Marine Life & Conservation
Scuba Diving Our Way to a Blue Planet
Written by Marissa McBride
From underwater mountains larger than any on land, to tropical reefs home to thousands of species, the ocean holds unparalleled beauty. Marine protected areas (MPAs) safeguard life in the sea by managing human visitation and consumption. While some types of MPAs have strict protections and are no-go areas, others allow non-consumptive use such as SCUBA diving, an activity enjoyed by over 24 million people worldwide. With healthy waters teeming with life, MPAs are enormously beneficial for the SCUBA diving industry. Given this connected relationship, the dive industry has the opportunity to participate in ocean conservation by educating tourists about the importance of MPAs, as well as best practices while diving in these special places.
Bridging Knowledge Gaps
Many tourists explore the underwater world with little knowledge of their potential impact on the surrounding ecosystem. For example, many divers apply non-“coral safe” sunscreen prior to diving which contains ingredients that are very harmful to coral reefs. Another poorly known fact is that coral is significantly impacted by human touch, because its delicate membrane can be pierced so easily. The dive industry has the unique opportunity to educate divers about these facts, among others, and improve their understanding about how to be stewards of our oceans.
Dive students put their knowledge about marine conservation to work on a beginner dive.
Ocean Stewards
Many diving companies are dedicated to helping steward our oceans and aid protection efforts with informative blogs as well as programs like PADI’s Project AWARE and specialty course about coral reef conservation. Reefcheck and many other citizen science programs provide valuable data on the health and trends of reefs around the world. This dedication is greatly appreciated by Marine Conservation Institute and other conservation organizations. With the expansion of programs like these in dive companies around the world, the ocean will be safeguarded and respected for generations to come.
Returning the Favor
The dive industry benefits from the dedication and hard work of many marine conservation organizations that work to establish MPAs. Marine Conservation Institute is dedicated to protecting wild ocean places and has created the Global Ocean Refuge System (GLORES), an initiative in which strong and well-managed MPAs worldwide receive Gold, Silver or Bronze Global Ocean Refuge status based on their regulations, management and enforcement. As the world’s best MPAs, Global Ocean Refuges will likely be home to abundant marine life. A strong partnership with the dive industry is a goal of the initiative, and we expect to see an increase in tourism at the awarded sites. With this increase in tourism comes an opportunity to educate more people about marine conservation.
The Future of a Blue Planet
The ocean provides sustenance and protein for large numbers of people, oxygen for every other breath we take and sequesters excess heat and carbon dioxide, thereby regulating our climate. The ocean needs citizen engagement and ocean stewards so that the marine life and the dive tourism industry can continue to prosper.
To find out more about Marine Conservation Institute visit www.marine-conservation.org.
After a two-year tour of UK art galleries, community spaces and aquariums, the Shark Trust’s acclaimed Oceanic31 exhibition takes its final bow at the Royal Geographical Society later this month. And the unique collection of artwork, depicting 31 species of oceanic sharks and rays, donated by 31 artists, is now open for bids from art lovers and shark enthusiasts. The online auction, launched today, will close on the 7th December at 8pm (BST). The money raised will support the Shark Trust Oceanics Programme.
People can now bid on 27 of the artworks by visiting this website:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
It is a chance to own a beautiful piece of original art and to support the Shark Trust. The timing of the auction also means that these would make a very special Christmas gift for any shark-lover.
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- Bigeye Thresher Shark by Janina Rossiter
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- Carcharodon carcharias by Jimmy Higgs
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- Croc VR 2030 by Tom Mead
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- Oceanic Whitetip by ATM
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- Silky Street by ScapaJoe
The diversity of pieces mirrors that of the sharks and rays they represent. You can bid on paintings, digital creations, sculptures, mixed media and more. You can pick your favourite artist or species of shark. Or you can select the perfect artwork to make a statement in your home or office. Whichever you choose, you will be supporting the work to protect these amazing animals.
One of the pieces of art has been selected to be auctioned live by Steve Backshall at the For the Love of Sharks event at the Royal Geographical Society in London on the 29th November. In addition to this, two further pieces will be raffled at this event, giving people a chance to win an incredible piece of shark art. For the Love of Sharks is the Shark Trust’s flagship evening. A night to celebrate sharks. Steve Backshall is the headline speaker at this event that will see other prominent shark advocates join him on stage.
Tickets for the event can be snapped up here:
https://thesharktrust.org.uk/Event/flos24
Those that would like to see the Oceanic 31 exhibition have one final chance. It is being displayed at the Pavilion at the Royal Geographic Society from 26th November until the 7th December. Entry is free.
Find out more here:
https://www.rgs.org/events/upcoming-events/oceanic-31
Paul Cox, Shark Trust CEO, Said “This exhibition has given us the opportunity to reach out to a new audience. And inspire more people with the wonderful sharks and rays on which our Big Shark Pledge campaign is based. We are immensely grateful to the 31 artists who have worked so hard to create these works.”
Bid for your favourite Oceanic 31 artwork here:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
Banner Image: Smooth Hammerhead by Alicia Hayden
Until 28 November, prizes worth a massive £10,000 – including experiences, products and tuition – feature in a line-up of items that can be won for £5 in an online prize draw to celebrate Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation’s 20th anniversary and help generate crucial funds for the future.
Top of the list of prizes is the chance to spend time with adventurer and wildlife expert Steve Backshall, a workout session with Nat Geo star Aldo Kane, a kayaking trip alongside white-water expert and diver Sal Montgomery and a Zoom call with ‘shark whisperer’ Cristina Zenato.
On top of that, some of the most admired companies in the diving and scuba industry have been quick to support the charity with fabulous prizes that make the £5 ticket price worth more than just a flutter.
Master Liveaboards, BSAC, Midlands Diving Chamber, Go Freediving and Blue Shark Snorkel have all generously donated experience prizes, while celebrated photographer Alex Mustard has donated a print and artists Scott Gleed and Olivier Leger have donated a sculpture and illustration to help boost the fundraising pot.
Fourth Element has donated Ocean Positive gear and LA watch company Nodus has gifted the charity a stunning dive watch. For land lovers, the charity has included a five star London hotel stay at Bankside Hotel plus a family visit to Longleat Safari Park in the roster of prizes.
Campaign director for Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: “We’ve been overwhelmed with support from companies and individuals that we truly admire and who have supported us on our 20 year journey and we’re truly grateful to them all. While we feel incredibly proud of our achievements over the past two decades – and we are super excited about the next chapter – this prize draw isn’t a vanity project. It represents a real lifeline to our work and important advancements in the global protection of sharks. So we hope divers, dive clubs and even bargain hunters grab some tickets to make this a massive success.”
The charity hopes that the prize draw will generate crucial funds to launch a brand new, ground-breaking, campaign to enrol the public and increase support for the protection of sharks around the world.
To enter the competition visit www.bite-back.com/prizedraw. The prize winners will be announced on 1 December 2024.
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