Members of the Army’s 74th Engineer Dive Detachment work off a Juneau Harbormaster boat to retrieve lost crab pots in Gastineau Channel for the Douglas Indian Association/NOAA Marine Debris Project on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. The project aims to identify and remove derelict crab pots and their continued negative impact on wildlife and the environment. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Members of the Army’s 74th Engineer Dive Detachment work off a Juneau Harbormaster boat to retrieve lost crab pots in Gastineau Channel for the Douglas Indian Association/NOAA Marine Debris Project on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. The project aims to identify and remove derelict crab pots and their continued negative impact on wildlife and the environment. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Diving for Crab Pots: US Army dive team helps clean up Gastineau Channel

Photos and video.

Members of the Army’s 74th Engineer Dive Detachment work off a Juneau Harbormaster boat to retrieve lost crab pots in Gastineau Channel for the Douglas Indian Association/NOAA Marine Debris Project on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. The project’s aim is to identify and remove derelict crab pots and their continued negative impact on wildlife and the environment.


• Contact staff photographer Michael Penn at 523-2262 and mpenn@juneauempire.com. Follow our Instagram at @Juneau.Life.


Members of the Army’s 74th Engineer Dive Detachment work off a Juneau Harbormaster boat to retrieve lost crab pots in Gastineau Channel for the Douglas Indian Association/NOAA Marine Debris Project on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. The project aims to identify and remove derelict crab pots and their continued negative impact on wildlife and the environment. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Members of the Army’s 74th Engineer Dive Detachment work off a Juneau Harbormaster boat to retrieve lost crab pots in Gastineau Channel for the Douglas Indian Association/NOAA Marine Debris Project on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. The project aims to identify and remove derelict crab pots and their continued negative impact on wildlife and the environment. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Members of the Army’s 74th Engineer Dive Detachment work off a Juneau Harbormaster boat to retrieve lost crab pots in Gastineau Channel for the Douglas Indian Association/NOAA Marine Debris Project on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. The project aims to identify and remove derelict crab pots and their continued negative impact on wildlife and the environment. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Members of the Army’s 74th Engineer Dive Detachment work off a Juneau Harbormaster boat to retrieve lost crab pots in Gastineau Channel for the Douglas Indian Association/NOAA Marine Debris Project on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. The project aims to identify and remove derelict crab pots and their continued negative impact on wildlife and the environment. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Members of the Army’s 74th Engineer Dive Detachment work off a Juneau Harbormaster boat to retrieve lost crab pots in Gastineau Channel for the Douglas Indian Association/NOAA Marine Debris Project on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. The project aims to identify and remove derelict crab pots and their continued negative impact on wildlife and the environment. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Members of the Army’s 74th Engineer Dive Detachment work off a Juneau Harbormaster boat to retrieve lost crab pots in Gastineau Channel for the Douglas Indian Association/NOAA Marine Debris Project on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. The project aims to identify and remove derelict crab pots and their continued negative impact on wildlife and the environment. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Members of the Army’s 74th Engineer Dive Detachment work off a Juneau Harbormaster boat to retrieve lost crab pots in Gastineau Channel for the Douglas Indian Association/NOAA Marine Debris Project on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. The project aims to identify and remove derelict crab pots and their continued negative impact on wildlife and the environment. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Members of the Army’s 74th Engineer Dive Detachment work off a Juneau Harbormaster boat to retrieve lost crab pots in Gastineau Channel for the Douglas Indian Association/NOAA Marine Debris Project on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. The project aims to identify and remove derelict crab pots and their continued negative impact on wildlife and the environment. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Members of the Army’s 74th Engineer Dive Detachment work off a Juneau Harbormaster boat to retrieve lost crab pots in Gastineau Channel for the Douglas Indian Association/NOAA Marine Debris Project on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. The project aims to identify and remove derelict crab pots and their continued negative impact on wildlife and the environment. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Members of the Army’s 74th Engineer Dive Detachment work off a Juneau Harbormaster boat to retrieve lost crab pots in Gastineau Channel for the Douglas Indian Association/NOAA Marine Debris Project on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. The project aims to identify and remove derelict crab pots and their continued negative impact on wildlife and the environment. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Members of the Army’s 74th Engineer Dive Detachment work off a Juneau Harbormaster boat to retrieve lost crab pots in Gastineau Channel for the Douglas Indian Association/NOAA Marine Debris Project on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. The project aims to identify and remove derelict crab pots and their continued negative impact on wildlife and the environment. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Members of the Army’s 74th Engineer Dive Detachment work off a Juneau Harbormaster boat to retrieve lost crab pots in Gastineau Channel for the Douglas Indian Association/NOAA Marine Debris Project on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. The project aims to identify and remove derelict crab pots and their continued negative impact on wildlife and the environment. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Members of the Army’s 74th Engineer Dive Detachment work off a Juneau Harbormaster boat to retrieve lost crab pots in Gastineau Channel for the Douglas Indian Association/NOAA Marine Debris Project on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. The project aims to identify and remove derelict crab pots and their continued negative impact on wildlife and the environment. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Members of the Army’s 74th Engineer Dive Detachment work off a Juneau Harbormaster boat to retrieve lost crab pots in Gastineau Channel for the Douglas Indian Association/NOAA Marine Debris Project on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. The project aims to identify and remove derelict crab pots and their continued negative impact on wildlife and the environment. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Spc. James Lewis, center, steps off the bow of a Juneau Harbormaster’s boat as members of the Army’s 74th Engineer Dive Detachment work to retrieve lost crab pots in Gastineau Channel for the Douglas Indian Association/NOAA Marine Debris Project on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. The project aims to identify and remove derelict crab pots and their continued negative impact on wildlife and the environment. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Spc. James Lewis, center, steps off the bow of a Juneau Harbormaster’s boat as members of the Army’s 74th Engineer Dive Detachment work to retrieve lost crab pots in Gastineau Channel for the Douglas Indian Association/NOAA Marine Debris Project on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. The project aims to identify and remove derelict crab pots and their continued negative impact on wildlife and the environment. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Members of the Army’s 74th Engineer Dive Detachment work off a Juneau Harbormaster boat to retrieve lost crab pots in Gastineau Channel for the Douglas Indian Association/NOAA Marine Debris Project on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. The project aims to identify and remove derelict crab pots and their continued negative impact on wildlife and the environment. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Members of the Army’s 74th Engineer Dive Detachment work off a Juneau Harbormaster boat to retrieve lost crab pots in Gastineau Channel for the Douglas Indian Association/NOAA Marine Debris Project on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. The project aims to identify and remove derelict crab pots and their continued negative impact on wildlife and the environment. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Kamal Lindoff, right, and Bernadine DeAsis store an old crab pot as members of the Army’s 74th Engineer Dive Detachment work off a Juneau Harbormaster boat to retrieve lost crab pots in Gastineau Channel for the Douglas Indian Association/NOAA Marine Debris Project on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. The project aims to identify and remove derelict crab pots and their continued negative impact on wildlife and the environment. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Kamal Lindoff, right, and Bernadine DeAsis store an old crab pot as members of the Army’s 74th Engineer Dive Detachment work off a Juneau Harbormaster boat to retrieve lost crab pots in Gastineau Channel for the Douglas Indian Association/NOAA Marine Debris Project on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. The project aims to identify and remove derelict crab pots and their continued negative impact on wildlife and the environment. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Members of the Army’s 74th Engineer Dive Detachment work off a Juneau Harbormaster boat to retrieve lost crab pots in Gastineau Channel for the Douglas Indian Association/NOAA Marine Debris Project on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. The project aims to identify and remove derelict crab pots and their continued negative impact on wildlife and the environment. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Members of the Army’s 74th Engineer Dive Detachment work off a Juneau Harbormaster boat to retrieve lost crab pots in Gastineau Channel for the Douglas Indian Association/NOAA Marine Debris Project on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. The project aims to identify and remove derelict crab pots and their continued negative impact on wildlife and the environment. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Members of the Army’s 74th Engineer Dive Detachment work off a Juneau Harbormaster boat to pull up a lost commercial crab pot in Gastineau Channel for the Douglas Indian Association/NOAA Marine Debris Project on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. The project aims to identify and remove derelict crab pots and their continued negative impact on wildlife and the environment. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Members of the Army’s 74th Engineer Dive Detachment work off a Juneau Harbormaster boat to pull up a lost commercial crab pot in Gastineau Channel for the Douglas Indian Association/NOAA Marine Debris Project on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. The project aims to identify and remove derelict crab pots and their continued negative impact on wildlife and the environment. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Members of the Army’s 74th Engineer Dive Detachment work off a Juneau Harbormaster boat to pull up a lost commercial crab pot in Gastineau Channel for the Douglas Indian Association/NOAA Marine Debris Project on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. The project aims to identify and remove derelict crab pots and their continued negative impact on wildlife and the environment. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Members of the Army’s 74th Engineer Dive Detachment work off a Juneau Harbormaster boat to pull up a lost commercial crab pot in Gastineau Channel for the Douglas Indian Association/NOAA Marine Debris Project on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. The project aims to identify and remove derelict crab pots and their continued negative impact on wildlife and the environment. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Members of the Army’s 74th Engineer Dive Detachment work off a Juneau Harbormaster boat to retrieve lost crab pots in Gastineau Channel for the Douglas Indian Association/NOAA Marine Debris Project on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. The project aims to identify and remove derelict crab pots and their continued negative impact on wildlife and the environment. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Members of the Army’s 74th Engineer Dive Detachment work off a Juneau Harbormaster boat to retrieve lost crab pots in Gastineau Channel for the Douglas Indian Association/NOAA Marine Debris Project on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. The project aims to identify and remove derelict crab pots and their continued negative impact on wildlife and the environment. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Members of the Army’s 74th Engineer Dive Detachment work off a Juneau Harbormaster boat to retrieve lost crab pots in Gastineau Channel for the Douglas Indian Association/NOAA Marine Debris Project on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. The project aims to identify and remove derelict crab pots and their continued negative impact on wildlife and the environment. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Members of the Army’s 74th Engineer Dive Detachment work off a Juneau Harbormaster boat to retrieve lost crab pots in Gastineau Channel for the Douglas Indian Association/NOAA Marine Debris Project on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. The project aims to identify and remove derelict crab pots and their continued negative impact on wildlife and the environment. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Members of the Army’s 74th Engineer Dive Detachment work off a Juneau Harbormaster boat to retrieve lost crab pots in Gastineau Channel for the Douglas Indian Association/NOAA Marine Debris Project on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. The project aims to identify and remove derelict crab pots and their continued negative impact on wildlife and the environment. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Members of the Army’s 74th Engineer Dive Detachment work off a Juneau Harbormaster boat to retrieve lost crab pots in Gastineau Channel for the Douglas Indian Association/NOAA Marine Debris Project on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. The project aims to identify and remove derelict crab pots and their continued negative impact on wildlife and the environment. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Members of the Army’s 74th Engineer Dive Detachment work off a Juneau Harbormaster boat to retrieve lost crab pots in Gastineau Channel for the Douglas Indian Association/NOAA Marine Debris Project on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. The project aims to identify and remove derelict crab pots and their continued negative impact on wildlife and the environment. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Members of the Army’s 74th Engineer Dive Detachment work off a Juneau Harbormaster boat to retrieve lost crab pots in Gastineau Channel for the Douglas Indian Association/NOAA Marine Debris Project on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. The project aims to identify and remove derelict crab pots and their continued negative impact on wildlife and the environment. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Spc. James Lewis, center, is helped out of his diving gear by teammates of the Army’s 74th Engineer Dive Detachment after retrieving a lost crab pots in 100 feet of water in Gastineau Channel for the Douglas Indian Association/NOAA Marine Debris Project on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. The project aims to identify and remove derelict crab pots and their continued negative impact on wildlife and the environment. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Spc. James Lewis, center, is helped out of his diving gear by teammates of the Army’s 74th Engineer Dive Detachment after retrieving a lost crab pots in 100 feet of water in Gastineau Channel for the Douglas Indian Association/NOAA Marine Debris Project on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. The project aims to identify and remove derelict crab pots and their continued negative impact on wildlife and the environment. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Members of the Army’s 74th Engineer Dive Detachment work off a Juneau Harbormaster boat to retrieve lost crab pots in Gastineau Channel for the Douglas Indian Association/NOAA Marine Debris Project on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. The project aims to identify and remove derelict crab pots and their continued negative impact on wildlife and the environment. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Members of the Army’s 74th Engineer Dive Detachment work off a Juneau Harbormaster boat to retrieve lost crab pots in Gastineau Channel for the Douglas Indian Association/NOAA Marine Debris Project on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. The project aims to identify and remove derelict crab pots and their continued negative impact on wildlife and the environment. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Members of the Army’s 74th Engineer Dive Detachment work off a Juneau Harbormaster boat to retrieve lost crab pots in Gastineau Channel for the Douglas Indian Association/NOAA Marine Debris Project on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. The project aims to identify and remove derelict crab pots and their continued negative impact on wildlife and the environment. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Members of the Army’s 74th Engineer Dive Detachment work off a Juneau Harbormaster boat to retrieve lost crab pots in Gastineau Channel for the Douglas Indian Association/NOAA Marine Debris Project on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. The project aims to identify and remove derelict crab pots and their continued negative impact on wildlife and the environment. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

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