Sharks In Peril

Project AWARE Foundation
Annual Report
2010
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Diver
s Conser
SM
nts
e
m
n
o
r
i
ving Underwater Env
front cover photo courtesy of Mayan Divers, Honduras
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back cover photo courtesy of Norik Sub Brezovica, Slovenia
This page photos COURTESY of Meridis at Dhonakulhi, Maldives
Our Mission
Project AWARE Foundation conserves
underwater environments through
education, advocacy and action. Project
Table of Contents
AWARE offices in the United States,
United Kingdom, Australia, Switzerland and
Japan combine efforts to protect aquatic
resources in 180 countries and territories
Mobilizing a Movement of Divers
Ocean Protection
Marine Debris Solutions
Sharks In Peril
Coral Reefs, AWARE Kids and More
photo COURTESY of Jordi Atienza Diving, Costa Brava, Spain
Message from the Chairman
of the world.
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Project AWARE Foundation Grants
Support Conservation
Special Thanks
About Us
Project AWARE Foundation Team
photo COURTESY of Divecorner, Frauenfeld, Switzerland
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Message from
the Chairman
A Movement in the Making
For 21 years Project AWARE Foundation has stood for
conservation of underwater environments – from our
beginnings in education and awareness to years of building
grassroots action. In fact, that has been our identity. We’re
very grateful to all the divers, advocates and volunteers
in more than 100 countries and territories who’ve made
great strides for conservation to date.
This year, Project AWARE began laying the groundwork
for change. We’re flipping the switch on a powerful
movement for ocean protection – a movement that has
been in the making for many years.
8th June 2011. Project AWARE partnered with the best
in marine science and technology to lay the foundation
for an organizational relaunch. Our new logo, brand
and mission statement will reflect our strengthened
movement of divers. And our new online community will
put divers at the helm, fueling renewed support for ocean
environments.
Divers, numbering in the millions, have a long history of
activism for ocean protection. But ocean issues continue
to evolve and pressures on our underwater environments
increase. So in 2010 we’ve laid aggressive plans to evolve
as an organization and to meet these challenges in
different ways. It’s time to do more.
In the following pages of the 2010 Annual Report, take a
look at the actions of divers around the world. These are
stories from your fellow dive buddies or even the dive
center down the street. Together, we’re making ready for a
new ocean future – one that reverses current downward
trends in ocean health and abundance.
Unprecedented global meetings gathered staff and
board members in April 2010. There, a new movement
was conceived, one that will take our combined ocean
protection efforts to the next level. We’re a powerful,
passionate and growing community - a movement with
a purpose - and we see the destruction of underwater
environments with our own eyes.
Thank you for standing together with us to change the
ocean’s fate.
With new strategies and stronger action plans for the
future, the Boards approved major investments in 2010 to
pave the way for this new movement - set to launch on
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Dr. Drew Richardson
Chairman
Project AWARE Foundation
Sincerely,
Dr. Drew Richardson
Chairman, Project AWARE Foundation
photo COURTESY of china dive and happy diving, china
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Mobilizing a Movement of Divers
If divers do not take an active role in protecting
the underwater realm… then who? – John Cronin,
Co-Founder Project AWARE Foundation and CEO of PADI
(1928-2003).
It’s remarkable to look at the past 21 years of Project
AWARE Foundation. The faces and the places that have all
contributed to where we are today – a powerful group
of passionate individuals striving for ocean protection in
every corner of the globe. From Thailand to Brazil, Italy
to Australia and the United States to Africa, thousands of
individuals have put their passion to work for conservation.
In 2010, we began to lay the foundation for our future,
describe new approaches for pressing marine conservation
issues – ones in which divers can have a real impact. We
photo COURTESY of viva diving, Freeport, bahamas
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have re-organized our long-standing organization inside
and out.
Why now? At Project AWARE, we work with about 1000
community organizers and dive professionals each year.
But, the tried and true ways of community organizing are
ways of the past. Technology and social media are changing
everything and we must change with it. That is why the
time is now.
It’s time to scale-up our work together. Now, we’re
creating a new way of working based on an interconnected
web of shared experience and action. One that moves
at the speed of the web and one in which we have the
combined power to shape the protection of our ocean
planet.
photo COURTESY of Sussex Scuba, Sussex, England
photo COURTESY of Balkysub, Spain
The future for Project AWARE is about creating a renewed
sense of urgency for the ocean and uniting the world
around concrete solutions. It’s about mobilizing and
supporting the work of scuba divers globally, making a
measureable impact, combining thousands of underwater
actions and adding them up for lasting ocean policy and
protection.
This year, we began to build the new Project AWARE
movement:
• Refocusing on two major ocean issues where
divers have the power to affect real outcomes
internationally: sharks in peril and marine debris.
• Constructing new, aggressive action plans for each
of these program areas. These action plans are based
on measurable outcomes for the future of the ocean
planet.
• Creating a revived brand including a new logo,
mission and vision statements to clearly communicate
our new movement and demonstrate our unique
approach to ocean protection.
• Building new online community structures and
investing in technology that will change the way we
work together.
Exciting times are ahead and we’re looking forward to
the next decade of conservation action. Our ocean future
depends on it.
phOTO COURTESY of B&J Diving, Malaysia
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Ocean
Protection
Top Ten Trash Items Found
The Facts
Marine Debris Solutions
Every diver has favorite ocean places. And AWARE divers
are protecting their favorites hands-on, removing marine
debris by the boat load and contributing data to address
debris prevention. Together, we’ve removed debris from
underwater environments for 17 years, and 2010 was no
exception. Divers tackled debris projects in 96 countries
this year – from their own communities to some of the
most remote ocean places.
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175,018
Plastic Bottles
3
5
81,878
Plastic Bags
49,061
Caps, Lids
7
46,109
Beverage Cans
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photo COURTESY of blue view divers, thailand
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28,388
Straws,
Stirrers
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89,945
Cigarette
Filters
4
56,653
Food Wrappers
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8
10
48,764
Glass Bottles
42,856
Fishing Line
26,309
Cups, Plates,
Utensils
Cleanups In The Spotlight
Locals Clean Up Every Day
Ketut Ena Partha, Owner and Manager of Ena Dive Center and Marine
Adventures, Bali, Indonesia, employs five staff to clean the mangrove
areas every day during the high season. 90 percent of the rubbish found
is plastic transported by the river from the local village. The dive centre
is also involved in mangrove plantation and coral farming. In addition to
providing jobs, Pak Ena believes it’s crucial for the community to protect
the environment. His motto is: “Make this planet a better place to leave”.
photo COURTES
Y of david roe
Shocking Cleanup, Germany
Dive volunteers from Volker’s Tauchschule, Germany, cleaned a stretch
of 3 km underwater for about six hours. The many helpers on land were
also joined by the police when divers found two intact grenades and a
gun.Volker Sperling and volunteers also recovered items including a fire
extinguisher, heater, electrical appliances and paint containers. In total,
they removed nearly 6500 kg/14,330 pounds of trash as well as a dead
pike entangled in fishing line. “It’s quite shocking to see that people
dispose of household devices in our precious waters even though
y
there are recycling facilities available,” said Sperling.
German
le,
lker’s
Y of Vo
photo
TES
COUR
Tauchschu
Team Effort, Mauritius
“The clean up was a great success and with the help of our
divers and club members, we have been able to show the general
public that divers really care for the environment and we need
everybody’s help to make it a success. I would like to thank Project
AWARE for all the support and my team of volunteers for their
dedication and passion. We all look forward to the next clean up,”
comments Mukesh, Explorer Diving World, Mauritius.
photo COURTES
Y of sandro Kraw
inkler
Goose’s Scuba Shack and the Huge Haul
TESY of
photo COUR
Gooses Scuba
go, USA
Shack, chica
Goose’s Scuba Shack pulled off a great underwater & shoreline cleanup at
the East Chicago Marina, IN, USA. 15 divers had their work cut out for them
and hauled out 750 pounds/340 kilograms of marine debris from beneath
the harbor. The group found a lot of large items including twenty nine tires,
three 55 gallon/208 liter drums, and two lawn chairs. The organizer of the
event, Sharon Brown exclaimed; “Removing the tires and the 55 gallon
drums was a huge task but great for the environment. Removing debris of
any size, big or small keeping it out of our waters is a benefit to us all. Just
if everyone would pick up one item once a day or week just think how
much cleaner our world, our water would be. Thanks for all your support
Project AWARE!”
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Sharks In Peril
Why do divers care about shark species on the brink of
collapse? Sharks signal a wild, vibrant ocean, and they’re
central to the health of the marine environment.
Divers are some of sharks’ closest friends and allies.
Together, we’re working to close loopholes in existing
shark policies in the countries where they matter most,
such as the European Union’s finning ban. We’re also
insisting on full protection for Endangered and Critically
Endangered sharks and demand specific protections under
the Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species (CITES).
Give Sharks a Fighting Chance
In response to the results of the Conference of the Parties
to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species (CITES), Qatar, March 2010, Project AWARE
Foundation launched a petition to help protect sharks on
the brink beginning World Oceans Day, 8 June. In just a few
short months nearly 50,000 divers from around the world
united for shark protection and shared their support on
the petition.
“Divers are some of shark’s strongest advocates and share
a deep concern for threatened shark populations. We
need to let governments know that we’re outraged that
short term economic interests won out over the advice
of science at the recent CITES meetings where the effort
to restrict trade for eight threatened shark species failed,”
said Jenny Miller Garmendia, Director, Project AWARE
Foundation.
CITES proposals to restrict trade in eight shark species
– spiny dogfish, porbeagle, oceanic whitetip, scalloped
hammerhead, great hammerhead, smooth hammerhead,
dusky and sandbar sharks – failed to receive the required
two-thirds vote majority, representing victory for narrow,
short-term economic interests over science and the longterm benefits of conservation.
Shark populations are devastated by overexploitation,
including targeted fishing, bycatch and finning. Armed
with support from AWARE divers worldwide, Project
AWARE will continue gaining the attention of policymakers
internationally – to close loopholes in existing shark
management policies.
Sign the Petition
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www.projectaware.org/givesharksachance
photo courtesy of phil simha
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Shark Heroes In The Spotlight
Shark Sighting in Canada
The great white shark sighting shocked many residents
of Langley, British Columbia, Canada, as Langley
Diving held a parade and took to the streets in diving
gear and a shark costume. The parade led into the
ribbon-cutting ceremony for their new dive shop
and a barbeque party to help raise funds for Project
AWARE’s global shark protection efforts. Way to get
attention for a great cause.
photo COUR
TESY of lan
gley diving,
british columb
ia, canada
Shark Guardian
photo
ESY of
COURT
Brendon
Sing
The name “Shark Guardian” is the brainchild of PADI
Course Director Brendon Sing. He has made shark
conservation and education the focal point of his work.
Thanks to funding from Project AWARE Foundation, Brendon
has developed a unique program, dedicated to spreading
awareness of the plight of sharks around the world. His
multimedia presentations are offered in international schools
and dive centres in countries including South Africa, Thailand,
Malaysia and Indonesia. Brendon is also supporting Project
AWARE’s “Help Give Sharks a Fighting Chance” campaign
by having participants sign Project AWARE’s petition.
Shark Heroes
To celebrate European Shark Week, Sub-Mission Dive
Centre in Stoke on Trent, United Kingdom, and Camel
Dive in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, held a Shark Awareness
Evening to raise the profile of sharks under threat and
the grim reality of the shark finning trade. Signatures
were collected for the Give Sharks a Fighting Chance
Petition and attendees wrote their Members of
European Parliament to support the closing of shark
finning loopholes in the European Union.
photo COUR
TESY of sub
-mission dive
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centre, uk
European Union Finning Ban
In January 2010, Suzanne Pleydell, Project AWARE
Foundation Policy Director, with the Shark Alliance
delegation, handed over the 2009 European Shark Week
petition to Alejandro Palanco Mata, General Director of
Fisheries Resources and Aquaculture and Mar Fernandez,
of the Spanish Ministry of Environment, Rural and Marine
Affairs. It was signed by over 90,000 concerned shark
enthusiasts urging Spain to end its opposition to improving
the EU ban on finning – cutting off a shark’s fins and
discarding its body at sea – and lead the EU toward a more
effective finning regulation.
“The ever-increasing interest in European Shark Week
(ESW) brought unprecedented opportunities for divers
and shark enthusiasts to demonstrate concern about
sharks,” said Suzanne Pleydell, “This year, ESW opened with
photo COURTESY of scubafish, thailand
photo COURTESY of Justin Van Rensburg
a call on Members of European Parliament (MEPs) to focus
on finning. The response and engagement from the diving
community has been essential in showing the commitment
of European citizens to the conservation of sharks. “
The Written Declaration 71/2010 on shark finning
achieved a majority with 423 of the 736 MEPs adding their
names. Endorsed as a Resolution of the Parliament, it was
forwarded to the European Commission, who launched a
public consultation on options for amending the regulation,
including a ban on at-sea fin removal.
“I would like to thank EU citizens for encouraging us to
take action. It sends a powerful message to EU decision
makers that these valuable yet vulnerable species must
be protected,” commented Jean-Paul Besset, MEP, France,
Greens/European Free Alliance.
photo COURTESY of bans diving resort, thailand
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Coral Reefs, AWARE Kids
and More
There’s still hope for many of our extraordinary marine
environments. Scuba divers worldwide work tirelessly
to combat coral bleaching, vanishing species and other
threats by engaging local communities, supporting
science-based management and monitoring coral reefs.
Together, we’re tackling ocean issues head-on at every
opportunity.
CoralWatch
The world’s coral reefs are under severe stress. Widespread coral bleaching was a cause for concern throughout 2010
and Project AWARE received reports from across the globe from Thailand to the USA.
Project AWARE divers have helped contribute over 26,000 coral data points since CoralWatch began in 2003. And
thanks to new tools from University of Queensland’s CoralWatch, submitting coral health data has gotten even easier.
Our partner, CoralWatch, launched a brand new website which includes new monitoring and support tools as well as the
capability for divers to view their local coral data in a clear and informative way. Scientists studying bleaching are also able
to view incoming data to learn more about coral bleaching. Certified divers can also learn more and earn themselves a
PADI Diver Certification by completing the new CoralWatch Coral Health Chart Distinctive Specialty.
CoralWatch Data Shows Reefs
Recovering
, Thailand
er, Koh Tao
div
lWatch
Project
19
ora
AWARE C
Mid-year the reefs off Koh Tao, Thailand were showing
signs of coral bleaching never seen before by many of
the islands residents. PADI Instructor, Marcel van den
Berg from Bans Diving Resort recently took eight
student divers to monitor the extent of the bleaching
using CoralWatch. Marcel said, “This was my first
time teaching CoralWatch and it was so much fun!
The Reef is now almost fully recovered, but it was a
big shock. It’s now up to us as dive professionals to
make sure new divers understand these changes and
how to help log data with Project AWARE. I hope
we can all enjoy the magical colourful world we
have underwater for generations to come!”
CoralWatch Divers in Utila
Utila Dive Center, Utila, Honduras has trained
80 PADI Divemasters on CoralWatch coral health
monitoring methodology in 2010. They include
CoralWatch as part of the Divemaster program
to give an extra value to student training, increase
awareness of the environment for dive professionals
and to benefit the Coral Watch program and Utila’s
reefs at a local level. So far data has been collected
for more than 33 coral sites around Utila. “Not
only has my understanding of coral reefs improved,
by my buoyancy and dive skills are so much more
advanced,” said one trainee.
divers surve
y reef
Malaysian Dive Centres Rally to Remove
Net from Corals
The campaign to remove a fishing net at Tekong Bahara Marine
Park, Malaysia began on Dive for Earth Day 2010. The net was
located by the local Marine Park Pahang who worked alongside
B& J Diving and Eco Divers to rescue the reef. Tioman dive
centres rallied together to remove the net choking marine life
and encompassing the coral. Eco Divers successfully cleared
two of the four nets leaving the final effort to B& J Diving
volunteers.
Y of eco
photo
ES
COURT
divers,
a
malaysi
Aquaworld Working with Local Youth
Aquaworld, Cancun, Mexico monitors reefs regularly,
observing how the environment is effected each day, month
and year. Aquaworld is trying to make a change in the
environment by teaching local school children about marine
debris in relation to local marine life. Teaching the youth to
love and respect the fragile life that is in need of protection.
Aquaworld conducts the AWARE Kids program, encouraging
kids to conduct local beach cleanups as well as leading glass
bottom boat trips to foster a greater appreciation of their
work. “You never know, these children may be inspired to
become the manager of a scuba diving company or a big
business who will make decisions that can protect the
reefs and mangroves,” says Juan Cardona.
photo COUR
TESY of Aqua
World, Cancun
, Me
xico
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AWARE Kids Art Contest 2010
Project AWARE Foundation was overwhelmed by
all the beautiful creations entered into the
2010 International Year of Biodiversity Threatened Underwater Animals:
You Can Make a Difference Art Contest
Ksenia Baymut - Hungary
“People should understand that
protecting sharks and other sea animals
are protecting human beings and earth!”
Kairui, Age 7
Lalida Thanawitchitphan - Thailand
Over 900 entries were received from children
ages 3 to 12. The variety of imagery and the
stories told to us were amazing.
Congratulations to all of our budding
conservationists. The global winners received a
special award plaque featuring their artwork.
Caitlin D - UK
Angela Pousa Rodriguez - Spain
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Jun Ru Luo, - Canada
Hajid Hussain - UK
Lam Wing Man - Hong Kong
“Reefs make the ocean more colorful and livable. We should
protect the reef to make ocean a good balance. The pollution is a
big killer to the threatened reef. Stop pollution!” Stella, Age 10
Project AWARE Foundation
Grants
Supporting Research Education and Grassroots Action
The Project AWARE Foundation Grants Program funds vital projects in key focus areas. Although in mid-2010, funding
was on hold as Project AWARE staff and board entered into a strategic review process, to include the grant program, the
continued generosity of individual divers and advocates Project AWARE awarded 46 conservation projects in the early
months of 2010 with a total of $128,315 US in grant support.
Grants in the Spotlight
New Moorings for the Gili’s, Indonesia
25 new moorings have been placed around Gili Islands,
Indonesia thanks to funding from Project AWARE.
Tourist and cargo boats have caused some damage to
the island’s shallow reefs. In addition to deploying the
new moorings, the Gili Eco Trust has also created
signage to explain the importance of the reefs, the
role they play in protecting the beach from erosion
and how to protect them for the future.
photo COUR
TESY of the
gili ecotrust
, indonesia
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Grants in the Spotlight
BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Winners of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2010
were announced at a gala awards ceremony held at the
Natural History Museum, London, October 2010. The
Big Four, by Tony Wu, an inspiring shot of a large group
of sperm whales in the Caribbean, won the Underwater
World category of the competition, sponsored by
Project AWARE. This category celebrates the memorable
behaviour and aesthetic appeal of marine or freshwater
species captured underwater.
photo COUR
TESY of ton
y wu
Ocean Education, Italy
Gianluca Pomati, Italy received funding to take serious ocean
issues on the road – to public audiences and classrooms in Italy.
The education program included the basics of marine ecology
and amazing ocean creatures found underwater. Discussions
with children and adults alike, shed light on human impacts
on fragile ecosystems, including shark finning, pollution and
biodiversity loss.
photo
C
Y of
OURTES
Gianluca
i, italy
Pomat
Tennessee River Rescue, USA
More than 25 partner organizations and nearly 800 individuals
from the Chatanooga community, Tennessee, USA, volunteered
support for the 2010 Tennessee River Rescue. On foot,
underwater, by canoe and in boats, these volunteers canvassed
18 zones across three counties to take back river health and
raise awareness about the importance of caring for our aquatic
environments. The experience was overall a great success, as one
volunteer summed up by saying, “I’ve volunteered at the Spring
Creek Zone the last three years. This year was the largest turn
out I’ve seen. 92 volunteers came out to help. We pulled 75 tires,
40 shopping carts and 19.5 cubic feet of other trash out of the
creek.” Event organizers said, “We are grateful for the Project
AWARE’s investment in our efforts to ensure the event’s success.
Your support provided grabbers and trash bags, the essential tools
community volunteers needed to succeed in the cleanup effort.”
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photo COURTESY
er rescue
of tennesse riv
Photo Contest
photo courtesy of Projeto Tamar Brazi Marine Photobank
SeaWeb and the Project AWARE
Foundation announced the winners of the
third annual Ocean in Focus conservation
photography contest.This year’s contest
attracted hundreds of submissions to
SeaWeb’s Marine Photobank from
amateur and professional photographers
alike who have depicted species in need
of protection, the human impacts upon
them, and the importance of conserving
biodiversity in the ocean. The photos are
specifically poignant and meaningful as this
is the International Year of Biodiversity.
The Ocean in Focus grand prize was
awarded to Guy Marcovaldi from Bahia,
Brazil. Marcovaldi’s winning shot is of
an abandoned fishing net ensnaring sea
turtles off the coast of Brazil. “These
kinds of photographs allow people who
probably wouldn’t have access to the
marine environment to see the problems
and care about marine conservation.”
Marcovaldi also won a runner-up prize
for a photo of an albatross hooked on a
longline, another form of bycatch that
regularly kills seabirds and turtles.
All winning images and other
submissions for the 2010 contest can
be viewed at and downloaded from the
Marine Photobank
(www.marinephotobank.org).
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Support Conservation
with Project AWARE
Every gift you give helps drive a global movement empowering divers to protect
aquatic habitats for future generations. Donations support marine species
research, large scale cleanup projects and grassroots community action.
Volunteering
Actions like volunteering for underwater cleanups and coral reef monitoring
puts your dive skills to work for conservation. Thousands of volunteers, dive
professionals and water enthusiasts show their dedication to improving their
local aquatic environment every year. Become an AWARE volunteer and give
the gift of time.
photo COURTESY of lucky dive centre, netherlands
Donations
All gifts support grassroots conservation on a global scale. Whether it’s a one off
donation through the PADI certification card or a regular gift each month your
support is vital. Corporate donations help get larger projects off the ground for
example sponsorship of International Cleanup Day.
Fundraising
Fundraising activities are a great way of raising awareness and supporting
conservation. Anyone can host a fundraising event with their dive club or local
community. Fundraising ideas include treasure hunts, barbeques, raffles and
auctions.
Bequests
You can be a coastal custodian for future generations by leaving a legacy gift
to Project AWARE Foundation.Your deferred gift supports the cause you care
about. By leaving a gift to Project AWARE Foundation you can help protect life in
the ocean for the future.
photo COURTESY of Sun International Diving School, Maldives
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photo COURTESY of Unguja Divers, Tanzania
photo COURTESY of Dive Bus, Curacao
Special Thanks
Sincere thanks to the ongoing commitment of individuals, foundations and special contributors in 2010 for their
invaluable support.Your generous response to conservation challenges is critical to Project AWARE’s success and we
extend gratitude to everyone who has either recently joined or remained a dedicated participant in this movement for
change worldwide. With your support, everything is possible.
Project AWARE has individually thanked each and every supporter personally. Here, we pay recognition to the following
major donors for making an exceptional commitment to conservation.
Alan Johnson
All About Scuba Diving, Thailand
Aqua Marine, South Korea
Arnt Morland
B& J Diving, Malaysia
Berjaya Tioman Resort, Malaysia
Blue Season Bali, Indonesia
Blue Zone Scuba, South Korea
Bobbi Hunter
Borneo Divers, Malaysia
Brian & Devin Cronin
Brian White
Brisbane Dive Academy, Australia
Carl Elliot
Cecilia Pezzuti
Chevron Corporation
Chris Malachowsky
Christiane Brouwer
Christopher Herrod
Colin Miles, Berkshire Dive Crew, UK
David Palmer
Deborah Springborn
Deuk Yong Lee
Dive Centre Manly, Australia
Dive HQ Whitianga, New Zealand
Divemasters, Indonesia
Divers Edu, South Korea
Diving Adventure Limited, Hong Kong
Diving Plaza, Australia
DMAD Clothing Thailand
Downbelow Marine & Wildlife
Adventures,Malaysia
Eco Scuba, South Korea
Edwin Van Eeuwen
Emma Durston
Eric Rush
Fabienne Martinie
Frauenverein Erlenbach
Freestyle Divers, Singapore
Gangga Divers, Indonesia
Gianluca Lamberti
Go Diving, South Korea
J. Douglas Townsend
James Cole
Jason Moellerr
Jeffrey Kao
Jeffrey Smith
Jill Kuehnert
Joe Perry
John Smallwood & Dream Divers, UK
Jorge Fernandez
José Alberto
José David Balcazar and Balky Sub, Spain
José Tourais
Joshua Abrams
Kim Langridge, Island Divers, Isle of Wight
Kim Rossi
Kristina Perlas
Kyoung Ro Lee
Lydia Verardo
Manta Reisen AG
Maral Bayaraa, UK
Mermaids Dive Centre, Thailand
Micronesian Divers Association Inc
Mimi Wan
Natalia Lopez-Maroto de Prado
Natalie Franz
NB Divers, South Korea
Neptune Diving, South Korea
Nicole Détry
Ok Jang
Olga White, Russia
PADI
Paranbada, South Korea
PD Star Dive Centre, China
Pedro Olivieira
Puri Wirata Dive Resort &Spa, Indonesia
Raul Ibañez
Raya Divers, Thailand
Ricardo Baratto
Scuba Nation, Cambodia
Scuba System, South Korea
Scubain, South Korea
Seoul Diving Academy, South Korea
September Mills
Seung Hoon Kim
Siew Kee Loh
Silke Scheder
Simon Chance, UK
Singapore American School, Singapore
Sonia Rodriguez
Sport Diver Magazine
Sport Diver Magazine, UK
Steve Dovey, UK
Suzanne Roat
The McBeth Foundation
The Widgeon Foundation
The Mullumbimby Steiner School, Australia
Thomas Haas
Thomas Richardson
TM Dive, South Korea
Todd Kirkpatrick
Todd Schedin
Tom Andris
Tom Jorna
United Divers, Australia
Wayne Hathaway
Werner Trossbach
Yale Gieszl
Yong Jin Kim
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About Us
photo COURTESY of Lucky Dive Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
Mission
Our History
Project AWARE Foundation conserves underwater
environments through education, advocacy and action.
Founded 1989, Project AWARE was created by a group of
environmental advocates at the Professional Association
of Diving Instructors (PADI), who were concerned about
emerging threats to the underwater world. In 1992
Project AWARE Foundation became a separate nonprofit
organization.
Who We Are
Project AWARE Foundation is a registered nonprofit
organization. In partnership with scuba divers and water
enthusiasts, Project AWARE offices located in the United
States, United Kingdom, Australia, Switzerland and Japan
combine efforts to conserve aquatic resources in more
than 180 countries and territories of the world.
What We Do
PADI remains a key partner donating generous in-kind
services to the foundation each year. Project AWARE’s
ongoing partnership with PADI encourages involvement
of divers and scuba professionals in conservation activities
across the globe.
Project AWARE Foundation works in partnership with
divers and water enthusiasts to combat challenges facing
underwater environments. Project AWARE and dedicated
volunteers are committed to conservation initiatives
including:
• Underwater Cleanups and Marine Debris
Prevention
• Coral Reef Conservation, Monitoring and Data
Collection
• Shark Education, Reporting and Conservation
• Improved Management Policies and Marine
Protection Efforts
• Environmental Training for Divers and Education
Programs for Kids
27
photo COURTESY of Ocean Reef, Guayaquil, Ecuador
Project AWARE Foundation Team
Project AWARE Foundation
Board of Directors
US Office
Dr. Drew Richardson, Chairman
Kristin Valette, Secretary and Treasurer
Jenny Miller Garmendia
Roger McManus
Dr. Deborah Brosnan
UK Office
Mark Caney, Chair
Suzanne Pleydell,Vice Chair, Secretary
Douglas Nash
Dr. Drew Richardson
Martin Rose, Treasurer
Australia Office
Henrik Nimb, Chairman
Jeremy Coleman, Treasurer
Dr. Drew Richardson
Kristin Valette
Jenny Miller Garmendia
Jenny Miller Garmendia, Executive Director
Suzanne Pleydell, Director
Mike Holme, Associate Director
Communications and Outreach
Tiffany Leite, Associate Director
Domino Albert, Marketing Coordinator
Diver Engagement
Joanne Marston, Associate Director
Dominic Ziegler, Manager
Jennifer Edmonds, Regional Coordinator
Lauren Wiskerson, Program Specialist
Science and Policy
Ania Budziak, Science and Policy Officer
Daniela Mulheim, Environmental Project Coordinator
David Roe, Marine Conservation Officer
Fundraising
David Knight, Development and Donor Relations
Joanna McNamara, Coordinator
Switzerland Office
Administration
Dr. Drew Richardson
Jenny Miller Garmendia
Jean-Claude Monachon
Erin Kincade, Office Administrator
Debbie Molesworth, Administrator
Honorary Board of Directors
photo courtesy of matava resort, fiji
Project AWARE Foundation Staff
Charles Beeker
David Bellamy
Neville Coleman
Patrick Cotter
Jean-Michel Cousteau
Sylvia Earle, Ph D
Tony Fontes
Monty Halls
Wolcott Henry
Jeremy Jackson, Ph D
Sharon Lawrence
Justin Marshall, Professor
Michael Newman
Blú Rivard
Mike Ross
Roger T. Rufe, Jr.
Seba Sheavly
Brian Skerry
Bob Talbot
Hillary Viders, Ph D
Japan Office
Michihisa Kimizuka, Manager
Kensuke Nukui, Coordinator
Hiroyuki Oshima, Liason
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Project AWARE Foundation
For more information, visit
www.projectaware.org or contact
Project AWARE Foundation.
30151 Tomas, Suite 200
Rancho Santa Margarita
CA, 92688-2125 USA
Phone: +1 866 80 AWARE (US and Canada)
or +1 949 858 7657
Fax: +1 949 267 1221
Email: information@projectaware.org
Unit 3, 4 Skyline Place
Frenchs Forest
NSW 2086, Australia
Tel: +61 2 9454 2890
Fax: +61 2 9454 2999
Email: info@projectaware.org.au
Unit 7, St. Philips Central
Albert Road, St. Philips
Bristol BS2 0PD
Great Britain
Phone: +44 (0)117 300 7313
Fax: +44 (0)117 300 7270
Email: info@projectaware.org.uk
Oberwilerstrasse 3
8442 Hettlingen
Switzerland
Phone: +41 52 243 32 32
Fax: +41 52 243 32 33
Email: info@projectaware.ch
Project AWARE (Volunteer Office) Japan
Phone: +81 3 5721 1731
Fax: +81 3 5721 1735
Email: padijpn@padi.co.jp