Close X
Thursday, November 28, 2024
ADVT 
Life

Protecting oceans and marine life, one volunteer at a time

Darpan News Desk, 09 Jun, 2016 10:27 AM
  • Protecting oceans and marine life, one volunteer at a time
The biggest threat to thousands of species and the health of natural environments is human pollution. Since Projects Abroad launched its first Conservation & Environment Project in 2000, the organization and its volunteers have been committed to educating local communities about their impact on the environment and the importance of reducing waste. In recent years, this has become a major focus at Diving & Marine Conservation Projects due to the enormous amount of waste that is dumped in oceans.
 
Last year, volunteers collected more than 8000 kilograms of waste during community clean-ups, with 5000 kilograms collected in Thailand alone, reports Nathalie Claessens, a Program Advisor for Projects Abroad Canada. "Each of our offices said that the majority of this waste was a form of plastic – one of the most serious threats to marine wildlife."
 
It was clear that further steps needed to be taken to address this crisis and the organization began running campaigns in Cambodia and Fiji. Here, volunteers travelled into communities to distribute reusable cotton bags that could replace plastic bags, ran awareness campaigns about the negative impact of plastic on marine life and ecosystems, and built recycling stations in local schools. The Conservation Project in Cambodia is itself plastic free and staff and volunteers use bamboo straws and reuse glass bottles.
 
"We all share the responsibility to minimize waste and take the state of our oceans seriously," says Claessens. "Participating in a Diving & Marine Conservation Project gives anyone the opportunity to get actively involved in protecting endangered marine species and environments, especially coral reefs."
 
A lot of the work also revolves around education – for an important reason, as Claessens explains. "The local community plays a significant role in conservation efforts. Our volunteers discuss various topics with them, from overfishing to responsible waste disposal. In the long term, we hope our efforts will produce ecologically sound and economically sustainable solutions and stimulate local community action for generations to come."
 
Projects Abroad runs three Diving & Marine Conservation Projects in Belize, Cambodia, and Thailand. There are no requirements to join and volunteers spend their first week learning to scuba dive and getting their PADI Open Water certification before getting further involved in activities in the water. Each program has long-term goals in place and research conducted is shared with local authorities and international scientists. The organization also runs other marine-focused conservation programs: Shark Conservation in Fiji and Sea-turtle and Coastal Conservation in Mexico.
 

MORE Life ARTICLES

No stopping teenagers from sharing naked selfies: Survey

No stopping teenagers from sharing naked selfies: Survey
With the spurt in technology, more and more teenagers are sending naked selfies and the trend is only getting bigger and disturbing for parents and....

No stopping teenagers from sharing naked selfies: Survey

Life stressors driving teenage girls towards depression

Life stressors driving teenage girls towards depression
More and more teenage girls are falling into the depression trap and this may be the result of girls' greater exposure to stressful interpersonal...

Life stressors driving teenage girls towards depression

Good experiences are best shared: Study

Good experiences are best shared: Study
If you are planning to visit your dream destination all alone, think again! Researchers have found that undergoing an experience with another...

Good experiences are best shared: Study

How women know when to say 'yes' to sex

How women know when to say 'yes' to sex
By studying the genes in fruit flies that control mate choice, researchers at the Case Western Reserve University found one gene that, when...

How women know when to say 'yes' to sex

Abusive bosses can make employees counter-productive

Abusive bosses can make employees counter-productive
Employees who are verbally abused by supervisors are more likely to "act out" at work - doing everything from taking a too-long lunch break to stealing...

Abusive bosses can make employees counter-productive

Those Potted Perennials Can Make It Through The Winter - If You Prep Correctly

Those Potted Perennials Can Make It Through The Winter - If You Prep Correctly
In simpler times, container gardening was small-scale landscaping using flowering annuals. Enjoy their colour for one season and go with something new the next.

Those Potted Perennials Can Make It Through The Winter - If You Prep Correctly