Scuba instructor Virginie “Giny” Pinto was guiding a group of dive students on a routine scuba excursion when she was struck with excitement — she spotted a gigantic school of fish ahead of her in the distance. She signaled for her group to follow, and they began swimming in the direction of the fish with eager anticipation to identify which species was ahead. As they inched closer, their hearts sank. The species they had spotted wasn’t a school of fish at all — it was a swirling cluster of plastic bags.

Pinto was struck with despair. If she could misidentify the “school” of plastic bags as fish, what other marine animals might accidentally do the same, mistaking the marine debris for food or prey? Unfortunately, her fear rings true: Countless ocean animals are affected by marine debris every year.

From that moment on, Pinto decided she would take action against marine debris as aggressively as she could. At Oceans 5 Dive Resort on the Gili Islands, Indonesia, she has organized consistent weekly beach cleanups and Dive Against Debris surveys for the past four years (pictured). She has personally been involved in more than 50 Dive Against Debris surveys so far, and plans to engage in many more in the coming year. She has, in essence, adopted her local dive site.

Pinto explains that her favorite aspect of Dive Against Debris is not only the direct impact of removing debris underwater, but the added element of submitting survey results to Project AWARE. “It’s a great incentive to know that Dive Against Debris data is not only collected, but also recorded to be used to advocate for long-term, lasting change,” says Pinto.

Diving around Indonesia’s Gili Islands for the past 10 years, Pinto has witnessed the devastating impacts of pollution on the ocean environment. But in that time, she’s also had the opportunity to see how small efforts against marine debris can add up to big change. She believes in the power of underwater marine debris collection and data reporting to make a positive, lasting impact on the environment — preserving the scuba experience for future generations of divers.

This Earth Day, April 22, Project AWARE launches Adopt a Dive Site — a unique program designed to involve dive centers and dive leaders around the globe in ongoing, local protection and monitoring of our favorite underwater playgrounds. Like Pinto, you too can take action to protect your underwater playground: Visit projectaware.org to learn more about the Adopt a Dive Site program and Dive Against Debris opportunities in your area.