Ocean Studies Charter School hosted its second annual Marine Debris Derby on April 23. Last year, students collected 4,052 pounds of debris. Students surpassed that number this year as they managed to collect 7,444 pounds of marine debris from two local coastal areas in Key Largo. Debris was brought to the school and weighed. The Dodd family placed first in the team category with 334 pounds of debris collected. The Williams family collected 740 pounds of debris and placed first in the heavyweight category. Individual winners were from the Sharks class. They include Kai Nichols, who placed first for gathering 168 pounds of debris; Richie Girard, who placed second for collecting 131 pounds; and Logan Pabotoy, who placed third for collecting 111 pounds. The Juice House provided breakfast for the participants and Florida Keys Dive Center and Southernmost Apparel donated event T-shirts. Atlantic Trash and Keys Sanitary helped move the debris. The third annual Marine Debris Derby is set for January 2023.
