In this week’s Community Spotlight, we chat with Gabriele Bonfa, in Indonesia who mobilizes visitors to the island in cleaning up the local beaches.

Tell us about your passion for ocean conservation.

My passion for the ocean started when I was very young. As I became a scuba diver two years ago in Indonesia, my involvement in protecting the ocean took a different turn. I realized how important it is to promote and keep the ocean clean and healthy. Eventually, I decided to become an instructor. I use the opportunity to advocate ocean protection.

Why and when did you get involved with Project AWARE?

My involvement with Project AWARE began when I started my training as a divemaster. I participated and organized several beach and reef clean-ups. I started getting informed and I discovered that ocean pollution is a world disease. In addition to global warming, ocean acidification, and overfishing, in a few year’s time, our oceans will be devastated. We need to take action now and get more people involved.

What are some issues that are affecting your local dive site or favorite underwater areas?

I live on a small beautiful island called Gili Air, located in an archipelago just off the northwest coast of Lombok, Indonesia. Single-use plastic items are the most common item we find during dives and on the beaches. We witness a lack of efficiency from the government in garbage disposal. We receive many tourists and most of the waste ends up in the ocean.

Tell us about your work!

Since my divemaster course, at Oceans5, I started participating in many Dive Against Debris activities and beach cleanups. Less than a year ago, I started organizing the beach cleanups in Oceans5 as the lead instructor every week. When the condition allows, we coordinate reef cleanups as well. The beach we clean every week gets filled up with trash almost every day, especially after big stormy days when all the garbage float on the ocean from the main island Lombok.

What has been the highlight of your Project AWARE experience?

The participation rate is increasing significantly. The participants were shocked by the type of garbage floating on the ocean when they start picking up the garbage. Oceans5, where I’m currently working at, is trying to help the island and the ocean to breathe from the amount of rubbish that is suffocating them. A small step like refusing to use plastic is a crucial step to raise awareness.

What is the most important thing you tell others about Project AWARE?

People must understand that everyone can make a difference, and we all should act as advocates. Project AWARE can provide you with all the necessary knowledge and information on making our world better. If we want to continue to admire the beauty of our ocean, we need to take action to help preserve it.