Youth sailor raising awareness for ocean conservation - Sailors for the Sea

Youth sailor raising awareness for ocean conservation

 October 12, 2012  | By: Oceana

Justin is sailing his opti to help raise funds for a bioextraction project.

An Opti sailor from Long Island Sound has garnered our attention with his mission to help protect the waters that he sails. 12 year old Justin Smith from Oyster Bay, NY is sailing across the Long Island Sound solo from Stamford, Connecticut to Oyster Bay, New York to raise money to help clean up the water in the Long Island Sound. He will be making the journey on October 20, 2012 in his eight-foot Optimist sailboat.His goal is to raise “environmental awareness and protection to the local aquatic environment. I thought it would be a great idea to help clean and protect the Long Island Sound, where I go sailing and many other people enjoy many activities, and an entire ecosystem of fish, animals and plants live.”The money he raises will be used, in partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, to support a “bioextraction” project in the Bronx River, whose waters feed the Long Island Sound. This project uses seaweed and ribbed mussels to naturally filter pollution from the water resulting in improvements in water clarity. Water pollution can come from wastewater treatment plants, streets, roofs, sidewalks, lawn chemicals, and even from the air during storms.We are inspired by Justin’s goals to raise awareness for ocean conservation and wish him the best of luck in his sailing across the bay!Click on the folloeing PDF links learn more about Justin’s fundraiser, and make a donation. You can also follow Justin’s campaign on facebook.