Four members of Azraq, a volunteer-run, not-for-profit entity in the UAE, have cleared almost 138kg of waste from the seabed around Lulu Island. Much of the debris was plastic water bottles and fishing materials.

A long history of beach clean-ups, Azraq relies on partners and this time had the support of The Captain’s Club, which provided a boat and captain for the day. As well as the ocean clean-ups, Azraq now plans to expand on its coral reef survey program in Abu Dhabi, with an eye on Dubai next.

Founder of Azraq, Natalie Banks, said: “There is a great deal of debris on the seafloor which I see regularly as a scuba diving instructor, and in order to conserve and protect our local waterways, we need to not only look at stopping the debris from entering the waterways but assist to remove what is already there."

Organising the removal of debris from the seabed requires a great deal of organisation and logistics.

Natalie explained the clean-ups are being carried out by approved members of the trained organisation and anyone interested in joining Azraq can send an email to admin@azraqme.org