Protecting the Oceans: 10 Ways Scuba Divers Can Help Save Our Oceans

Scuba divers are connected to the ocean. As a scuba diver, you make a difference every time you dive, travel, share your story and more.

1. Be a Buoyancy Master
   Underwater flora and fauna are often more delicate than they appear. Any amount of touch from your fin, bump from your camera, or even a swipe can destroy decades of coral growth, damage a plant, or harm an animal. Streamline your dive and photo gear, keep your dive skills sharp, perfect your underwater photo techniques, and continue your diving training to fine-tune your skills while diving around the pristine waters of Sydney.
2. Stand as an Example
   Scuba divers are being trained and certified every single day, and they see what you do as an example of how to act. Regardless of your experience level, make sure to set a good example for others when interacting with the environment both in and out of the water.
3. Protect The Underwater Life
   Resist the urge to touch, feed, handle, chase, or ride anything underwater. Your actions might cause animals to become stressed and interrupt feeding and mating behaviour or provoke aggressive behaviour. Understand and respect underwater life and ensure you follow all local laws and regulations.
4. Take Only Photos and Leave Only Bubbles
   It's nearly impossible to find anything underwater that isn't alive or used by living creatures in some way. If you take a coral, shell, or animal, you can damage the delicate balance and add to the depletion of dive sites for future generations.
5. Don’t Let Your Dives Go to Waste
   An unimaginable amount of waste finds its way underwater, reaching even the most remote ocean areas. Once there, it kills wildlife, destroys habitats, and threatens our health and economy. Don’t let your dives go to waste. Seek out and remove trash from underwater every time you dive. Make a conscious effort to buy green, buy local and, when possible, buy less.
6. Be an Ocean Advocate
   Scuba divers are some of the strongest ocean advocates on the planet. Now, more than ever, divers like you are taking a stand. Speak out for conservation, share your underwater images, report environmental damage to authorities and campaign for change.
7. Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
   Global warming and ocean acidification are putting your favourite sea creatures and the whole ocean planet at risk. Do your part by being an environmentally aware consumer, understanding and reducing your carbon footprint, and looking for ways to offset what you can’t reduce.
8. Become an Eco-tourist
   Visit destinations that do their best to be environmentally concerned and socially responsible. Choose facilities dedicated to responsible social and environmental business practices that include water conservation, energy reduction, proper waste disposal, use of mooring buoys and respect for local cultures, laws, and regulations.
9. Making Ethical Seafood Decisions
   Overfishing jeopardizes a species' survival while harmful fishing practices harm and pollute underwater ecosystems. You play a significant role as a consumer. If seafood is part of your meal selection, ensure you’re choosing sustainably sourced species and encourage others, including restaurants and shop owners, to do the same.
10. Give Back
    Oceans are the foundation for life on Earth, so any contribution you make today will help save the ocean tomorrow. Investing in ocean protection allows you to be involved in the grassroots level to fuel policy change and action necessary to ensure a clean, healthy ocean planet. As a 100% AWARE Partner, Abyss Scuba Diving contributes funds to maintain a clean and healthy ocean planet.

Scuba divers are one with the ocean. As a scuba diver, you make a difference every time you dive, travel, share your knowledge, and more. It is our duty to protect the ocean for future generations.