You could say we’re one year old today (even though technically, we’re nearing 20 as a registered nonprofit). But one year ago, on 8 June 2011, Project AWARE Foundation refocused and relaunched our commitment to ocean protection. 8 June is also World Ocean Day - a time when AWARE divers around the world take action and celebrate the ocean. A perfect day for an anniversary, wouldn’t you say?

What a year it has been! We’re happy to report a whirlwind of growth, innovation and excitement. But we couldn’t have done it without you! Together, we’re standing strong against daunting ocean challenges and we’re not backing down from critical conservation battles. We’re proof that we can make a difference and still have some fun doing it.

This year we have:

1. Focused major attention on two issues where divers are making a real, measurable impact – sharks in peril and marine debris.

2. We’ve built a movement of ambitious ocean advocates – 1 million strong and growing!

3. We tackled tech and beefed up our online presence with all sorts of new tools and one sweet online community, My Ocean, to connect to other AWARE divers and engage in ocean actions.

4. Shifted the power for sharks by launching a petition and pushing it well past the 100,000 signatures mark. We’re full steam ahead on protecting sharks under one of the strongest global conservation agreements on the planet – CITES.

5. Went big for marine debris and created an entirely new, innovative Dive Against Debris survey for divers. We’re collecting and tabulating the data you report - wherever and whenever you dive – with a goal to learn more about trash underwater and how to prevent it in the future.

These are just a few of the long list of achievements we’ve seen in our first year as the shiny, new AWARE. Join the movement on this page - you'll want to be part of the milestones ahead. Happy World Ocean Day!