This AWARE Week, join the Ocean Torchbearer Community .
The 8th annual AWARE Week is your invitation to be part of something bigger – a global movement of divers and ocean advocates working to protect the underwater world we all love. From 13-21 September, Torchbearers around the world will unite to take action above and below the surface through cleanups, citizen science, education, and advocacy.
This year, we spotlight the launch of the PADI AWARE Conservation Action Portal (CAP), your all-in-one digital hub for marine conservation. Whether you’re submitting underwater survey data, signing a global petition, or discovering Adopt the Blue™ sites, the CAP makes it easier to turn your passion into purpose.
Here are different ways you can get involved this AWARE Week – above and below the surface.
Above the Surface – Take Action
Even if you can’t be underwater, you can still take meaningful action this AWARE Week.
Explore the Conservation Action Portal (CAP)
The Conservation Action Portal is a one-stop shop for conservation action – making it easier than ever for PADI Divers, Professionals, and Dive Centers to contribute meaningful data and engage in conservation directly through the dives you’re already doing. Join conservation campaigns, share your impact and connect with others who care about the aquatic realm as much as you do.
Here are 6 easy ways to get involved in CAP:
- Collect Your Torchbearer Badge.
- Submit citizen science surveys.
- Discover Adopt the Blue sites near you.
- Sign petitions to protect ocean species and habitats.
- Donate to support ocean conservation programs .
- Track your impact.
Take the Ocean Torchbearer Pledge
Whether it’s your first dive or your hundredth, there’s a place for you in the Torchbearer Community. Together, we’re building a healthier blue planet and a more resilient future. We are united by a passion for protecting what we love. Through collective action above and below the surface, we’re creating a healthier ocean for this generation and the next. Ocean Torchbearers have contributed to the largest underwater marine debris database on the planet, advocated for protections for over 104 species of sharks and rays, and have aided over 35,000 entangled marine animals.
Share Your Story and Encourage Others To Act
Actively participating in conservation events and supporting initiatives is invaluable for our oceans, but raising awareness is often one of the most overlooked parts of driving change. As divers and Ocean Torchbearers, we have unique insights into a world that remains hidden for most people. Through our stories and experiences, we can raise awareness about the impact of human activities on the ocean ecosystem.
Let your experiences and stories inspire those around you to make behavioral changes that will benefit their lives and countless others. You can become a powerful catalyst for change by speaking up and sharing your passion by word of mouth, via social media platforms, or as an ocean advocate in the local community.
While changing the mind of 10,000 people seems daunting, 1,000 people changing the minds of 10 people is easily achievable.
Tag @paditv and @padiaware on your social media posts and use the following hashtags to tell us your AWARE Week stories. You might even be featured in our social media posts and celebratory photo albums!
#AWAREWeek #SaveTheOcean #DiveAgainstDebris #AdoptTheBlue #LocalActionGlobalImpact #EveryDiveaSurveyDive
Become a catalyst for change this AWARE Week by telling your story!
Donate To Support Community Action
PADI AWARE Foundation programs are made possible thanks to the generous support of our community. This AWARE Week, consider a donation to PADI AWARE Foundation and help fund PADI AWARE programs and community grantees who are leading the charge in ocean protection. Previous grantees include the first 100% Mozambican-owned Dive Center Maputo Dive Center, who train local students to start a career in marine conservation, and Australian Diving Instruction (ADI), who focus on tackling invasive marine pests through diver training, public education, and citizen science in Port Phillip Bay. Your donation directly empowers ocean-saving initiatives like theirs and the 70+ other projects that have received PADI AWARE Community Grants since the program launched in 2022.
Below the Surface – Get Involved
Divers are invited to take action for the ocean this AWARE Week. Read on for some ideas on how to get involved.
Make Every Dive a Survey Dive
Make every dive a survey dive this AWARE Week. The data submitted from Dive Against Debris dives can be used to create policy change that leads to cleaner seas. All data is important.
Reporting data continuously from your debris site establishes a baseline that shows trends over time. All survey data uploaded via the Conservation Action Portal or the PADI AWARE App strengthens the AWARE global database and supports the PADI Blueprint for Ocean Action, a global effort to protect vulnerable species, address marine debris, restore habitats, and expand marine protected areas.
Download the PADI AWARE App on the Google Play or Apple App Store today to get started.
Join an AWARE Week Event
AWARE Week is a great opportunity to get your fins on and take an active role in the Ocean Torchbearer movement. Contact your local PADI shop or join one of the many PADI Dive Centers or Resorts around the world celebrating AWARE Week this September. Participate in a Dive Against Debris survey by diving or volunteering at the surface to help sort and upload debris.
Contact your local dive shop to see what they have planned or explore the PADI Conservation Activities Locator to find numerous opportunities to create ocean change.
Take an Ocean Conservation Course
Understanding conservation issues enables us to make more informed choices in our daily lives to better protect the ocean.
Take the Dive Against Debris Specialty course and learn how to safely remove marine debris and upload survey data to the AWARE global database. Or discover a variety of other PADI AWARE conservation courses that offer educational opportunities to learn more about key threats facing the marine environment and how you can positively impact ocean health. Take the PADI AWARE Specialty course to learn about key ocean threats and ways to protect it, or the Coral Reef Conservation course which helps you appreciate the complexity of coral reef habitats.
These courses also count toward the elite PADI Master Scuba Diver™ rating and the PADI Master Scuba Diver Challenge. Join the Challenge by filling in the entry form, sharing your passion, and earning entry points by the end of October 2025 to stand the chance of winning a dream dive getaway for two to Fiji!
Whatever your diving experience, your voice counts, and you can make a difference this AWARE Week and year-round. Thank you for being an Ocean Torchbearer™ and creating ocean change to protect and preserve our blue planet.
Join us to magnify the dive community’s collective conservation power this AWARE Week!
Thank You to Our Partner
AWARE Week is made possible by Blancpain, Official Partner of the PADI Blueprint for Ocean Action and Founding Partner of the Adopt the Blue™ Program.
