The Beauty of Better -

The Beauty of Better

On Being Better Divers and Ocean Stewards

Article by Cathryn Castle Garcia, SDI Instructor

Once upon a time, way back in the early 1980s, divers, me included, fed bread (or worse, canned spray cheese called Cheez Whiz) to reef fishes. If we didn’t have bread or spray cheese handy, we brandished our gigantic dive knives to stab sea urchins or pry limpets off submerged rocks to attract fishes. We held onto coral with our gloved hands, too.

We weren’t monsters. We just didn’t know better.

Fast forward to now. Now we know better. And we’re doing better. Change didn’t happen overnight, but I promise, I wouldn’t dare offer “squeeze cheese” to a yellowtail snapper today. (For the record, I’ll also never get my hair permed and you’ll never catch me wearing blue eyeshadow. Lessons learned.)

The global diving community has learned a thing or two about marine ecology since the ‘80s. We understand that fishes don’t benefit from a diet of bread and cheese. And we respect the sea urchins’ role in the health of the coral reef ecosystem. We no longer view corals as pretty rocks, but as living structures comprised of thousands of individual animals called polyps.

So yes, we’ve made progress. But new problems now plague us. Once upon a time, we thought the sea was filled with a limitless supply of riches, ripe and ready for exploitation. The sea was so big there was no way our demand for seafood could outpace the sea’s ability to regenerate. And we didn’t foresee our growing reliance on single-use plastics as a problem, or that rising ocean temperatures would damage coral reefs. But that was then. Now, to put a complicated problem into plain language, our oceans – including the coral reefs we love exploring – are in deep doodoo. So, what do we do? I suggest we do what poet and activist Maya Angelou famously said we should do, “Do the best you can do until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better.”

Divers Doing Better

Problems like warming ocean temperatures and plastic pollution are bigger than we are, but that doesn’t mean we should shrug and assume there’s nothing we can do to help. First, we start where we are. It’s okay to start small. In fact, starting small and making simple changes is a proven approach. Each of us doing our part is what makes change possible. In the words of anthropologist Margaret Mead, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

Here are some suggestions to improve your diving skills and conservation practices in ways that are helpful:

Perfect your buoyancy control. The goal is to be able to comfortably move about the dive site without making contact. Accidentally kicking a coral is an accident but avoiding it is awesome. Consider enrolling in both the SDI Advanced Buoyancy Control and Marine Ecosystem Awareness courses. This combination of courses will teach the “why” of marine conservation and the “how” of perfecting your trim and buoyancy as a diver.
Support a project or cause. Find a nonprofit organization with a mission that you can support. ReefCheck.org’s Coral Reef Program enlists recreational sport divers to survey reefs using a globally standardized protocol that scientists can use to assess reef health. ReefRenewalUSA.com plants corals in the Florida Keys and they offer volunteer divers the chance to help. They also have an Ambassador program that equips volunteers to use social media to promote their coral conservation projects. If you can’t participate in person or as a social media influencer, consider donating to your favorite ocean-themed nonprofit. A web search will offer countless options. Once you find a nonprofit that interests you, use a charity evaluator like CharityNavigator.org or CharityWatch.org to find out if they’re legit.

Check the labels. When planning a tropical dive trip, make sure your sunscreen and body products are labeled “reef safe.” Some sunscreens have been proven to contain chemicals harmful to corals. At home, adopt an “all rivers lead to the sea” practice when it comes to your choice of detergents, pesticides and weed killers. Select products that will get the job done without creating harmful environmental consequences downstream.
Calculate your carbon footprint to help cool the planet. The production of greenhouse gases by humans is a major contributor to a rise in ocean surface temperatures across the globe. A carbon footprint is a value or index of the total amount of greenhouse gases we generate. You can find a free carbon footprint calculator at CarbonFootprint.com, where you can also learn how to support carbon offsetting projects, which fund solutions to reducing carbon emissions.
Consider your seafood consumption. Visit SeafoodWatch.org to view their comprehensive seafood guides, designed to help you make sustainable choices and avoid consuming seafood harvested using destructive fishing or farming methods. If you live in an area where collecting your own seafood is possible, consider enrolling in an SDI Underwater Hunter and Collector course to learn how to safely combine diving and hunting.
Audit your consumption of single-use plastics. For one week, keep a list of all the single-use plastics you consume. This includes water and soda bottles, take-out food packaging and utensils and other items that get used once before getting tossed. Check the list and notice any “needs improvement” areas. Next, look for ways to reduce your reliance upon single-use plastics. Maybe consider investing in a refillable water bottle and reusable grocery bags. If you regularly order takeout, say no to plastic cutlery often included with your order. If you have condiments at home or at the office, say no to those little plastic packages of ketchup, mayo and soy sauce, too. It might seem insignificant, but over time these micro changes add up.

We can’t expect major change to happen overnight. But by educating ourselves and consistently doing better, we can become better divers and stewards of our ocean planet.