Scuba divers clean up Harford Pier for aquarium event

Tires. Tape measures. A safety cone.

All of these — and more — were among the trash and discarded items that about 40 volunteer scuba divers picked up from below the Harford Pier in Avila Beach on Saturday as part of the Central Coast Aquarium’s annual cleanup efforts.

“A lot of stuff goes off the pier: phones, tools, equipment, tires, rebar — all sorts of things are down there,” Central Coast Aquarium manager Taylor Bodine said. After collecting the trash, the aquarium disposed of it.

Bodine said Monday that the group collected roughly 300 pounds of trash that day, including tape measures, a construction cone, about seven tires, glass bottles, dishes, plastic bags and even some PVC pipes with octopuses in them. (Bodine noted that the octopuses were returned to the ocean so they could find new homes.)

The cleanup efforts aren’t over.

The aquarium will host a beach, estuary and trail cleanup April 30 that will not involve scuba diving.

For that event, a marine life festival featuring seven educational and wildlife organizations will be held from 9:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the aquarium’s front lawn. At noon, participants will enjoy a thank-you barbecue hosted by the San Luis Obispo Fire Department. In addition, there will be live music and activities for kids throughout the day. All cleanup participants also will receive half-off, same-day aquarium admission.

For more information, visit www.centralcoastaquarium.com.

This story was originally published April 18, 2016 at 8:32 PM with the headline "Scuba divers clean up Harford Pier for aquarium event."