Your superpowers are based on who you are and what you can do. Your personal brand is how you make that known. On many occasions I’ve talked about how our collective actions in protecting the ocean unite into a global positive change for Earth. When it comes to marine debris, I’ve made up a new word, “marinedebriskinesis” – the ability in each of us to make the choice to manipulate and remove marine debris underwater in order to make it disappear. This is an embedded superpower in thoughtful and intentional divers.

In March 2022, the United Nations Environment Assembly adopted a resolution to have an internationally binding legal agreement in the form of a treaty to address the marine plastics debris problem by 2024. In this treaty, nations agree to reduce plastic pollution in the ocean, and to monitor it cooperatively. In essence, it calls for a scientifically valid international system for gathering and reporting marine plastics debris; and while there are a few regional programs, there is only one that’s global, proven and already in place: PADI AWARE Dive Against Debris. 

Dive Against Debris has provided us with a pivotal opportunity to help the treaty accomplish its goals. Going forward, PADI AWARE will highlight Dive Against Debris as a turnkey solution to the monitoring question, noting the worldwide network of 6,600 PADI dive operators and more than 128,000 PADI Professionals that makes it possible. Further, we will emphasize that as a dive community we have already established the largest underwater marine-debris database, with more than 2 million debris pieces and the release of over 37,000 entangled and trapped ocean creatures logged into the Dive Against Debris database. This, along with a rapidly growing number of Adopt the Blue sites that PADI Members actively monitor, demonstrates divers’ ongoing commitment to saving the ocean. And PADI AWARE will underscore that Dive Against Debris divers and professionals have the training to do this. 

It is time to unleash the “marinedebriskinesis” superpower beast in you as part of your personal brand.

Because the UN plastics treaty is a major milestone, and Dive Against Debris is a key monitoring solution that can help it get ratified and put into place, I’m hoping all PADI Dive Centers, Resorts and individual PADI Professionals choose to commit to regularly teaching and offering the Dive Against Debris course and cleanups, ideally submitting Dive Against Debris data.

The Dive Against Debris Specialty will join the AWARE courses that PADI Open Water Scuba Instructors are automatically qualified to teach. (More on this to come soon.)

The goal is that the vast majority of the PADI membership will be a force multiplier who can train thousands of widely distributed diver volunteers to help the world monitor plastic debris underwater. At the UN meetings, PADI AWARE will emphasize Dive Again Debris’ rapid global deployment, along with details on how the Dive Against Debris surveys and database work, and that they are already embraced by the scientific community. 

As I’ve mentioned before, there are times when our diving “superpowers” enable us to make a significant positive difference in the ocean’s future. Please choose to make Dive Against Debris courses and surveys a priority in your local area – because this is clearly one of those times.

Sincerely,

Drew Richardson
President & CEO

The post Straight Talk from PADI CEO: “Marinedebriskinesis” – Choose to Connect With This Diving Superpower appeared first on PADI Pros.

President’s Desk, Dive Against Debris, PADI AWARE, PADI President, straight talkPADI Pros