Fauna, Flora, Scuba News, Surface Interval, Underwater Environment

7 years, 49,000 divers, 307,000 kg of rubbish!

The worldwide Dive Against Debris campaign, in which divers remove and report the amount of trash and debris removed from the seabed, has achieved a result that was not expected in the wildest of expectations, according to campaign organiser Project AWARE! One million items weighing 307,000kg have been removed from the ocean in seven years,

ByTomasz Andrukajtis

Published: April 4, 2018 - 19:17

Updated: July 22, 2023 - 16:42

7 years, 49,000 divers, 307,000 kg of rubbish!

The worldwide Dive Against Debris campaign, in which divers remove and report the amount of trash and debris removed from the seabed, has achieved a result that was not expected in the wildest of expectations, according to campaign organiser Project AWARE!

One million items weighing 307,000kg have been removed from the ocean in seven years, according to figures presented. The #OneMillionLess achievement was announced as the result of an action that began in 2011. Over its seven-year duration, 49,188 divers from 114 countries took part, taking part in cleaning up the marine environment while gathering evidence of the global marine and ocean pollution crisis.

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Recreational and professional divers have unearthed a mass of various items, from deckchairs to batteries and shoes, as well as huge quantities of plastic bags, cutlery and bottles, according to a report by Project AWARE.

[blockquote style=”2″]”The data collected during our activities contain information vital for scientists to estimate the level of pollution lingering on the seabed and poisoning the water. They also support work to find solutions to save vulnerable marine life and ensure that future generations have access to a clean and healthy ocean.” reads the report[/blockquote].

Almost two-thirds of all items reported and catalogued by Dive Against Debris were plastics, and divers found 5,600 entangled or dead animals. Scientists today estimate that around 20 million tonnes of plastic waste may be entering the ocean each year.

[blockquote style=”2″]”Divers dive because they have a deep love for the ocean and its underwater life,” said AWARE project director Danna Moore. And she added that she is aware that divers, more than anyone else, face the damage that human activity is having on marine life every day. “We have an army of activists working to change this and we salute each and every one of them for this incredible achievement.”[/blockquote]

Source: projectaware.org

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About author

Tomasz Andrukajtis

Editor-in-chief of the DIVERS24 portal and magazine. Responsible for obtaining, translating and developing content. He also supervises all publications. Achived his first diving certification – P1 CMAS, in 2000. Has a degree in journalism and social communication. In the diving industry since 2008.