Underwater environment

Protect The Aquatic Realm How you can make a difference!
Diving in a responsible manner is imperative to protect the undersea living space of those we share the planet with.				Read an important letter and article here, and hopefully sign our petition
Please dive carefully in fragile aquatic ecosystems, such as coral reefs. Although they may look at first like rocks or plants, many aquatic organisms are fragile creatures that can be damaged by the bump of a tank, knee or camera. Corals are extremely slow growing. By breaking off a small piece you may be destroying decades of growth. By being careful, you can prevent devastating and long lasting damage to magnificent dive sites. Be aware of your body and equipment placement when diving. Much of the damage underwater is done unwittingly. Keep your gauges and alternate air sources secured so that they don't drag over the reef or bottom. Be graceful. Keep your diving skills sharp with continued education. If you haven't dived for a while your skills, (particularly buoyancy control,) may need sharpening, so seek bottom time with a certified assistant or instructor in a pool or other environment that wont be damaged by a few bumps and scrapes. Consider your impact on Aquatic life. As every diver soon learns, very few forms of aquatic life pose a threat to us, some creatures are even friendly and curious about us, so much so that we may feel compelled to touch, handle, feed and even hitch rides on certain species. However this may cause stress, disrupt feeding and mating behaviour and introduce food items that are not healthy for them.		You can even provoke aggressive behaviour in creatures who normally aren't in the slightest. Understand and respect underwater life everywhere. Many creatures only appear to look like plants or inanimate objects. Using them as toys or food for other animals can leave a trail of destruction that can disrupt a local ecosystem and rob other divers of the pleasure of observing or photographing these creatures. Consider enrolling in a PADI Underwater Naturalist course. Don't collect any souvenirs or dive artefacts. Dive sites that are heavily visited by divers can be depleted quickly and permanently of their resources in a very short time. Collecting specimens, corral and even shells can strip areas of their fascination and beauty. If you want to return to land with trophies, consider underwater photography. Fishing, Hunting and game gathering. If you get pleasure from taking food from the aquatic realm, it is vital that you get proper licensing and become familiar with local fish and game rules. Only take creatures you will consume. Never kill anything for the sake of killing. Respect the rights of other divers who are not hunting and avoid spear fishing in areas that other divers are using for sight seeing. Understand that YOU effect the environment.		Report destruction or disturbance of your dive sites. If you observe an unusual depletion of aquatic life, a rash of injuries to fish etc or notice strange substances in the water, REPORT THEM to local authorities such as the Environmental protection office or the equivalent in your country. You can make a difference for all of our children. Be a role model for other divers and others. As a diver you will realise that when someone tosses a plastic wrapper or suchlike overboard it is not out of sight out of mind. You see the results of such neglect. So set a good example in your own interactions with the environment, and other divers and non divers will follow suit. Peer pressure and education! Get involved in local environmental activities and issues. You may feel you can't save the world, but you have a great impact on the corner of the planet in which you live and dive. There are plenty of opportunities to show your support of a clean aquatic environment. Try a local beach clean up, attend a public meeting on matters which affect local waters (or even organise one). Know the local legislative issues and make your opinion know in the ballot box. Do what you can. Also the best thing you can do to help protect the sea is to inform others how fragile it is. There is only a tiny percentage which has not been hugely impacted by mans 'footprint.'

environmental cleanup divers in Cyprus

Cleaning up underwater

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