Marine Life & Conservation
Seiko supports global ocean protection as official partner of PADI AWARE Foundation’s Marine Debris Program
Seiko Watch Corporation is partnering with the non-profit public charity PADI AWARE Foundation™ to support global ocean protection. As an official partner of PADI and PADI AWARE Foundation’s Marine Debris Program, Seiko will join in the fight to rid the ocean of marine debris, which is a key element of PADI’s Blueprint for Ocean Action.
More than 250 million tons of plastic are estimated to enter into the ocean by 2025. The environmental damage caused by plastic debris alone is estimated at US$13 billion a year. Divers are often the first to witness human impact on the marine environment and are uniquely positioned to help report, remove and advocate the stop of marine debris at its source.
PADI AWARE Foundation’s flagship citizen-science program, Dive Against Debris®, empowers divers to remove and report marine debris in aquatic environments. This citizen-science movement to combat pollution has now created the largest global underwater marine debris database on the planet. With over 90 percent of marine debris sinking to the ocean floor, this program fills a critical data gap to advocate change and work toward long-term solutions. To date, more than 70,000 divers have removed and reported over 2 million pieces of marine debris and aided over 10,000 entangled marine animals through the program.
As a proud sponsor of the PADI AWARE Foundation marine debris program, Seiko is demonstrating an organisational commitment to the global PADI dive community’s work to clean up and prevent marine debris.
“We applaud the Seiko group’s support and willingness to partner with the PADI AWARE Foundation in making a financial commitment to this important effort to clean and protect the ocean,” says Drew Richardson, President and CEO of PADI Worldwide and PADI AWARE Foundation Chairman of the Board. “It will take all of us working together on a unified front to make the sea change required to restore ocean health and create balance between humanity and the ocean for generations to come.”
Seiko’s support will help fund the PADI AWARE Community Grant Program launching this year to provide much-needed financial resources to enable local ocean-protection initiatives hosted by PADI Dive Centres and Resorts. Seiko’s contributions will further marine debris campaign implementation in key countries that promote conservation measures at the local, national and international level. Additionally, Seiko proudly supports the partnership with the PADI AWARE Foundation by donating a portion of the proceeds from the Prospex Save the Ocean watch collection.
Seiko Watch Corporation offers a series of collections available worldwide that realise the very best of watchmaking. The history of Seiko’s diver’s watches began in 1965 with Japan’s first diver’s watch. Since then, Seiko’s diver’s watches have developed in response to the needs of professional divers, introducing many landmark timepieces with real advances in safety, reliability, legibility and ease of use. Today, this tradition is carried forward in the Prospex collection, which proudly supports global ocean protection.
To learn more about the PADI and PADI AWARE Foundation marine debris program, visit padi.com/aware/marine-debris. Learn more about how you can get involved by joining the community of PADI Torchbearers taking action for the ocean above and below the surface.
Photo credit: Rayna O’Nan – Ocean Rays Photography
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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