What's Under the Water?

While I didn’t pull up any unusual finds with Miller and Lyne, we did capture the first of many derelict crab traps that litter the harbor floor. These traps aren’t attached to buoys, and Miller has found as many as 12 in a 50-square-foot. area. We located the first trap using sonar. Miller dragged a heavy-duty tether to the trap with her ROV, and when one end of the tether was hooked on the trap, Lyne used a winch to hoist it up. They carefully navigated the trap around the bow of the boat, and pulled it onto the dock.

After Lyne hosed the muck off the trap, we noticed that it had attracted lots of other trash, like cans and plastic. And, it was collecting marine life—a crab scuttled off from its hiding spot in one of the cans.

The Rozalia Project, launched in 2010, is a non-profit organization funded by a variety of individuals, foundations, and businesses. Named for Miller’s great-grandmother who immigrated to America on the SS Madonna, the Rozalia Project plans to use their technology and expertise to clean the oceans.

While Miller and Lyne are dedicated to this project full-time on the East Coast this summer, it doesn’t take an ROV or an entire summer to make a positive impact on the oceans. Miller explains, “Every little bit helps. Everyone knows if you put your sandwich bag down, it’s going to fly off the boat in any sort of breeze. When you’re out sailing, account for everything.”

You can find out where the Rozalia Project’s headed next at http://www.rozaliaproject.org/