Operation Deep Blue Legacy - Resource Bundle

Healthy Seas

Healthy Seas Operation Deep Blue Legacy

Who we are

Who we are

Healthy Seas is a global foundation whose mission is to

Healthy Seas is a global foundation whose mission is to remove marine litter from the seas, in particular fishing nets , for the purpose of creating healthier seas and recycling marine litter into textile products with the help of our partners. We operate all over the world (from the US to Korea or New Zeeland) and our funding comes from business partners. Since its founding in 2013, Healthy Seas has collected over 991 tons of fishing nets and other marine litter with the help of volunteer divers and fishers. Beyond cleanup, our pillars encompass prevention and education.

What we do

What we do

Healthy Seas’ work is based on three pillars:

Healthy Seas’ work is based on three pillars: - Clean-ups – with volunteer divers from Ghost Diving recovering nets underwater or with beach-clean ups with the public. - Education – with local partners we create educational activities for kids and adults for awareness raising on the problem of marine litter, plastic pollution, biodiversity and circular economy. - Prevention – in collaboration with the fishing industry to make sure the waste stream of the industry is well managed (harbour authorities, fishing communities or associations or waste collection entities). CLEAN-UP EDUCATION PREVENTION

Ghost Diving

Ghost Diving Ghost Diving is a registered charity founded in 2012 and run by technical divers who have specialized in the removal of lost fishing gear and other marine debris since 2009. Ghost Diving is the largest and most experienced global diving organization focused on the "ghost fishing" phenomenon with a track record in a wide variety of countries and international waters. Ghost divers are operating in their free time and carry out innovative and challenging nature conservation projects also with the help of Healthy Seas. https://www.ghostdiving.org/

Aquafil, the company, & the ECONYL® brand

Aquafil, the company, & the ECONYL® brand Aquafil is a synthetic fiber manufacturer with its headquarters in Italy and production and recycling plants in many countries in the world. In 2013, Aquafil co-founded Healthy Seas, so it is one of the 3 founding members and also a key player in the value chain of Healthy Seas. The various nylon fishing nets collected by Healthy Seas are in fact sent and later recycled, together with other nylon waste, into ECONYL® yarn, thanks to the ECONYL® Regeneration System. This is a chemical process that can transform nylon waste into new nylon without any loss of quality or performance. The new nylon, called ECONYL®, is used by many of Aquafil’s customers in different industries: fashion, sportswear, swimwear, carpets, car mats, injection molding. https://www.aquafil.com/magazine/ co-founder-of-healthy-seas-foundation/ https://www.econyl.com/it/ healthy-seas/

Bracenet

Bracenet Bracenet is a company based in Hamburg, Germany, that creates sustainable bracelets and other accessories by upcycling old fishing nets, many of which are recovered by Healthy Seas. Their bracelets are much more than fashionable accessories: they are a statement promoting the protection of the world's oceans. They have been a partner of Healthy Seas for seven years. https://bracenet.net/en/ our-mission/

DWS

DWS DWS is a German asset management company. It previously operated as part of Deutsche Bank until 2018 where it became a separate entity through an initial public offering on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. The mission and goals of Healthy Seas align with DWS’ CSR goals, especially with the efforts to combat climate change and biodiversity loss. Through the support of DWS, in 2021 Healthy Seas was able to purchase ‘MAKO’, its first boat. MAKO is now based in Ithaca in Greece and is used for salvage missions departing from there. https://www.dws.com/en-it/our-profile/corporate-social-responsibility/ healthy-seas/

DWS and the Deep Blue Legacy operation

DWS and the Deep Blue Legacy operation 2024 & ongoing Italy and other countries for education Mixing history and marine conservation. A project to clean-up the historical shipwrecks of World War II and share the concept of environmental and historical legacy in schools and with the public. Clean-ups Comix story with an illustrator Social media content Documentary Education programs in schools

Why we do it

Why we do it

The problem of marine litter & ghost gear

The problem of marine litter & ghost gear - The curtain of death – ghost nets remain in the seas for hundreds of years and continue to catch and kill marine life needlessly, contributing to biodiversity loss and the overexploitation of fish population (70% of it is already overexploited) - Microplastics – The nets left on the bottom of the sea for a long time start degrading and then break into pieces that eventually can become microplastics. - Costs of marine litter – Marine debris is estimated to cost the international community more than 60 billion euros in cleanup, repairs, and losses. The problems are connected to entanglement of boats, of other nets, pollution on beaches, loss in tourism.

Where we find marine litter

Where we find marine litter - Floating – This is more common for some plastic litter like bottles, but less for ghost gear that is designed to stay on the bottom. Floating marine litter has proven to be a danger also with regard to invasive species that can be carried on the floating litter to different parts of the world, as well as pollutants that are absorbed by the degrading plastic. - On the bottom of the sea – Some estimate that only a very small part of the marine litter is floating, and the rest is underwater where it is subjected to «ocean blindness» - what people don’t see, doesn’t exist. - In shipwrecks or reefs – It’s very common for fishing gear to be stuck in greater ammount on shipwrecks, either because they got stuck while fishing or because they are carried there by the currents. Unfortunatelly, these spots are also the richest from a biodiversity standpoint and where different species take shelter.

Ghost nets & marine pollution

Ghost nets & marine pollution “If we don’t act now, by 2050 there could be more plastic than fish in the oceans.” – Ellen MacArthur Foundation Over 75% of plastic in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch originates from fishing – The Ocean Cleanup 2024 If left to disintegrate fishing nets and fishing gear transforms into microplastics for which there is not yet a solution. Marine debris is estimated to costs the international community more than 60 billion euros in cleanup, repairs, and losses.

Healthy Seas and

Healthy Seas and climate change Supporting the fight against Climate Change by protecting ocean resiliency Marine Protection and Restoration : Removing ghost nets and marine litter to protect and restore marine ecosystems. Circular Economy : Promoting the use of recycled materials, like ECONYL® nylon, also from recovered fishing nets, to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and decrease carbon emissions. Plastic Pollution : Reducing plastic waste in oceans to prevent harmful effects on marine life and ecosystems. Biodiversity Loss : Safeguarding marine biodiversity to maintain ecological balance and enhance natural climate mitigation processes. These efforts collectively contribute to mitigating climate change , highlighting the crucial role of marine conservation and sustainable practices.

Operation Deep Blue Legacy

Operation Deep Blue Legacy

© Google

© Google

© Google

© Google

© Google

© Google

© Google

© Google

© Google

© Google

Ecological importance of the area

Ecological importance of the area Operation Deep Blue Legacy took place at the Gulf of Gabès . The Gulf of Gabès is a shelf area with upwelling currents that bring nutrients from the deep sea up to the surface. This boosts primary production and marine life thrives. We call areas like this biodiversity hotspots . While many species live in this area it is vulnerable to climate change, changing water temperatures, habitat degradation, pollution, overfishing and invasive species.

Food chain

Food chain

What is Operation Deep Blue Legacy?

What is Operation Deep Blue Legacy? Operation Deep Blue Legacy is an extraordinary, collaborative conservation initiative led by Healthy Seas, Ghost Diving, and the Society for Documentation of Submerged Sites (SDSS) supported by DWS. The project aims to protect underwater heritage sites while tackling marine pollution, particularly ghost nets. These efforts combine environmental preservation with the safeguarding of historical shipwrecks, transforming them into protected sanctuaries for marine life.

During World War II, the Mediterranean Sea was a key battleground for naval warfare, particularly during the

During World War II, the Mediterranean Sea was a key battleground for naval warfare, particularly during the Battle of Convoys . Ships that were carrying vital supplies across the region from Europe to Libya, Egypt and Tunisia. They were often targeted, resulting in hundreds of shipwrecks , even though only 10% of all supply ships sunk. Today, these wrecks serve as historical remains of a critical period in military history and play a unique role in marine ecosystems. The Battle of Convoys and shipwrecks in the Mediterranean

Shipwrecks like those from World War II become

Shipwrecks like those from World War II become artificial reefs over time. These underwater structures provide shelter, food, and breeding grounds for marine life, creating rich biodiversity hotspots . Corals, fish, and other marine organisms use these wrecks as habitats, boosting local ecosystems. Wrecks as artificial reefs

Fishing gear frequently becomes entangled in the remnants of shipwrecks due to

Fishing gear frequently becomes entangled in the remnants of shipwrecks due to fishing activities or ocean currents . Nets caught on these wrecks not only harm marine species but also degrade the historical and ecological value of the wrecks themselves. By removing ghost nets from shipwrecks, as done in  Operation Deep Blue Legacy , we help both the environment and historical preservation . Cleaned wrecks continue to function as artificial reefs where marine life thrives and the stories within are uncovered. Ghost gear on wrecks

Documentary

Documentary https://youtu.be/r4ke0_0vIwc?si=7CUAyWCV4ns3GjvO

Quiz

Quiz link .

Q & A

Q & A

Stay with us for more!

Stay with us for more! www.healthyseas.org

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