Every day, the scuba community sees firsthand the devastating impact of our trash underwater. And year-round, we’re taking action. From reporting marine debris data to protecting vulnerable marine species, scuba divers everywhere are joining forces to ensure that we’re working toward a clean, healthy and abundant ocean planet. So as a scuba diver and Project AWARE’s Associate Director of Programs, I was honored to be invited by the Chilean government to represent Project AWARE and join political, academic and civil society figures as well as industry, philanthropy and nonprofit leaders at the Nuestro Oceano (Our Ocean) 2015 conference – held in Vina del Mar, Chile on October 5-6.

As government officials, nonprofits and industry leaders gathered during the conference to discuss the most pressing issues faced by our ocean today, one thing became certain: life as we know it depends upon the health of our ocean. And, climate change is a problem that can no longer be left for future generations to solve. We need to take action now to find and implement solutions.  

This shared understanding permeated the numerous ocean conservation commitments made throughout the week. Alongside over 500 participants from 60+ different countries, I had the opportunity to witness announcements of over 80 new marine conservation initiatives valued at more than U.S. 2.1 billion dollars, including new protections for more than 1.9 million square kilometers of ocean.

Building upon previous Our Ocean 2014 themes of sustainable fisheries, nutrient and marine debris pollution, ocean acidification and marine protected areas, the Our Ocean 2015 conference added three more areas of focus – international governance, ocean island communities and ocean champions.

Speakers on each of these themes highlighted that international cooperation and political will are necessary to mitigate the key threats to ocean health: unsustainable fishing, pollution and climate change. In order to effectively address these threats as a society, we must:

• Commit to end illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. This requires better, more technologically advanced monitoring of fisheries, improved seafood traceability, stronger international legal frameworks, and effective management of marine protected areas.
• Focus on pollution prevention and stop the flow of plastics into the ocean. This begins with integrated waste management, product redesign and eventually leads to a circular economy.
• Commit to meaningful CO2 reductions at the upcoming 2015 Paris Climate Conference. This sentiment was reiterated both in-person by Christy Goldfuss,  Managing Director at the White House Council on Environmental Quality and by HRH Prince Albert of Monaco as well as in special video messages delivered by HRH Prince Charles of Wales and President Obama.

As I sat listening to each of the conference speakers, it became evident that many of the leaders present at the conference shared a deep, personal connection to the ocean – a palpable sense of urgency and comradery to protect our ocean planet. Their words brought home for me how unique our scuba diving community is in our shared passion for the ocean spurred by the underwater experience.  And, as a few of the participants highlighted, it’s the human dimension - understanding and managing human behavior to propel a cultural change to sustainability - that is key to securing a healthy ocean whose future is, literally, in our hands.

Thank you to all of our supporters who participated in the #BeneathTheWaves campaign. Your Dive Against Debris photographs and data were vital in showing Project AWARE’s underwater perspective at the Our Ocean 2015 conference.

#OurOcean2015: 66 countries represented & 80 new initiatives launched to protect our oceans! http://t.co/tv5XIA7IMbpic.twitter.com/809jFHxDp8

— Project AWARE (@projectaware) October 6, 2015