In preparation for the Our Ocean 2015 international conference in Chile on October 5-6, US Secretary of State John Kerry has posed the question, “What will you do to protect the ocean?”

Project AWARE’s answer? Taking action against trash through Dive Against Debris. Scuba divers everywhere are taking a stand against the onslaught of marine debris. With our underwater skill set, we’re uniquely positioned to shine light on what we see beneath the waves – the negative impacts of underwater debris on ocean ecosystems and wildlife.

Project AWARE scuba divers, instructors and dive centers around the world are doing their part to fight back against the negative effects of trash in underwater environments through grassroots action. One dive center, Dive Friends Bonaire, has gone above and beyond to do their part.

Dive Friends Bonaire organizes routine Dive Against Debris cleanups in order to keep their ocean waters clean, healthy and abundant. Their quarterly dive cleanup program has become famous amongst the local island community. With their mid-summer cleanup approaching, the Dive Friends Bonaire team decided to aim their efforts at a notoriously littered site – the world-famous Town Pier. A popular destination for fishermen and high-traffic area for cargo deliveries and cruise ships, the Town Pier area was in dire need of a cleanup, making it the perfect fit for Dive Friends Bonaire’s upcoming rally against marine debris.

Over 95 volunteer divers gathered to participate in the Dive Against Debris efforts, with dive instructors offering guidance on safety practices, and best practices to carefully remove debris and fishing line without damaging underwater life and habitats. Volunteers broke up into groups with divers working underwater and teams onshore offering aid. With a groundswell of support from their community, the volunteer group collected an astounding amount of trash from the sea floor. Items found included 218 glass bottles, 75 pieces of fishing line, 136 plastic fragments and countless more! Over 1,063 items were removed from the marine environment in total.

Members at the dive center reflected on their efforts, “The island of Bonaire is a diver’s paradise, and we work hard to keep it that way.”

Dive Friends Bonaire’s efforts have massively contributed to Project AWARE’s Dive Against Debris data collection, providing greater insight on the types and quantities of debris found beneath the waves. As more scuba volunteers get involved in marine debris removal and reporting, we gain a greater understanding of the impact and scope of underwater trash and its impacts on marine ecosystems.

With the Our Ocean 2015 conference coming up soon, Project AWARE encourages all divers to take action against marine debris by participating in our Beneath the Waves photo campaign. Share your marine debris photos on Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag #BeneathTheWaves to participate in our global photo collage and help us urge leaders to develop solutions leading to a measurable reduction in marine debris.

Together, we can make a difference for the health of our oceans. Join our #BeneathTheWaves campaign today!