Citizen science, policy, and education. These are just three of the many words that come to mind when we reflect on the great work done by the Project AWARE® community, our partners and staff in 2018. Read how your support, generosity and actions, fins on and fins off, translate into impactful results for a clean and healthy ocean.

A new report shows that the overfished North Atlantic Shortfin Mako Shark population is continuing to decline and needs not only immediate protection but several decades to recover. Because of depletion to date and an exceptionally low reproductive rate, this population is predicted to continue to decline for another fifteen years before rebuilding can begin.

633 divers at Florida beach break world record for largest underwater cleanup. Supported by Project AWARE® and PADI®, the 2019 edition of the annual Save Deerfield Beach event aimed to show that conservation brings more people together now than ever before. Hundreds of divers signed up to the event and came together to put their scuba diving skills to good use.

Divers Down UAE working with Emirates NBD Private Banking and the local community use dive training to empower new custodians of the ocean

The Spanish Ministry of Ecological Transition has announced today that angel shark populations are fully protected in the Canary Islands, through inclusion on the Spanish Endangered Species List.

For 2019, the World Oceans Day theme, Together We Can, focuses on what we can all do together to create a healthy ocean and better future for our blue planet. Millions of people are expected to show their support for protecting #OurBlueLung. Project AWARE’s global community of ocean adventurers is once again ready to mobilize for a clean and healthy ocean for us today and future generations.

Don’t underestimate the ripple effects of your actions! Dive Against Debris® recognizes the power of the global dive community as citizen scientists and change makers. The tools and resources available to conduct successful Dive Against Debris surveys empower divers to take action to create both local and global change for the ocean and the communities who depend on it.

In our new series: My Ocean Story, we're getting to know the people of Project AWARE, finding out what drives them and what conservation actions they have in store for 2019! This month's story comes from Project AWARE volunteer, 100% AWARE partner and Adopt a Dive Site owner, Hassan Khayal