Eco Surfin' Safari
Two avid surfers have set sail on a two-week expedition in a 22-foot, all-electric boat down the Californian and Mexican coasts. Their mission: Survey the health of the Southern California’s ocean waters and raise awareness about plastics in the sea.
Mark Ward and Billy Dutton will take water samples throughout L.A. County and share them with Heal the Bay. Amanda Griesbach, water quality scientist at Heal the Bay, trained Mark and Billy to analyze and report on water conditions each day.
“Taking these samples helps Heal the Bay because Mark and Billy will be testing the water far from shore,” says Griesbach. “Our monitoring compliance samples are collected close to the shore in ankle-depth water. Mark and Billy will be out where people swim and surf. It’ll be interesting to see if there’s consistency, or if the bacterial pollution in problem areas dilutes that far from shore.”
Mark and Billy will discuss their “Riding Currents” expedition on October 10 at 6 p.m. at the California Yacht Club, 4469 Admiralty Way in Marina Del Rey. Contact: 310.823.4567
Interested in how clean L.A. waters really are? Consult Heal the Bay’s Beach Report Card. Know before you go.