What if we told you the effort you put forth as a diver to complete a PADI certification course could also support ocean protection projects?

Last week, governments gathered in La Jolla, California for the annual meeting of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), a regional fisheries management organization (RFMO) responsible for managing tuna fisheries across an area totaling approximately 68 million square kilometers (26 million square miles). 

Our ocean's sharks have a new champion and his name is Bali B. He happens to be a hero in the Lego universe and here, at Project AWARE, we're big fans of his anti-finning moves.
We recently discovered this Youtube video in support of our Sharks in Peril campaign. According to the animators who created Bali B’s adventure, it was made to "involve kids and bring a different light to the anti-finning campaign."

Now, with the official launch of our movement for ocean protection, we’re using the web to connect with divers in some of the most remote corners of the world. But it's the offline action that individual divers, like you, take when you Dive Against Debris that makes a big difference to our ocean's ecosystems.

Braving the chilly conditions of Shelley Beach, New South Wales, Australia, 14 Project AWARE and PADI Asia Pacific staff completed a Dive Against Debris underwater survey. 

It was a global, round-the-clock celebration on 8th June, World Oceans Day, when Project AWARE launched a stronger action plan for the ocean. 

It’s been 21 years since Project AWARE first began. The world of scuba diving was much different then. And so were the ways of conservation. We were still learning about the issues and educating ourselves on sustainable practices underwater.
As the AWARE mission, logo and strategies have evolved over the years, so have the environmental priorities of the world. And together, we step up our efforts for the ocean wherever they’re needed most. Now, we’re prioritizing shark protection and working to eliminate marine debris from the world’s ocean.