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Cleaning up the Gulf of Mexico: Local Collier agencies clean up the Santa Lucia Reef

Divers hoist netting and other garbage collected up to Capt. Brandon Lawson of Solo Lobo Charters on Wednesday during the cleanup of Santa Lucia artificial reef. The Collier County Sea Grant Extension Program and Coastal Zone Management Department organized the underwater cleanup at the Santa Lucia artificial reef in partnership with the City of Naples Natural Resource Department, Collier County Sheriff's Office, Isles of Capri Fire Control and Rescue District dive team and Captain Eric Alexander of Solo Lobo Charters. Eric Strachan/Staff

Divers hoist netting and other garbage collected up to Capt. Brandon Lawson of Solo Lobo Charters on Wednesday during the cleanup of Santa Lucia artificial reef. The Collier County Sea Grant Extension Program and Coastal Zone Management Department organized the underwater cleanup at the Santa Lucia artificial reef in partnership with the City of Naples Natural Resource Department, Collier County Sheriff's Office, Isles of Capri Fire Control and Rescue District dive team and Captain Eric Alexander of Solo Lobo Charters. Eric Strachan/Staff

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  • Capt. Brandon Lawson pilots the Solo Lobo Wednesday morning heading out to the cleanup of the Santa Lucia artificial reef. The Collier County Sea Grant Extension Program and Coastal Zone Management Department conducted the underwater cleanup in partnership with the City of Naples Natural Resource Department, Collier County Sheriff's Office, Isles of Capri Fire Control and Rescue District dive team and Captain Eric Alexander of Solo Lobo Charters. The Santa Lucia Reef is one of Collier County's most heavily fished artificial reefs because of its proximity to the coast and the abundance of fish species that visit the site. Also pictured is Chris D'Arco, environmental specialist with Collier County, Bill Quinsey, beach patrol officer with the City of Naples and Katie Laakkonen, environmental specialist with the City of Naples. Eric Strachan/Staff
  • Bill Quinsey, beach patrol officer with the City of Naples, readies his gear in preparation to dive the Santa Lucia artificial reef. The reef sits 25 feet below the water north of Gordon Pass. The reef is comprised of a 46-foot long concrete boat surrounded with concrete pilings. Eric Strachan/Staff
  • Divers hoist netting and other garbage collected up to Capt. Brandon Lawson of Solo Lobo Charters on Wednesday during the cleanup of Santa Lucia artificial reef. The Collier County Sea Grant Extension Program and Coastal Zone Management Department organized the underwater cleanup at the Santa Lucia artificial reef in partnership with the City of Naples Natural Resource Department, Collier County Sheriff's Office, Isles of Capri Fire Control and Rescue District dive team and Captain Eric Alexander of Solo Lobo Charters. Eric Strachan/Staff
  • A sheepshead feeds on the Santa Lucia artificial reef during Wednesday's cleanup of the popular reef. The Collier County Sea Grant Extension Program and Coastal Zone Management Department conducted the underwater cleanup in partnership with the City of Naples Natural Resource Department, Collier County Sheriff's Office, Isles of Capri Fire Control and Rescue District dive team and Captain Eric Alexander of Solo Lobo Charters. Eric Strachan/Staff
  • Divers from the City of Naples Natural Resource Department, Collier County Sheriff's Office, Isles of Capri Fire Control and Rescue District dive team get clean-up bags Wednesday during the Santa Lucia Reef cleanup. The reef is about 2 miles west of Gordon Pass in Naples and is comprised of a 46-foot long concrete boat surrounded with concrete pilings. Eric Strachan/Staff
  • Divers use a basket and inflatable lift bag to hoist collected debris off Santa Lucia artificial reef on Wednesday. The Collier County Sea Grant Extension Program and Coastal Zone Management Department conducted the underwater cleanup at the reef, one of Collier County's most heavily fished artificial reefs because of its proximity to the coast and the abundance of fish species that visit the site. The reef sits 25 feet below the water west of Gordon Pass and is comprised of a 46-foot long concrete boat surrounded with concrete pilings. Eric Strachan/Staff
  • Capt. Brandon Lawson of Solo Lobo Charters secures debris and a lift bag aboard the boat after it was handed up by divers during the cleanup of Santa Lucia artificial reef on Wednesday. The Collier County Sea Grant Extension Program and Coastal Zone Management Department organized the underwater cleanup at the Santa Lucia artificial reef in partnership with the City of Naples Natural Resource Department, Collier County Sheriff's Office, Isles of Capri Fire Control and Rescue District dive team and Captain Eric Alexander of Solo Lobo Charters. Eric Strachan/Staff
  • Capt. Brandon Lawson of Solo Lobo Charters offloads some of the garbage collected by divers on Wednesday at the Santa Lucia artificial reef to a Collier County Sheriff's Office vessel, which also participated in the cleanup. Eric Strachan/Staff
  • Lift bags used during Wednesday's cleanup of Santa Lucia Reef displayed this label, shown here as a diver rests in a piling while clearing debris. Santa Lucia reef, about 2 miles west of Gordon Pass in Naples, is comprised of a 46-foot long concrete boat surrounded with concrete pilings. Eric Strachan/Staff
  • In this archived photo, a wide variety of fish, including these spadefish inhabit Santa Lucia Reef, one of Collier County's most heavily fished artificial reefs because of its proximity to the coast. The reef sits 25 feet below the water west of Gordon Pass. Eric Strachan/Staff
  • A diver places fishing line and hook into a collection basket during Wednesday's cleanup.Santa Lucia artificial reef sits 25 feet below the water west of Gordon Pass. The reef is comprised of a 46-foot long concrete boat surrounded with concrete pilings. Eric Strachan/Staff
  • Collier County Sea Grant Agent Bryan Fluech finds a discarded fishing pole, and winds the line while cleaning up Santa Lucia artificial reef. on Wednesday. The Collier County Sea Grant Extension Program and Coastal Zone Management Department conducted the underwater cleanup at the reef in partnership with the City of Naples Natural Resource Department, Collier County Sheriff's Office, Isles of Capri Fire Control and Rescue District dive team and Captain Eric Alexander of Solo Lobo Charters. Eric Strachan/Staff
  • Divers place netting and debris into buckets attached to inflatable lift bags during Wednesday's cleanup. The Santa Lucia Reef is one of Collier County's most heavily fished artificial reefs because of its proximity to the coast and the abundance of fish species that visit the site. The reef sits 25 feet below the water north of Gordon Pass. Eric Strachan/Staff
  • A diver works to free netting from the Santa Lucia Reef on Wednesday. The Santa Lucia Reef is one of Collier County's most heavily fished artificial reefs because of its proximity to the coast and the abundance of fish species that visit the site. Eric Strachan/Staff
  • Netting and lures rest on the Santa Lucia Reef as Wednesday's cleanup begins, which was done in partnership with the City of Naples Natural Resource Department, Collier County Sheriff's Office, Isles of Capri Fire Control and Rescue District dive team and Captain Eric Alexander of Solo Lobo Charters. Eric Strachan/Staff
  • The Isles of Capri Fire Control boat heads for home following Wednesday's cleanup. The Collier County Sea Grant Extension Program and Coastal Zone Management Department conducted the underwater cleanup at Santa Lucia artificial reef, which sits in 25 feet below the water about two miles west of Gordon Pass. The cleanup was conducted in partnership with the City of Naples Natural Resource Department, Collier County Sheriff's Office, Isles of Capri Fire Control and Rescue District dive team and Captain Eric Alexander of Solo Lobo Charters. Eric Strachan/Staff
  • Chris D'Arco, an environmental specialist with Collier County, hoists a basket with garbage collected Wednesday during an underwater cleanup at the Santa Lucia artificial reef. Also pictured is Capt. Brandon Lawson of Solo Lobo charters, Katie Laakkonen, environmental specialist with the City of Naples and Bill Quinsey, beach patrol officer with the City of Naples, all of whom participated in the cleanup. Eric Strachan/Staff

On August 19, the Collier County Sea Grant Extension Program and Coastal Zone Management Department conducted an underwater cleanup at the Santa Lucia artificial reef. Eliminating discarded materials and debris ensures artificial reefs are safe and do not contain materials left behind by recreationists that could be harmful to sea life.

The Santa Lucia Reef is one of Collier County’s most heavily fished artificial reefs because of its proximity to the coast and the abundance of fish species that visit the site. The reef sits 25 feet below the water north of Gordon Pass. The reef is comprised of a 46-foot long concrete boat surrounded with concrete pilings.

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