In New York City, scuba divers’ passion for the sport becomes a mission to collect undersea litter

By BOBBY CAINA CALVAN and TED SHAFFREY
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — A small diving group in New York City is trying to do its part in undoing the pollution threatening the oceans and aquatic wildlife. Plastic bottles, candy wrappers and miles and miles of fishing line drift with the tides, mucking up the scenery just yards from one city beach in Queens. The threat has risen as people have become more reliant on single-use plastics for the sake of convenience. By some estimates, 250 million tons of plastic will have found their way into the world’s oceans by 2025. Organizers say the New York group’s haul of trash during beach cleanups isn’t always impressive, but it eventually all adds up.