There is an estimated 75 to 199 million tons of plastic waste currently in our oceans, with a further 33 billion pounds of plastic entering the marine environment every single year. Surfers Against Sewage, a charity organisation in the UK estimates that the plastic in the oceans is made up of 51 trillion microscopic pieces, which is roughly the same weight as 1,345 adult blue whales. To reduce marine debris by 50 per cent in targeted countries by 2030, organisations are on a fast gear to arrange hundreds of activities to clean the oceans.
We will focus on dive clean-ups which are all about picking up the various types of trash that build underwater in our oceans. According to a report by NASA's Earth Observatory, "about eight million tons of plastic flow from rivers and beaches into the ocean every year". Carried by ocean currents and broken down by waves and sunlight, the microplastics accumulate as huge garbage patches in the calm centers of ocean gyres (rotating ocean currents). The debris not only spreads across the surface of the water but also drops down all the way to the ocean floor, harming the marine ecology in the long run. Every year, various organisations host ocean clean-up dives that you can be a part of. Remember that most of them require you to have a diving certification and experience.
As part of this initiative, you will be gathering vital survey data from dives that marine scientists and decision-makers can use to advance conservation efforts. You can contribute to the world's largest underwater database and aid in keeping local marine habitats free of trash. This is most likely the biggest underwater citizen science initiative ever.
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An international alliance to combat ocean plastic pollution has been announced by The Ocean Cleanup, PADI® (Professional Association of Diving Instructors®), and PADI AWARE Foundation. Through the use of citizen science research, the organisations will work together to organise individuals at the local level to take action with a global impact. The collaborative effort combines The Ocean Cleanup's cutting-edge technologies with the enthusiasm of the worldwide diving community to gather data that will be used to inform ocean-friendly waste management policy in various nations.
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Join PADI dive shops worldwide for AWARE Week between 16-24 September, and participate in the 6th Annual AWARE Week, promoting ocean conservation through local actions with global impact. This year's event, in partnership with Blancpain, the founding partner of the PADI Blueprint for Ocean Action and the Adopt the Blue™ MPA program, encourages the global dive community to engage in conservation activities and courses. The annual event is held to create positive ocean change through fins-on, fins-off conservation actions, courses and event participation. It advances the PADI Blueprint for Ocean Action, charting a decade of ocean conservation action in alignment with the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.
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Adopt the Blue is known to be the world's largest network of underwater sites for conservation action. It establishes new marine protected areas (MPAs) around the globe, with the goal to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030.
More info here.
Find an eco event happening near you here