Brisbane SAC were invited by URGQ to participate in their latest clean up dive on the 25^th March at the Gold Coast Seaway.

URGQ have received a grant from the Queensland Government to carry out marine clean-up activities of some popular Queensland locations. This was Brisbane SAC's opportunity to assist in providing a safer and healthier environment for all marine life and to reinforce relationships with the other local dive clubs.

Being late notice there were only three BSAC divers available (Lee, Callum and Dave) with Laura generously giving up her Sunday lie-in to provide surface cover.

The plan was to do three dives throughout the day; the first being on Wavebreak Island, the second as a drift along the seaway wall on an a flooding tide and the third as a dive on the rock wall and sand pipe at slack water.

Callum, Laura and I were shuttled over to Wavebreak Island on URGQ's club RIB with six other URGQ divers for our dive around the Southern rock wall. The dive was in a surging current with low visibility but between us we managed to collect a fair amount of lost fishing tackle among lots of other miscellaneous plastic material but the winner of heaviest item would be a discarded car battery complete with barnacles.

After completion of the first dives we were provided with a complimentary sausage sizzle and drinks while the collected debris was sorted and categorised as per the Taronga Blue Marine Debris Identification Manual.

After lunch Callum and I had to eat and run but were replaced by Dave and several Unidivers who all participated with URGQ in the slack high water dive. There were 16 divers in the water for the final dive and my understanding is that lots of debris was gathered… great result for our waterways! The second drift dive was cancelled due to unfavourable conditions.

This will be the first of several clean-up activities around SE Qld over the next two years and it was definitely a worthwhile exercise. I for one am looking forward to participating in the next clean-up day on Stradbroke Island in June and hopefully given the advance notice Brisbane SAC can provide more divers to help our unique underwater environment.

Lee Parker