Who are we?

Project AWARE Foundation is a nonprofit organisation dedicated to conserving underwater environments through education, advocacy and action. With offices in Australia, Japan, Switzerland, United Kingdom and United States, Project AWARE combats challenges facing aquatic resources in 175 countries and territories with direct support from divers and water enthusiasts worldwide.

Education in Action

Responsible diving – Grab a copy of the Ten Ways A Diver Can Protect the Underwater Environment and

Ten Tips for Underwater Photographers and make this an integral part of all your dives. Provide pre-dive briefings on responsible diving practices such as proper buoyancy control, securing equipment and streamlining body
position, maintaining a safe distance, not touching or chasing animals. Encourage divers to Dive AWARE!

Protect the Sharks – You have the power to educate your friends, family, co-workers and customers about one of the oldest creatures on our planet – the shark. Tell them about the important role sharks play in our aquatic
ecosystem.

Protect the Living Reef – Visit www.projectaware.org to boost your Reef IQ and find out how to protect the world’s oldest most productive ecosystem on the earth – coral reefs. The simple steps we take can make a big
difference.

Go ECO – Explore, Conserve, Observe - Dive Centres can join an elite network of environmental operators through the Project AWARE Go ECO Operator program. Show your commitment to sustainable business practices and the environment.

Sustainable Fisheries – World populations are crazy for seafood and we’re eating it in record numbers. The good news is that consumers have the power to conserve fish stocks. Educate your friends about Sustainable Fisheries.

Going wreck diving? – Divers are privileged to have access to underwater historical sites. If you’re next underwater adventure involves wreck diving be sure to read Project AWARE’s Respect Our Wrecks campaign and help conserve maritime cultural heritage.

AWARE Kids – The AWARE Kids educational resources including an educators guide, kids activity book and DVD will show you how to inspire the next generation to “Explore, Create and Take Action” to protect the underwater
world.

Conservation in Action

Coral Reef Monitoring – Get involved in the CoralWatch Monitoring programme. Provide divers and snorkellers with the CoralWatch Monitoring Chart and help scientists monitor reefs for bleaching. Track the health of your reef online at www.coralwatch.org.

Beach and Underwater Cleanups - At least 6 million tonnes of debris enters the world’s oceans each year, causing harm to underwater environments and wildlife. With unique access to the underwater world, scuba divers can
help remove debris underwater, raise awareness and drive positive change.
Project AWARE Foundation is dedicated to addressing the devastating impacts of marine debris and coordinates global beach and underwater cleanups year round.

The Whale Shark Project – Learn more and get involved in whale shark conservation. Report your whale shark sightings online. Your sightings data and photos support science, conservation and management efforts.

Grant Programme – Since 2002 Project AWARE has funded hundreds of marine conservation projects in Asia Pacific totalling over AU$400,000. Support Project AWARE through the PADI certification process or by giving an individual donation to fund critical conservation projects like mooring buoys, kids education camps, artificial reefs and marine tagging programmes.

Events in Action

April: Dive For Earth Day – Earth is an ocean planet. Help put the ocean on the Earth Day map during week of 22nd April. Join or organise a cleanup, coral monitoring, AWARE Fish ID Specialty course or AWARE Kids conservation activity and celebrate the 70 percent of the planet covered by water.

June: World Ocean Day - 8 June is World Ocean Day and you can join Project AWARE Foundation in celebrating our ocean planet and the personal connection divers have to the sea.

Third Saturday in September: International Cleanup Day – With hundreds of dive centres worldwide getting involved in this event you can’t afford to miss out on all the fun! Get your community, friends and family involved in the largest volunteer effort on behalf of our marine environment. Contribute valuable marine debris data to help inform, reform, educate and legislate.
Project AWARE can help you with events, campaigns and other conservation programmes throughout the year.

Put your best fin forward with Project AWARE – Get involved today!

1. Photograph with Care
   Dive carefully as many aquatic creatures are fragile regardless of size. Improper techniques while taking or editing photos underwater can damage sensitive aquatic life and harm fragile organisms with the bump of a camera or tank, swipe of a fin or even the touch of a hand.
2. Dive Neutral
   Camera systems may add weight or be buoyant. Make sure to secure photo and dive equipment and be properly weighted to avoid contact with reefs or other vital habitat. Practice buoyancy control and photography skills in a pool before swimming near sensitive and fragile environments.
3. Resist Temptation
   Avoid touching, handling, feeding, chasing or riding aquatic life. Avoid altering an organism’s location to get the perfect shot. Many aquatic creatures are shy and easily stressed. These actions may interrupt feeding, disturb mating or provoke aggression in a normally nonaggressive species.
4. Easy Does It
   While diving, move slowly and deliberately through the water. Be patient and still while photographing - allow organisms to show their natural behavior for a more significant and meaningful shot.
5. Sharpen Your Skills
   Make sure the difficulty of the dive and the environmental conditions are appropriate for your current skills and comfort level. Avoid stabilizing underwater by grabbing onto the reef for a better photo. Enroll in PADI’s Underwater Photographer, Digital Underwater Photography and Peak Performance Buoyancy Specialty courses to become a more skilled and successful photographer.
6. Be Informed
   Be aware of local regulations and protocols regarding behavior around marine mammals and other species before entering the water. These regulations protect creatures and aim to assure their preservation for future generations.
7. Be an AWARE Diver
   Consider enrolling in an AWARE - Coral Reef Conservation, Project AWARE Specialty or Underwater Naturalist course to learn sustainable dive techniques and increase knowledge about the environment you’re photographing.
8. Take Only Pictures, Leave Only Bubbles
   Avoid souvenir collection. Nearly everything found in the aquatic realm is alive or will be used by a living creature. Removing specimens such as corals and shells can disturb the delicate balance and quickly deplete dive sites of both their resources and their beauty.
9. Share Your Images
   Use images for conservation by reporting environmental disturbances or destruction using your photographs as evidence. Assist scientific research and improve resource management by contributing your photos to The Whale Shark Project and other monitoring programs. You may also submit your photos to Project AWARE. Your images have the power to change perspectives and influence conservation.
10. Conserve the Adventure
    Join Project AWARE Foundation, the dive industry’s leading nonprofit environmental organization. Your support helps conserve underwater environments through education, advocacy and action.