Duke Marine Lab’s “Green Wave” Joins In Big Sweep

Contacts: Rhema Bjorkland (rhema.bjorkland@duke.edu)
Tel:  (252) 504-7692
Jeff Moore (jemoore@duke.edu)
Tel:  (252) 504-7653

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 12, 2007

BEAUFORT, N.C. – The Green Wave, a student-led sustainability movement at the Duke University Marine Lab, will clean up sections of downtown Beaufort and Radio Island as their contribution to the North Carolina Big Sweep Coastal Cleanup on October 13th.

The Big Sweep is part of the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup, the “largest one-day volunteer event on behalf of clean oceans and waterways."

PhD students at the Marine Lab founded the Green Wave in 2005 to promote sustainability as a way of life professionally and in the community. The Green Wave members chose downtown Beaufort and Radio Island as their primary cleanup zone in Saturday’s event in recognition of the Duke’s Marine Lab place as part of a wider community.  The marsh areas along Grayden Paul Park and Radio Island beaches are important to the economy, ecology and lifestyle of Beaufort residents and visitors.

Zone Captain and Duke Marine Lab researcher Jeff Moore noted, “The lifeblood of Carteret County is its beautiful coasts and waterways.  Citizens have a responsibility to keep it clean and healthy.  Our oceans are in trouble, but we can turn that around.  Everyone needs to play a part.”

To learn more about The Green Wave, go to www.nicholas.duke.edu/marinelab/students/greenwave.html.

For more information about the Big Sweep, go to www.ncbigsweep.org/ or  www.oceanconservancy.org/icc.

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