More than six million tons of marine litter enters our oceans each year, where it is ingested by nearly 36 percent of the world’s seabird species and many species of fish. In addition to the thousands of marine animals and sea birds killed by waste, it also chokes coral reefs, smothers critical environments and contaminates beaches and recreation sites around the world.
Dive Against Debris
Becoming part of the solution is easier than you may think. Finding a way you can contribute on the local level is a great place to start. Dive Against Debris, created by divers for divers, helps people do just this. The program enables divers to survey underwater rubbish as a way to increase debris removal efforts, prevent harm to marine life and connect their underwater actions to policy changes and prevention.
Ocean Action Projects Wanted!
Are you, or someone you know currently working on project that strategically addresses marine debris or shark & ray protection issues? If so, you may be eligible for support from Project AWARE. Visit projectaware.org/OceanActionProject to learn more. Submissions are due 31 October 2013.
Dive Against Debris is just one of the initiatives undertaken by Project AWARE to empower thousands of divers in more than 180 countries to work together for a clean, healthy and abundant ocean planet. Much work still remains to protect marine animals and the habitat in which they live. Visit projectaware.org to learn more about how you can contribute to these vital efforts.
