Gabella Grande coastal cleanup recovers 50kg of waste

Volunteers and divers participating in the ‘Acqua Azzurra – Fondali e spiagge da proteggere’ project recovered approximately 50 kilograms of waste from the seabed and beach at Gabella Grande, located in the Crotone territory.

The cleanup took place within a Natura 2000 site managed by the Capo Rizzuto Marine Protected Area. The initiative was promoted by Legambiente Calabria APS and funded by the Calabria Region. Divers worked on the seafloor while Legambiente Crotone volunteers, led by president Rosaria Vazzano, focused on the beach to collect debris and raise environmental awareness.

Recovered items included an old cylinder, rusted iron components, metal nets, a trap, a piece of a boat, a carpet, plant pot remains, and umbrella pole parts. A significant amount of plastic was also found. Notably, volunteers observed microplastics mixed with small shells on the beach, highlighting the difficulty of removing highly fragmented plastic pollution that has become integrated into the natural coastal environment.