Top Ten Ways to Protect the Ocean
Our Planet’s name is deceptive; we call it Earth. In fact, 70% of it is covered by water. The ocean is vital to life. The water we drink, the air we breath, the entire ecosystem relies on it. For eons we’ve been taking marine life away from the oceans, and polluting it. Today we run the risk of making the planet uninhabitable for ourselves, and all the creatures we share it with.
You can help make a difference by doing one or all of the following:
1. Avoid seafood products.
Make the decision to stop consuming or using seafood products reduces the demand for it. Factory, unregulated, and illegal fishing will continue to decimate stocks if demand exists. Want to know more? Google ‘World Fish Stocks’.
For many of us it can be hard to resist that urge to go out for sushi. So if you must, please eat sustainable seafood and follow the Seafood Watch Guidelines.
2. Pickup garbage wherever you find it.
Take a bag for a walk. Pick up garbage off the beach, or anywhere else for that matter. It helps prevent human waste ending up in our seas. We’re seeing more and more pictures of animals being caught up in debris, and even worse some are eating plastic waste as it resembles food they normally eat.
3. Avoid one use plastics.
Take a mug from home to work instead of using disposable plastic cups. Take a moment, and think about all the places we’re given plastic, and how quickly it ends up being thrown away.
4. Reduce.
Walk to the store next time, rather than taking the car. Fix that leaking tap. Put a sweater on. Change your lights to LED.
5. Reuse.
Reuse that plastic bottle until it’s no longer reusable. Find a repair shop rather than buying a new one when something breaks. Keep that cardboard box, and reuse it, or share it with a friend.
6. Recycle.
Recycle everything you can. Plastics, bottles, cans, paper, cardboard, etc. ...
7. Help raise awareness.
Join your local marine conservation society, or volunteer. Get involved on some level. Take pictures, and share them. Think conservation, good or bad.
8. Vote responsibly.
Support governments who see the future, and nature as something to be preserved for the next generation.
9. Be careful out there.
Be mindful when you’re taking pictures underwater that you’re not harming or touching anything. Ensure good buoyancy skills by checking you’re weighted correctly. Leave only bubbles behind. You’ll take better pictures! Don’t throw litter of any kind into the water.
10. Educate yourself, and others.
Read books, watch TV, and surf the net about ocean welfare, and marine life. There is no shortage of information these days. With your newly gained knowledge you’ll be itching to share your enthusiasm with others.
RECOMMENDED ARTICLES
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Robert has worked professionally on commercial television sets doing production photography, shot modern dance for the art department at the University of Calgary, and has worked in a freelance capacity shooting a variety of subjects. Rob worked as a NAUI scuba instructor, and then instructor trainer for the University of Calgary from 1993-1999. He is still an avid diver, and never dives without a camera.
He moved to Europe in the late 1990s and now resides in the UK.
Robert has enjoyed success in both national and international underwater photography competitions over the years. As a result his images have been published in national magazines, books, scientific publications, and newspapers in the UK. He’s an active committee member for the British Society of Underwater Photographers (BSoUP), and the website administrator for the Bristol Underwater Photography Group (BUPG). He’s written several articles for national dive magazines, and often gives presentations on his own underwater photography and photographic technique for photographic clubs in the UK.
Robert worked as a technical specialist, and then technical account manager in the IT industry for many years, and now works part time as a photographer, and full time as editor for the Underwater Photography Guide.
You can see more of Robert's work at www.robertbaileyphotography.com
SUPPORT THE UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY GUIDE:
The Best Service & Prices on u/w Photo Gear
Visit Bluewater Photo & Video for all your underwater photography and video gear. Click, or call the team at (310) 633-5052 for expert advice!
The Best Pricing, Service & Expert Advice to Book your Dive Trips
Bluewater Travel is your full-service scuba travel agency. Let our expert advisers plan and book your next dive vacation. Run by divers, for divers.
