The Boothbay Sea and Science Center (BSSC) and the Ocean Point Marina are pleased to welcome, for the third consecutive summer, the Rozalia Project for a Clean Ocean. Honoring its Commitment to Community, on Thursday, July 16 beginning at 5:30 p.m. at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, BSSC cordially invites you to conversation with the crew of ParleyxRozalia! Parley for the Oceans and Rozalia Project for a Clean Ocean are collaborating for Parley X Rozalia: an expedition for the oceans. The goal of this six-week expedition onboard the American Promise, is to retrieve as much marine debris as possible, with a focus on remote islands and hard-to-reach shorelines in the Gulf of Maine. Following these cleanup initiatives, Parley for the Oceans material innovation partner, Bionic Yarn, will turn reclaimed ocean plastic into textile filament and other high-value products for its network of brand collaborators. 

“Our oceans are under attack from a wide range of threats which we can only counter through collaboration,” said Parley for the Oceans founder, Cyrill Gutsch. “True commitments to eco innovation are the solution. The responsibility lies foremost on the shoulders of the creative industries. We are the ones who can establish a new consumer mindset, invent new materials and products, and create business models that are in sync with the ecosystems of nature.”

Living aboard the record-breaking circumnavigator and greenest sailing research vessel in the world, American Promise, this crew comes from diverse backgrounds from all over the country. BSSC invites you to come and meet recent science graduates from MIT, Seattle University and Prescott College, a life coach/owner of a PR company, longtime marine educator, sustainability director/microplastics expert and Chief Mycologist at a company doing groundbreaking work using mushroom-based products to replace polystyrene.

The presentation promises details of the expedition and information about how the Boothbay Sea and Science Center and the Rozalia Project are working together to educate, through experiential learning activities, local and summering youth and regional communities, to be responsible stewards of the ocean. The event is free and open to the public.

Maine? Ocean trash? The Gulf of Maine is not typically seen as a hotbed of marine debris. The reality, however, is that debris from its sizable fishing industry and personal trash, such as food wrappers, beverage bottles and plastic bags from busy beaches and urban populations cover shorelines throughout this essential habitat and recreation area. Last year, Rozalia Project removed over 3,300 pieces of trash, including 125 plastic water bottles and 85 balloons, from just one remote beach the length of a football field. 

Rozalia Project is a leader in the field of marine debris restoration, prevention through education and solutions-based research, working on the whole water column, surface to seafloor, focused specifically on urban and coastal waters. Rachael Miller, Rozalia Project co-founder and Executive Director founded the organization in memory of her great grandmother. Rachael has extensive experience on and in the sea via sailing, studying underwater archaeology (Brown University), marine mammals and teaching everything from how to pilot ROV’s to designing and running Rozalia Project’s programs.

“While we work to prevent marine debris, there is a lot to cleanup,” Miller said. “Turning the plastics we recover into high value products from respected brands is not only direct action for a clean ocean, but also rallies urban populations to connect with the problem and understand our collective need for a healthy ocean. With 80 percent of all marine debris coming from land, especially areas of concentrated population, we need to connect the physical work of cleanups with amplified communication, creativity and innovation. Our partnership with Parley for the Oceans does just that.”

The Boothbay Sea and Science Center is a nonprofit organization whose mission is the advancement of sailing, boating and ocean sciences by minimizing economic and physical obstacles and further to develop independence, self-confidence, teamwork and volunteerism in the participants. To inspire individuals to strengthen themselves and their community through the enjoyment of the sea.

For more information about the BSSC, please visit their website at www.boothbayseaandsciencecenter.org or visit the Center Monday thru Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Ocean Point Marina in East Boothbay.