Oil precautions taken on PBC beaches

May 17, 2010 11:57 p.m.

PALM BEACH, FL -- - William Djubin considers the beach a second home and now he is working to protect it.

"It's kind of like a hurricane or a tornado was coming to your house. You'd want to take the photos before hand so when you got to the insurance adjuster you could say, 'this is what I had and this is what we don't have now.' "

But he's not just taking photos, he's getting exact documentation.

He's using the GPS on his phone, a tape measure and a camera to inventory coral reefs, mangroves and sea grass allowing him to show where they are and the condition they're in.

Djubin says if the oil makes its way to our area the information will then be put to vital use by global environmental managers who will be able to see the impact the oil has on the ecosystem.

Djubin and volunteers with his organization, Ocean Rehab Initiative, took a documentation expedition to the keys last weekend and plan to do the same this week at Gumbo Limbo.

He stresses, for the effort to truly succeed, it will also take volunteers doing this type of documentation on their own.

"We've got something you can do right now. You can make an impact right now."

And volunteers say it is worth the effort.

"Let us use this to help the generations that are coming right behind us," one says.

To find out how to help contact Ocean Rehab Initiative at 561-308-8848 or visit www.oceanrehab.org.

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