Ocean protection depends on all of our actions, large and small. Now, more than ever, Project AWARE divers around the world are taking a stand.

PADI Five Star IDC Ban’s Diving Resort in Koh Tao, Thailand, is one of many advocates for ocean conservation. In 2014, it developed Ban’s Ecological Action for Coastal Health (BEACH) to teach environmental principles and conservation ethics. Its goal is to encourage people to take action to protect our marine environments.

BEACH promotes conservation organically through education and community action. It also teaches the Project AWARE Dive Against Debris distinctive specialty course and conducts monthly Dive Against Debris surveys.

“We feel education is the most important step toward achieving conservation, and most of our efforts are centered on that philosophy when interacting with customers,” says Verity Coleing, BEACH co-director.

Not only do BEACH instructors offer inspiration to their students, they also practice what they preach. Instructors lead and participate in consistent Dive Against Debris surveys alongside students. This collaboration, they feel, is key. “Project AWARE’s programs like Dive Against Debris give us — instructors and students — the opportunity to work together as part of the dive community to make a difference in the world,” says Coleing. “Witnessing so many divers of different levels, from open water to instructor, working together for a common cause is really inspiring.”

Small actions have the power to lead to big change. When we work together, we can achieve what at first seems impossible. The hard work and dedication of Project AWARE volunteers around the world like BEACH inspires us. That’s why we’ve redesigned our website to be centered on you — divers, ocean-recreation enthusiasts and marine activists. With a full suite of tools, our updated online platform has you in mind.

Our new website empowers you to speak out for conservation, share your images and campaign for the environment. Here, you can connect with our network of more than 1.2 million divers, dive shops and ocean activists. Together, we can work toward clean, healthy oceans.

We are a growing movement of scuba divers, protecting our ocean planet one dive at a time. Join us in the movement by visiting projectaware.org.