ADOPT A DIVE SITE LAUNCHES On Earth Day, 22 April 2016, Project AWARE announced its latest initiative supporting the fight against marine debris: Adopt a Dive Site. Harnessing the unique underwater skill set of the scuba diving community, Adopt a Dive Site empowers diving leaders around the globe – including dive instructors, dive centers and resorts – to engage in ongoing, local protection of our underwater playgrounds. Seated within Dive Against Debris, Adopt a Dive Site is tailored to our most dedicated volunteers. Participants commit to conduct monthly Dive Against Debris surveys at their adopted site and implement on-the-ground waste reduction and waste management actions within their dive center and community. More than 220 dive sites have been adopted so far through Adopt a Dive Site, with over 1500 participants from more than 50 different countries across the globe removing and reporting over 65,000 pieces of marine debris. This widespread increase in commitment to Dive Against Debris not only makes an immediate positive impact in local ocean environments, the growing data set from marine debris surveys will help identify items of local concern and provide insight to temporal changes in types and quantities of debris in specific locations.
Project AWARE 2016 Annual Report | 12 ®