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This pile of marine debris has been collected since Monday from the uninhabited islands around Swansboro by a crew of commercial fishermen, boat captains and marine contractors and is being stored at Casper’s Marina in downtown Swansboro.
The 2019 Post Hurricane Florence Marine Debris Collection Project, coordinated by the North Carolina Coastal Federation, which began Monday, is expected to continue for about a year.
“Phase 1 has the watermen working through the end of March, and we’ve also hired a private contractor to collect larger pieces of marine debris such as large woody debris and dock pieces. After we see how phase 1 goes, we may extend to other areas of the coast,” said Rachel Bisesi, federation education coordinator.
The marine debris cleanup effort has been funded by the state General Assembly with a $400,000 appropriation as part of its post-Florence disaster bill, according to executive director Todd Miller. He said there is some work being done right now to secure additional funding to continue the program.
Stay tuned for a comprehensive piece on the large-scale coastal cleanup that has begun in Onslow and Carteret counties.
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