Environmental advocates at PADI, the Professional Association of Diving Instructors, created a foundation called Project AWARE in 1989. The purpose of this new group was to help conserve underwater environments through education, advocacy and action. Thus, Project AWARE, Aquatic World Awareness Responsibility & Education, was born. PADI continues to be a key partner and their partnership encourages divers and dive professionals around the world. Project AWARE Foundation is a registered nonprofit organization with offices in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Switzerland, and Japan. These offices and interested divers, scuba divers, and concerned citizens combine efforts to conserve aquatic resources in more than 180 countries and territories around the world. These combined efforts reach over a million people a year! Working in partnership with divers and water enthusiasts, such activities include:
- Underwater cleanups and prevention of marine debris
- Coral reef conservation, monitoring and data collection
- Shark Education, Reporting and Conservation
- Improved management policies and marine protection efforts
- Environmental Training for Divers and Education Programs for Children
Divers notice differences in the conditions of the water, the reef, and the health of the bottom. They are natural ambassadors for the preservation of the dive sites and location they love and treasure. I have seen this personally in Manzanillo. I have had conversations with many people at the Yacht Club who have been coming to Manzanillo for years, up to 30 years for a couple, and treasure that little cove for the rich diversity of life it offers divers and snorkelers. It is the best shore diving in Manzanillo and one of the best dive sites in general.
Most of our natural forests, beaches, waters, and parks are under constant stress from visitors, overuse, and often simply “loved to death.” The oceans are a constant factor and are what make planet Earth THE WATER PLANET. We learned in school about five oceans and several seas, but in reality there is only one. Look at a photo of Antarctica and you will quickly see that our water is one big ocean.
The oceans represent 362 million square kilometers (141+ million square miles). They cover about 70% of the earth. The Pacific Ocean is 25% larger than ALL land surfaces on the planet. The average combined temperature of all oceans and seas is 3.5 degrees C or 38.3 degrees F. Fortunately, Manzanillo sees a much narrower range of around 65-86 degrees F (18.3 to 30 degrees C). The oceans account for 97% of our total water supply, but keep in mind that less than 1% is fresh water!
The deep ocean is almost a biological desert. The open ocean makes up 90% of the world’s marine region, but produces less than 1% of the fish caught. The coastal areas are the richest in fishing, 90%, and also the areas where man and nature collide with pollution and overexploitation and natural disasters. Our oceans and seas are used by all nations, but most of the area is outside national borders, providing freedom of access without legal or moral liability.
Marine pollution is just one of the factors that concern us along with overfishing, coastal areas and coral reefs. The oceans suffer from chemical contaminants, 18.9 BILLION litres/5 BILLION gallons of toxic waste per year. That number excludes oil pollution. Solid waste, including plastics (see previous article on The Pacific Gyre) also contributes to a decline in overall health.
World fisheries are in a sorry state. If you’re like me, you love shrimp. But eating shrimp makes me sad to think that for every kilogram/2.2 pounds of shrimp consumed, 4.2 kilograms/9.25 pounds of fish are discarded as bycatch (non-target species). Shrimp trawlers discard 80-90% of their sets! This is often true of the fishing industry in general. When catches begin to decline, fishermen often turn to more damaging methods of harvesting fish. 39 countries depend on fish for protein in their diet.
While many of the facts and figures are gloomy, there are bright spots and some solutions being tested. If each of us is aware of the things we do, what we discard, how we choose to consume, we can make a difference. And being so close to so much underwater beauty I take it all very seriously.
If you’re interested in learning more about our waters and reefs, find a PADI dive center and sign up for a Project AWARE class. Two do not require any type of diving, but are simply classroom presentations.
