Why support the conservation of marine life?
The ocean represents more than 70% of our planet. It is responsible for each second of our breathing. Among other things it supplies us with food, medicine, energy resources and many other things. It is the best means of sending and receiving goods; a place where we play and a constant source of inspiration. As divers we love our ocean!
The marine life that we observe whilst diving depends upon the seas being healthy. As a consequence, when we take conscious decisions that contribute to saving the ocean we also protect her rich biodiversity and her beauty for future generations.
Here are some of our preferred methods for supporting marine life conservation:
1) Become a PADI ocean torchbearer.
Encourage change for underwater life by becoming a PADI torchbearer. By learning, being concerned and sharing the reasons for which the ocean is important in your community you can inspire others to act for the ocean and support marine life conservation.
By joining the community of torchbearers, you add your voice and your actions to the collective to generate significant change. It’s literally the force of numbers. As Drew Richardson the President of PADI says, “A million torchbearers, it’s a needle that moves for the ocean”.
2) Reduce your waste and plastic pollution
According to the US Fish and Wildlife service, “marine debris constitutes one of the most widespread world threats for the health of coastal zones, the oceans and the waterways of the planet. It is a question of local; regional, national and international concern.”
Why? Debris has a negative effect on marine life and degrades fragile habitats, such as coral reefs and mangroves. Marine debris can also degrade the safety of maritime traffic.
Among other things it is proven that ocean pollution has a negative impact on the economy. People who travel to diving destinations like the Caribbean and Hawaii are expecting to find untouched seas and coastlines. If what they encounter differs from the idyllic paradise they imagined, they won’t return and the local economy will suffer. Marine debris also causes financial losses to the fishing and other sea-based industries, threatening the well being and quality of life in coastal communities, as well as the health and safety of people.
Marine debris harms marine life. Most people know that the quantity of waste in our oceans is bad, but less people understand the impact of this debris on marine life.
Marine rubbish and plastic pollution injures and kills millions of coastal and sea animals each year. For example, ghost fishing nets and old fishing lines entangle whales, sharks, seals and other large marine species. For marine mammals this can cause amputation and/or drowning, if they find themselves trapped at depth and unable to ascend to get air.
Sea birds, fish and other species ingest unhealthy quantities of waste and microplastics. Unfortunately this does not decompose or biodegrade in the body. For example sea turtles often confuse floating plastic bags with their preferred food : jellyfish. The bags can block their digestive tract, making them believe they’re correctly nourished when they’re starving, meaning they cannot absorb the amount of essential nutrients. Baby sea turtles snack on microplastics in the water column that finish by blocking and splitting their intestines.
We should stop marine debris at source.
What can we do? It is apparent that 80% of the waste present in our oceans comes from the land. On top of this the majority of this waste is harmful plastic, this doesn’t biodegrade, and accumulates and moves along the food chain.
As a consequence, reducing the quantity of rubbish and plastic that we produce, we’ll contribute to resolving the problem “upstream”, that’s to say before they impact our precious marine and coastal environments, and before they damage the fixed and mobile marine life that we love.
3) Participate in clean ups for marine life conservation
The first priority is to reduce waste, the second is to eliminate the marine debris and plastic pollution from our waters and coastlines. An easy and fun way to do this is to participate in a clean-up. Also, these actions can be organised on the surface and underwater for the maximum impact.
Each time you go for a walk by the sea, or that you’re on a boat you can reduce the amount of waste. Cleaning up this waste contributes to protection of marine life and fragile marine habitats. Conservation organisations like Surfrider and The Ocean Cleanup regularly organise coastal clean-up operations.
Also, as divers, we always have the option of diving with a specific goal thanks to the Dive Against Debris initiative. Learn more about the impact of debris on our oceans before diving and making a difference with your two fins. You’ll learn how the data gathered during these dives allows elaboration of better waste management politics that will protect ocean habitats and marine life.
4) Make durable choices for the conservation of marine life
As a consumer we have a lot of power to help our ocean. The choices we make – regarding food, clothing, transport, cleaning products and many other things – literally effects the sea and all of the creatures that live within it. As a consequence, as we make durable choices, we keep the oceans, the planet and wildlife in mind.
Firstly, we can stop using throwaway products and choose reuseable articles – straws, utensils, water bottles, shopping bags etc. Each time we do this we reduce waste and assure the safety of our oceans. If you already use reuseable articles think about offering them to friends and family to help them become engaged in the path of durable development.
We can also choose clothes produced from recycled plastic. For example SeaMorgens is a company that makes swimming costumes exclusively from recycled fishing nets. Most swimwear is made from new plastic, so this represents an excellent recycling solution. On top of that the founder is Michelle Morgan, a PADI Instructor and torchbearer.
As we make durable choices in our daily life we actively support marine life conservation and more healthy seas.
5) Support marine protected zones
You might have heard of “30×30”, an ambitious and necessary objective to protect 30% of land and ocean by 2030. Scientists are agreed in saying that this is the minimal necessary protection to guarantee functional and resilient ecosystems, and to protect species that live on this planet.
For the oceans, this will allow a reestablishment of the health of the seas, offering a refuge for fixed and mobile life, reversing the existing negative effects, and improving the resistance to climate change and to maintain the services ecosystems supply to humanity. In brief, it’s about ensuring that marine life can live in the oceans in good health. It’s important!
At the moment less than 5% of the world’s oceans are entirely protected by marine reserves where fishing is forbidden. By supporting local, regional, national and international efforts aimed at creating and enlarging marine protected zones, we collectively get closer to 30×30.
Don’t forget essential coastal ecosystems.
You can extend this protection to important coastal habitats such as mangroves and zones of seagrass. These two habitats are considered as blue carbon ecosystems, as they absorb a large quantity of atmospheric carbon, more than the Amazonian rainforest. As a result, restoring zones of seagrass and mangroves can become our “secret weapon” against climate change. By planting and better conserving these unique plants, we gain time to adapt, limit effects and find new solutions in face of the climate change crisis into which we’re diving.
These marine ecosystems also serve as nurseries and essential feeding grounds for numerous species. Many fish, sharks, invertebrates and shellfish depend on mangroves and seagrass to become sufficiently large to survive on the reef. As a result, in protecting these zones and in the context of the 30×30 effort, we contribute to protecting marine life and the planet
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