Widespread adoption of products labelled “biodegradable” will not significantly decrease the volume of plastic entering the ocean or the physical and chemical risks that plastics pose to marine environment, accord to a United Nations report released today.

From ScubaEarth: This is the Caribbean with an English twist. Tea time on Barbados is a serious daily event, but you don’t have to enjoy a “cuppa” to take to the sea. You will, however, need to know how to pronounce the name of the island’s signature dive, the wreck of an ex-Greek freighter, 110 metre/365 foot Stavronikita, although most divers simple call it the Stav.

From ScubaEarth: This island nation has been described as a kite and its tail, with the kite being St. Vincent and the smaller Grenadines as the long tail that flutters underneath it. With such an expanse of the Caribbean off its shores, divers can expect a wide swath of undersea experiences. This starts with St.

From ScubaEarth: Even before you learn to dive, the Great Barrier Reef looms large on your travel radar. But, once you become a diver, this more than 2,000-kilometre/1,250 mile stretch of undersea adventure will become an obsession. The barrier reef is such a vast destination that it must be visited in small chunks and there are several gateways along the coast of Queensland from which to access it. The main hub is Cairns, where many day boats and live-aboards depart.

Featured from PADI.com: For having so many small islands, the area of Micronesia is a giant in the dive world. You can spend a lifetime island-hopping and still have more to discover. Although there are a number of island states in the area, the main destinations — Palau, Yap, Chuuk and Guam — evoke images of world-class undersea adventure.

Featured from ScubaEarth: Hawai’i is several destinations in one, as each of the major islands has its own unique dive experience. But, while each island is unique, almost 30 percent of everything you see can only be seen in the islands of Hawai’i. From December to May, the waters off all of Hawai’i fill with the haunting song of humpback whales.

Voor het derde jaar op rij al werd gisteren de Aware Dive georganiseerd. De voorbije twee jaren gingen de duikers het water van de Blaarmeersen in, dit jaar kozen ze voor de Watersportbaan. Die bestaat al 65 jaar, maar er is nog nooit in gedoken. "Speciaal voor ons heeft de stad het zwemverbod opgeheven", zegt Bart Cobbaert van duikclub Bubble Divers. "Wij hebben maandag al een proefduik uitgevoerd om op te meten hoe diep de Watersportbaan is. Op zijn diepste punt is dat 2,20 meter. Dat is ook interessant voor de stad die baggerwerken wil uitvoeren.

Fishing nations at the annual meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) have once again failed to adopt scientific advice and best practices to safeguard several species of oceanic sharks.

Featured from ScubaEarth:
 
All the beautiful islands that make up French Polynesia have the capacity to inspire even the hardest heart to romantic yearning. With wafts of frangipani on every soft breeze, a thousand shades of electric blue in every lagoon, coconut palms placed perfectly on every soft sand beach, the islands that make up the nation of Tahiti are beyond compare.