That magical word is the ocean. We should ask ourselves what we can do to preserve the health of the oceans, its marine habitat and the beauty of our reefs.
How can we take ocean action? Project Aware Foundation is a growing movement of scuba divers doing their part each time they descend and you can be a part of that too. Underwater conservation is the mission and having fun while protecting is the goal. It is very easy to take action in your own community and be a pivotal leader in implementing lasting change every time you dive.
Here are just some of the initiatives that can lead to a healthier ocean environment.
Start a Finathon™ Challenge. Similar to being a part of a marathon, a finathon brings diving communities together to raise awareness and funds for a very worthy cause; protecting our vanishing shark species. Project Aware is working to fight to stop shark finning, campaigning for full protection for critically endangered sharks and negotiating stronger policies so that sharks can have a brighter future. You can be a contributor to making that goal a reality. Go to: http://www.projectaware.org/resource/finathon-action-kit and create your own page (individual or as a team) and then take action. Project Aware will help you the entire way through with their Finathon Action Kit.
As we approach World Oceans Day on June 8th, taking a look at the state of our oceans becomes even more critical. All across the nation and an even larger movement across the world, will do their part to try and make a difference. Underwater clean-ups, beach clean-ups, reef clean-ups, fascinating and educational seminars, ‘paddle out for sharks’ are all projects that top the list of ways to make a difference. The feeling that you will get from doing your part on this most symbolic day is indescribable.
Take on the global fight against marine debris. Trash will destroy the alluring beauty of our oceans as well as it can be harmful to our precious marine life. It is crucial to clean up trash to preserve those eco-systems most at risk. With Project Aware’s Debris action kit, you can begin to make a worthwhile contribution to the initiative. As you lead the clean-up efforts in your own community, gather underwater data that describes the underwater aspect to the growing problem and document underwater impacts of marine debris to ultimately support policy change. Divers are unique in that they experience and see it all first-hand. To really put the problem into perspective, in the last year, debris has been collected by divers that equals the weight of a Boeing 747 or 27,000 aluminum scuba tanks. That is the startling reality of this dilemma that is on a path of destruction.
On a more global scale, Project Aware is drawing divers together to work with local fishing communities to help protect Indonesian Manta Rays and Tiger and Bull Sharks. Marine Action teams are working to create a plastic-free sea turtle habitat and there are even more initiatives that are being discovered every day.
Scuba diving has opened up a world of resplendence that satisfies us again and again and preserving the splendor of the deep is a goal that we should all want to take part in dive after dive.
