A lot of divers feel strongly about the marine-debris issue, and most of us have collected some trash in our BCD pocket during dives. There is a way to make these dives valuable for conservation purposes and to use of this data: The Project AWARE Dive Against Debris specialty
Why would you take this course?
This course has been designed for all certified divers, so if you are already an open water diver (or equivalent) or above and aged 12 years old, you can enroll in this course.
This specialty goes over the problems created by marine debris in our environment, and the challenges it creates. During the course you will learn how to conduct a debris survey dive and how to report your data. This is a good way to contribute to a worldwide citizen-science program.
What is involved?
The course will take you through general information about the issue of marine debris in our environment. Subsequently, you will learn details on how to run a survey dive. The data collected on these dives is quite important for citizen science and helps Project AWARE compare different areas and analyze what types of debris are creating the worst issues in our environment. The course aims to teach divers a standard method of reporting that data.
You will receive a guide to marine debris, and you will learn how to use the Dive Against Debris data card to report your dive. All this material is freely available on the Project AWARE website.
Where can I take the course?
You can take it anywhere as, unfortunately, you’re likely to find marine debris on nearly every dive site. Some dive shops will have a specific dive site that is appropriate for underwater clean-ups, so the course offers a good way to not only learn about survey dives but also to go out and remove some trash from the ocean.
