| 14 June 2010
Volunteers Celebrating World Ocean Day by cleaning up a section of coastline in Indian River Lagoon.
Thanks to West Marine for Caring about our Coastal Resources
World Ocean's Day Celebrated
About two dozen boaters took advantage of a free t-shirt and garbage bag to take part in the West Marine/Snook Foundation Waterway Clean-up in Melbourne while many more shopped the Melbourne West Marine stores to support the Snook Foundation in a West Marine 'Community Day' aimed at sponsoring worthy projects such as the Angler Action Plan: Snook Watch.
Boaters were asked to pick up any trash they saw while enjoying their day on the water and return the bags to the new West Marine store on U.S. 192 in Melbourne when they were finished.About two dozen jet skiers, boaters and kayakers took part in the event, which was a lead-in to World Ocean’s Day on June 8.
The clean-up involved all ages as children as young as 7- and 8-years old returned from the Intracoastal with bags of trash and plastic they found floating on the waterway.
West Marine store manager Eric Sorrell and Snook Foundation Florida Chair Mike Readling manned the booth at the boat ramp, distributing garbage bags and t-shirts to interested boaters.
During the same week Melbourne West Marine stores held a 'Community Day,' 
Rick Roberts and Dee Kaminski, Kayak Fishing Guide, display a SnookWatch measuring sticker at Melbourne West Marine's Community Day. Dee guides full time on waters of Mosquito Lagoon to Vero Beach, and she is the first woman on the pro staff of Native Watercraft. during which 5% of all sales went to the Snook Foundation. Eric Sorrell, of West Marine, got together with Rick and Linda Roberts at the store to distribute a free Snook Watch kit to customers who target snook. The kit enables anglers to log their catch information online.
With all the environmental anomalies and pressure on the fish this year, this data, provided by recreational anglers, is needed more than ever. Fishery managers will need to make critical decisions about the reopening the season for snook, which were hard hit by the winter freeze.
If oil becomes dispersed in coastal areas where snook spawn it could prevent new generations of snook from hatching or maturing. Anglers who are on the water every week can record their observations to help piece together a more accurate picture of the remaining population's viability.
- More about Snook Watch and the Angler Action Program
The Snook Foundation Thanks West Marine for their support and participation in protecting our Coastal Resources.
