SUZUKI MICRO-PLASTICS FILTER DEVICE INSTALLED ON BUSY TAMPA WATER TAXI AS PART OF CONTINUED TESTING
Tampa, FL (June 1, 2021) — Suzuki Marine USA, LLC is pleased to report that the company is proceeding with testing of its innovative Micro-Plastics Filter Device developed exclusively for use on outboard motors. This one-of-a-kind system integrates with the engine’s cooling system, allowing a specially designed filter screen to collect micro-plastic pollution as owners drive their boats.
Suzuki is testing this device on boats around the world, with an eye towards making boaters part of the solution to the global challenge of micro-plastics pollution. As Suzuki Marine has made Florida its new home base — with a new U.S. Technical Center in Panama City and new corporate headquarters in Tampa — the company is especially motivated to test this new technology in Florida’s coastal waters.
For a while now, Suzuki has been running boats equipped with the micro-plastics filter in the waters around its test center. However, the company recently announced a new installation of the system on one of the busy water taxi vessels commonly seen shuttling residents and visitors around downtown Tampa’s top sights.
Suzuki Marine’s team recently installed the filter aboard Latitude Lindsey, one of a fleet of vessels operated by Pirate Water Taxi. This 38-foot commercial passenger vessel is powered by twin Suzuki DF140A outboards, making it an ideal test platform for the new device. How this vessel is used will be even more important to quantifying the results Suzuki will get from this new filter device. As a popular “hop-on, hop-off” taxi capable of ferrying up to 36 passengers and crew, Latitude Lindsey is running practically non-stop from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
According to Pirate Water Taxi, the company typically puts about 3,000 operating hours per year on each of its outboard motors — far beyond the usage of typical recreational boaters. This extensive time on the water will provide Suzuki with excellent insight and data on how the new filter performs in collecting tiny micro-plastic particles and other pollution, recommended cleaning intervals, long- term durability, and more.
“Protecting the aquatic environment has always been important to Suzuki Marine,” said George “Gus” Blakely, Executive Vice President, Sales and Service. “As avid boaters and fishermen, we know that healthy marine ecosystems, clean water and robust fish populations are key to enjoying the outdoor recreational activities we all love. Micro-plastic pollution is harmful to fish, turtles, birds and other life, and it is particularly hard to collect because it is tiny — smaller than 5mm as defined by N.O.A.A.,”
“We are eager to do our part to help battle this problem across Florida and around the world, and are moving ever closer to making owners/operators of Suzuki outboards part of our global ‘Clean Ocean Project’,” added Blakely.
Suzuki’s innovative micro-plastics filter is designed to integrate with the outboard motor’s cooling system, allowing a specially engineered filter screen to collect this pollution as owners drive their boats. The system is designed so that the filter element can be cleaned of debris as needed and re-used, with a built-in bypass that will prevent a clogged filter from ever causing engine performance or overheating issues. Suzuki has engineered this device to be easily installed under then engine cowl, effortless to use and easy to clean and maintain for boaters.
To learn more about Suzuki Marine’s Clean Oceans Project initiatives, or its full line of clean-running 4-stroke outboard motors from 2.5 to 350 horsepower, please call (813) 687-7200 or visit www.suzukimarine.com.
