TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Tampa students from Robinson High School and Lanier Elementary School are sending a meaningful message through art — and it's all made from local beach trash.
The project aims to raise awareness and address the issues with trash in the waterways and along Tampa Bay area beaches.
The Florida Aquarium, with a grant from the Gulf of Mexico Alliance, gave students the experience to create artwork, called "Marine Debris Awareness and Outreach," using trash picked up from the beaches.
Over the school year, the students participated in four beach cleanups, gathering polluted items in the local area. Then they would clean and sanitize the trash to create art, which showcased "the potential for beauty amid environmental devastation."
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In total, 3,000 pieces of trash were sorted, weighing more than 250 pounds.
"Participating in this initiative has been eye-opening,” Audrey Coleman, a 10th-grade student at Robinson High School said. “Seeing the reduction in trash at our local beaches and witnessing the excitement of younger students getting involved has been truly inspiring. It's a reminder that while the artwork we've created is beautiful, the underlying issue of marine debris is an ugly reality."
The students' art pieces are available to view on the second floor at The Florida Aquarium, towards the entrance of the Coral Reef gallery. The art will be up through World Oceans Day on June 8.
