Help Save Our Seas! Join BCC’s Center for Service-Learning

ProJeCt S.o.S. – Save our SeaS

Dive in now!TENTATIVE ACTIVITIES

• Dive Against Debris: Earn 4-6 hours of Service-Learning hours by partnering with Project Aware to collect, record, and report marine debris in the Florida Keys. Spend the weekend at Mote Marine Lab’s Center for Tropical Research which includes a half-day, 2-tank SCUBA dive in the Middle Keys near the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, unlimited snorkeling and kayaking in local grass flats and shoals, and and evening at the Sunset Celebration at Mallory Square. This project is open to any BCC Service-Learning student who is SCUBA certified.

For more information, visit Project Aware’s Dive Against debris at www.projectaware.org/project/marine-debris

• Paddle Against Pollution: Earn 4 Service-Learning hours by partnering with Turkey Creek Sanctuary to collect, record, and report debris in Turkey Creek Sanctuary. Meet at Goode Boat Launch in Palm Bay on a Friday morning to clean up Turkey Creek by canoe. Trip includes canoes, water, trash bags, tongs, and gloves.

For more information, visit Turkey Creek Sanctuary at www.palmbayflorida.org/parks/nature/

PROJECT S.O.S. SAVE OUR SEAS

BREVARD COMMUNITY COLLEGE

PRESIDENT James H. Richey, J.D., President

BOARD OF TRUSTEESAlan H. Landman, Chair | Dewey L. Harris, Vice Chair

Stephen G. Charpentier | Myra Igo Haley | Moses Harvin, Sr.

Brevard Community College is an equal access/equal opportunity institution.

Center for Service-Learning

• Walk Against Waste: Earn 4 Service-Learning hours by partnering with Keep Brevard Beautiful to collect, record, and report debris collected on our south Brevard beaches. Meet at a different beach each Sunday from 8:00am until noon. Trash bags, tongs, and gloves are provided.

For more information, visit Keep Brevard Beautiful at keepbrevardbeautiful.com/

Project S.o.S. – SAve our SeAS

For More Information, Contact:

Susan Phillips at phillipss@brevardcc.edu or Billy Fried at friedb@brevardcc.edu

Dive In Now!

Dive Against Debris

The Florida Keys are home to the nations only living barrier coral reef. Once you set foot in Keys waters, you have entered the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, which is one of 14 marine protected areas that make up the National Marine Sanctuary System. The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary protects 2,900 square nautical miles of waters surrounding the Florida Keys. Within the boundaries of the sanctuary lie spectacular, unique, and nationally significant marine resources. The world’s third largest barrier reef, extensive seagrass beds, mangrove-fringed islands, and more than 6,000 species of marine life are encompassed here. The sanctuary also protects shipwrecks and other archeological treasures of our nation’s history.

The Dive Against Debris data you collect and report can inform, persuade and empower policy makers and other stakeholders to establish and improve integrated solid waste management practices; possibility to include practices where we reduce, reuse, and recycle our way to an ocean free of marine debris.

Paddle Against Pollution

One of the gems of the Palm Bay Parks system is the Turkey Creek Sanctuary. The park’s entrance is located behind the Palm Bay Community Center and next to the Palm Bay Library at 1502 Port Malabar Blvd. The Sanctuary is over 100 acres of natural Florida along the banks of Turkey Creek.

Miles of canals throughout Palm Bay empty into Turkey Creek, which then feeds into the Indian River Lagoon. Consequently,

everything from trash cans to tires finds its way into the creek. Our goal is to keep the creek clear and protect the Indian River Lagoon.

The Paddle Against Pollution data you collect and report will inform the Park Service of, not only what is entering the system, but also in what magnitude. Help protect this native and natural area that wildlife depend on and many nature lovers enjoy!

Walk Against Waste

Brevard County has more than 72 miles of beautiful coastline. We also enjoy the

shorelines of the Indian River Lagoon and the St. Johns River. Many of our lovely shorelines are being littered and polluted. Not only does litter harm the beauty of Brevard, but it can be a threat to marine life as animals can be-come entangled in or consume the debris.

Now, more than ever, we need your help to Keep Brevard’s shoreline beautiful by joining the Brevard Community College Project: Save Our Seas and Keep Brevard Beautiful in our weekly beach cleanups. Help protect Florida’s miles of pristine beaches and shorelines for future generations!

For more information please contact

Susan Phillips, Associate Professor, Building 2,

Room 338, at phillipss@brevardcc.edu,

or phone: (321) 433-5289 or Billy Fried,

Science Laboratory Coordinator, Building 2,

Room 336C, at friedb@brevardcc.edu or

phone (321) 433-5228.

PROJECT S.O.S. – SAVE OUR SEASFrom the smallest bits of plastic, car batteries and appliances, to enormous fishing nets, “stuff” from our daily lives makes its way to the ocean by the ton every day. As Earth’s growing population consumes more disposable goods, the items we discard, even thousands of miles inland, are choking our ocean planet.

Pervasive debris kills wildlife, destroys habitats, and threatens our health and economy. Found in even the most remote ocean places, once underwater, debris can remain for generations.

The good news is marine debris is preventable. Coordinated strategies are needed at local, national, regional and international levels to prevent, reduce and manage solid waste. Together, we can stop marine debris by taking local action and supporting policy change.