Saturday morning saw Annie Crawley and her underwater dive team at it again, diving beneath the Edmonds Marina boat moorage floats to clean up and bring the surface the plethora of underwater debris that has built up over the years. The project involved the section just north of Anthony’s Homeport under float M through Q, and follows up on their efforts back in April under the docks just south of these.

If you’ve ever dropped something into the water, from a cell phone to a screwdriver to a chair, you know how maddening it is – you just say goodbye. Much of this has been there for decades, and the divers brought up objects that many of the younger crowd simply didn’t recognize. It’s like a time capsule.

“What’s a Walkman?” asked a 20-something volunteer. “Is it some kind of pedometer or something?”

Despite a few of these “treasures,” the bulk of garbage collected comprised hoses and bottles, leading one young diver to remark that boaters must do an “awful lot of squirting and drinking.”

These twice-yearly marina cleanups are team efforts by members of Our Ocean and You, a group spearheaded by Crawley and formed around helping people understand how our lives are interconnected with the sea. Membership is open to anyone. Just visit the signup page to learn more.

“You don’t need to be a diver to be part of the group,” explained Crawley. “All you need to do is agree to be a voice for the ocean.”

— Story and photos by Larry Vogel