107 volunteers and partner organizations helped Blue Scholars remove over 900 pounds of debris from Miami-Dade County beaches, parks and waterways in the first three months of the year. In January and February, Blue Scholars partnered with Clean Miami Beach and The International SeaKeepers Society to coordinate cleanups on Miami Beach with middle schoolers and on Virginia Key with both beach-goers and paddlers. In March, members of Hungry Harvest and Temple Beth Am joined Blue Scholars for back to back cleanups at Peacock Park and Matheson Hammock Park.

Through it all, participants witnessed first-hand the devastating problem facing our ocean and gained a better understanding of where the pollution is coming from and how, as consumers, they have the power to create change. Even though marine debris will return with the changing tides and shifting currents, their overall effort and contribution to citizen science makes a big impact. For that, we are grateful!