Organization:Project AWARE
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| Motto | Local Action. Global Impact. |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1989 |
| Type | NGO |
| Legal status | not for profit incorporation in Australia, UK and United States |
| Headquarters |
|
Region served | Global |
Chairman | Drew Richardson |
Director, Global Operations | Danna Moore [1] |
Parent organization | PADI |
| Affiliations | International Coral Reef Initiative[2] Save Our Marine Life[3] |
Staff | 12[4] |
| Website | http://www.projectaware.org/ |
Project AWARE is a nonprofit organization working with volunteer scuba divers to protect the oceans. Project Aware has offices in UK, US, and Australia, supporting divers acting in their own communities, to implement lasting change in two core areas: shark conservation and marine litter.[5]
Background
In 1989, the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) established the Project AWARE Foundation.[6][7] By 2008, it had become one of the largest (by geographical coverage) of several 'industry led' environmental organizations, with administration offices in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Switzerland and Japan.[8] In 1992, Project AWARE Foundation became a registered nonprofit organization with an environmental mission and purpose. Project AWARE relaunched as a movement in 2011 to help divers in more than 180 countries to work together for a clean, healthy and abundant ocean.[5]
Activities
Over the years, Project AWARE, according to its annual reports, has "mobilized" volunteer efforts,[9] such as beach and reef cleaning,[10][11] coral reef monitoring,[12] shark rallies, and grassroot activism, and marine debris data collection. Project AWARE provides tools and resources to engage the general public, and scuba divers in particular, in activities such as letter writing campaigns, petitions and photo campaigns to pressure governments for greater action on preservation and conservation efforts.[13]
In 2008, Project Aware began working with Reef Check, sharing data about coral reef health.[13] In 2011, the organization relaunched and announced a new focus on the removal of marine debris, encouraging volunteer divers from around the world to actively remove trash from waterways. Project AWARE volunteers collects data through Dive Against Debris, a global citizen science program aimed at encouraging divers to report on locations, types and quantities of litter that they see and remove underwater[14][15][16]
Project AWARE's current focus is supporting its movement by providing educational tools and resources that inspire action for ocean protection.[17] These activities include building and engaging a dedicated community of dive leaders and ocean advocates via platforms such as Facebook and My Ocean, Project AWARE's online eco-network, building and maintaining the first global interactive map on marine debris found on the seabed, providing promotional materials to volunteer organizers of local underwater marine debris surveys, promoting letter-writing campaigns, and joining environmental NGO networks in order to give collective support to member organizations' lobbying efforts.[17] They also work in partnership with PADI dive shops who commit financial support through the 100% AWARE partnership where dive professionals support ocean protection with each student they certify through PADI.[18]
References
- ↑ "Project AWARE® Announces Danna Moore as New Director of Global Operations". Project Aware. https://www.projectaware.org/news/project-awarer-announces-danna-moore-new-director-global-operations.
- ↑ "Project AWARE Foundation (Member Type: Non Governmental Organization)". International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI). 25 November 2018. https://www.icriforum.org/about-icri/members-networks/project-aware-foundation.
- ↑ "The organisations". Conservation Council of WA for the Save Our Marine Life Collaboration. https://saveourmarinelife.org.au/who-are-we/the-organisations/.
- ↑ "Our Team". Project AWARE Foundation. http://www.projectaware.org/our-team.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "About the Movement". http://www.projectaware.org/about-movement.
- ↑ "Our Story". http://www.projectaware.org/about-movement.
- ↑ Cater, C; Cater, E (2001). Marine environments In: Weaver, DB. The Encyclopedia of Ecotourism. p. 271. ISBN 0851993680. https://books.google.com/books?id=HhfHmSojJ8QC&pg=PA265. Retrieved 2014-03-18.
- ↑ Townsend, Claudia (2008). Dive tourism, sustainable tourism and social responsibility: A growing agenda. In: Brian Garrod, Stefan Gössling (eds.) New Frontiers in Marine Tourism: Diving Experiences, Sustainability, Management. p. 140. ISBN 9780080453576. https://books.google.com/books?id=JmbR1pEUFVcC&pg=PA139. Retrieved 2014-03-18.
- ↑ "A Year in Review 2014 and Financial Report". Project AWARE. http://www.projectaware.org/resource/year-review-2014.
- ↑ "Dive Against Debris". Project AWARE. http://www.projectaware.org/project/dive-against-debris.
- ↑ "Volunteers join in to help clean up waters of Holmes Beach". http://www.baynews9.com/content/news/baynews9/news/article.html/content/news/articles/bn9/2014/6/21/holmes_beach_clean.html.
- ↑ "Project AWARE - 250 Locations (and Counting) to Monitor Coral Reefs". Sport Diver. http://www.sportdiver.com/article/padi-news/project-aware-250-locations-and-counting-to-monitor-coral-reefs.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 staff (25 January 2008). "Reef Check Partners With Project AWARE Foundation". Reef Check. http://reefcheck.org/news/news_detail.php?id=312.
- ↑ staff. "Marine debris". Project AWARE. http://www.projectaware.org/project/marine-debris.
- ↑ staff (19 September 2003). "Divers in river rubbish clear-up". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/suffolk/3124446.stm.
- ↑ staff (15 September 2011). "Eugene Skin Divers Supply dives against debris". KVAL-TV. http://www.kval.com/communities/thurston/195013421.html.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 "A year in review". 2014. http://www.projectaware.org/sites/default/files/A%20Year%20in%20Review%202014_A4.pdf.
- ↑ "Partner Agreement". http://www.projectaware.org/sites/default/files/100%25%20AWARE%20Partner%20Agreement%20English.pdf.
External links
- Project AWARE Foundation website
- Project AWARE page on LinkedIn
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