along with divers around the world, is demanding a permanent reduction in and prevention of the disposal of garbage into the water because it severely damages sensitive marine ecosystems—even in some of the most remote corners of the globe.

Scuba divers are uniquely positioned to tackle the global marine debris issue, to take action every day and prevent debris from entering the ocean. For more information on the Burnham Harbor Clean up Dive, in Chicago on Lake Michigan, contact mark@scubaemporium.com.

Keeping our waterways clean is important and helps the environment. Dive against Debris efforts with Project AWARE will assure clean and safe water for our children.

For additional information in Project AWARE’s Dive Against Debris program and to join the global movement for ocean protection visit www.projectaware.org.