Kurt at the helmOcean Defenders Alliance (ODA) fills a huge void in the world of marine conservation by taking on the role of “cleanup crew” for the seas. We don’t just talk about the need for clean oceans—we physically go out and make it happen!
Our Founder, Kurt Lieber, is an avid diver and underwater photographer, and while enjoying recreational dives recognized through his own experiences the need for this important work. Although a mechanical engineer by trade, Kurt’s passion has always been the health of marine wildlife and their habitats. On dives all over the world, he saw human trash and commercial fishing gear that had been discarded…often wrapped around beautiful reefs, trapping and killing helpless marine life in an endless cycle.
The more he learned, the more Kurt felt a compelling urgency to “dive in” and help the ecosystem survive this onslaught of man-made debris and pollution. So, in 2002, he took action and created the nonprofit 501(c)(3) Ocean Defender’s Alliance. Since then, Kurt’s leadership and vision has translated into tangible results for ocean life: hundreds of volunteer divers have removed tons of deadly man-made debris, presentations have helped educate thousands of school children, business/civic groups, and dive club members, and the “Alliance” of concerned citizens and organizations is growing. [To read his personal story, visit our Founder’s page].
While others are talking, ODA is “diving in” to save lives as often as our resources permit.
To date, ODA has completed hundreds of results-oriented excursions, but there is still a lot of work to be done.
|
Date |
Location |
Depth (ft) |
Debris Removed |
|
May 17, 2012 |
Lighthouse, Los Angeles Harbor, San Pedro |
62 |
150 pounds of debris; 200 feet of line |
|
May 10, 2012 |
Lighthouse, Los Angeles Harbor, San Pedro |
62 |
150 pounds debris; 1,000 feet of line |
|
April 2012 |
Lover’s Cove, Catalina Island |
15 |
Survey dive, nothing removed |
|
June 2011 |
Los Coronado Islands |
85 |
900 pounds of debris |
|
June 10-12, 2011 |
Infidel boat wreck, Catalina Island (south end) |
150 |
1,000 pounds of net for all three days |
|
March 2011 |
African Queen boat wreck, Long Beach Harbor entrance |
80 |
300 pounds of net |
|
February 2011 |
Old Marineland platform, Palos Verdes coast |
80 |
250 pounds of net |
Kurt Lieber with Paul Watson, founder of Sea Shepherd
ODA eliminates dangerous man-made debris which pose serious threats to ocean wildlife and habitats.
