More than 80 divers descended beneath the Okaloosa Island Pier on Sunday to participate in the first of two annual cleanup dives, removing nearly 57 pounds of debris from the marine environment.

• The amount collected represents the smallest haul in the event’s history, which organizers say signals the success of ongoing conservation efforts.

“This is the lowest amount of debris we’ve removed from the pier since we started doing these pier cleanups publicly,” said Jessica Valek, Natural Resources Manager. “It shows that our pier cleanup efforts are definitely working.”

Divers traveled from across the southern United States for the April 13 event, including members of the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office and 6th Ranger Training Battalion.

In just two and a half hours, participants collected 56.82 pounds of debris, consisting primarily of fishing tackle, lead weights, bait containers and miscellaneous trash.

• “Marine life runs a huge risk of getting caught in excess line,” Valek explained. “When a fisherman gets wrapped up around a pier piling and they have to cut their line, that line is just dangling in the water. Any sort of marine animal — dolphins, fish, sea turtles — swimming around the pier has a higher chance of getting wrapped up in it.”

The cleanup represents a collaboration between multiple organizations, including the Okaloosa Island Pier, Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park, Okaloosa County Natural Resources, Okaloosa County Beach Safety, and Zookeeper Containment Units, which provided specialized collection containers for the event.

Cory Mitrenga from the Gulfarium served as divemaster and conducted the safety briefing for participants.

“This whole process started with ten divers, and it has evolved into an event that benefits our marine life and the dive community,” noted Eric Brown, Pier Manager.

The biannual event offers a rare opportunity for divers to explore an area that is typically off-limits for scuba diving.

• “People enjoy doing it because they are helping protect our environment, but they also get to dive something that no one ever really gets to dive,” Valek said. “We get to do this twice a year and that’s it. Other than that, the pier is off-limits for scuba diving.”

A second cleanup dive will be scheduled for late summer or early fall, with dates to be announced closer to the event.

For those interested in participating in other conservation efforts, an Earth Day beach cleanup is scheduled for Saturday, April 19.