City of Pacific Grove one of first “Ocean Heroes” recognized by Aquarium

The Monterey Bay Aquarium launched a campaign honoring groups and individuals for their work keeping the ocean clean.

Recognition of their work will spread through a variety of pieces which will run on radio, web, TV, movie theaters and on the side of local MST buses.

It’s a first for the aquarium and the first batch includes 6 groups and individuals.

The first is a high school student out of San Juan Bautista. Shelby O’Neil created a “No Straw November” campaign and has earned national exposure for her efforts.

Second up is a 5th grade teacher out of Carmel River Elementary School. Niccole Tiffany pushed for her city council to require restaurants to stop using single-use straws and utensils. Carmel-by-the-Sea’s City Council members would ultimately implement the law which took effect in the spring of 2018.

Third is Santa Cruz County supervisor Bruce McPherson for helping bring carbon-free power to homes and businesses.

The Gonzalez Youth Council is the fourth up after taking action to implement the efforts of No Straw November to their area.

Soerke Peters is fifth for pushing for green eateries in the Monterey Bay area.

Next is the City of Pacific Grove after having put in millions of dollars to prioritize preventing stormwater runoff and pollutants from entering the Monterey Bay.

The city has a water treatment system which diverts stormwater runoff. They also have a “Continuous Deflection System” which essentially acts as a filter for any debris attempting to enter the Monterey Bay.

Crew members with Public Works then come by once the storms are all through to dispose of anything caught up in that filter.

“Pollutants created and generated on land may or may not flow in the water, but they stay in the system,” says Milas Smith–the Environmental Programs Manager with the City of Pacific Grove. “It’s vital to reduce or eliminate those for the betterment of the community and earth at large. So the sooner you can realize that as a young person, the better.”

The City of Pacific Grove wanted to implement this system because a few years back Lover’s Point was considered a problem in terms of its cleanliness but has since improved.

Systems are in place to keep the Monterey Bay clean from Lover’s Point to the Aquarium however the city hopes to expand on that in the future.

For more on the Ocean Heroes showcased by the Monterey Bay Aquarium you can visit their website by clicking here