Marine ecology for divers. Can we make it a standard?

 

How many times have you heard or read that divers should be ambassadors of the underwater world? Who else but people who are passionate about diving – both scuba diving and freediving – can better express the need to take care of this fragile environment?

Sounds beautiful, doesn't it? Too bad that it's nothing but fiction.

It's been a long time since I've addressed a topic that weighs so heavily on my mind. What's more, I know from personal discussions and experience that it's easy to hit your head against a wall here.

Am I trying to swim against the tide? Perhaps.

This is one of those posts that I would have preferred not to publish. That is precisely why it had to be published.

If we choose to remain silent for too long, we risk losing our voice.

Should ecological education become standard in dive training?

I am convinced that current training models are making diving an increasingly safe activity. This is due to the development of technology, which is now virtually reliable, but above all to the implementation of highly effective procedures and standards. We have made diving really safe, which has made it accessible to a wide range of people, from children to people with various disabilities and the elderly. My oldest student was 82 years old! It's a truly fantastic phenomenon.

It would seem that the popularisation of diving and opening the door to the underwater world to such a large number of people would increase environmental awareness, especially with regard to the aquatic environment. However, this has not happened.

We have been able to look after ourselves – divers – very well, improving our safety, accessibility and comfort and increasing our capabilities. We became obsessed with technology and equipment. We can talk for hours about new CCRs, types of fins, suits and regulators. We talk about the depths we have reached, our personal records, and the challenging technical and cave dives we are proud of.

As a result, we have turned ethical and sustainable diving into a playground for private achievements.

We swim alongside marine animals we cannot name. We are more familiar with rebreather models than cephalopod species. We have more diving gadgets in our closets than books about the aquatic environment. We know what the partial pressure of oxygen in our breathing mixture will be at 20 metres, but we don't know why these corals are bleaching. We have a plan in our heads and an irresistible urge to dive to a depth of 100 metres, but we cannot assess the condition of the coral reef we are watching. We cannot see the problems.

Meanwhile, UNESCO (and many other organisations) reports that the marine ecosystems of coral reefs are on the verge of collapse. The total area of living reefs, which are an extremely important part of the global ecosystem, has halved over the last 10 years. The Great Garbage Patch floating in the Pacific Ocean is the size of France. 25% of marine animal species are endangered.

Sometimes you may catch glimpses of awareness: ‘Ten years ago in Dahab, I saw many more fish underwater.’ ‘You should have seen these reefs 15 years ago!’ ‘There used to be sharks here...’

This is a sign that we, as divers, are able to notice the problem. Why only notice? The answer is simple.

The current model of environmental education provided by diving agencies is not working.

There are plenty of educational programmes and courses on the aquatic environment to choose from. That's right – you can choose.

We have no doubt that divers should learn about physiology and physics, i.e. the processes that affect them. We devote a lot of time and attention to equipment issues. We talk about different configurations, open and closed circuits, DPVs, full-face masks and devices that will take us deeper and further.

It's as if everything we're doing is happening in a vacuum. Yes, we marvel at colourful reefs, we enjoy diving with large marine animals such as manta rays and sharks, we enjoy the clear water and the life underneath it. Unfortunately, much of this admiration is empty and follows no action. We need KNOWLEDGE to turn this appreciation into active action for the environment.

A conscious diver will be able to recognise endangered parrotfish and will not order one for their dinner at a restaurant. They will not buy cheap Chinese wetsuits because they know the environmental cost of their manufacturing and delivery. They will choose a dive centre that runs a reef restoration programme and does not anchor boats anywhere. They will not buy water in plastic bottles and will use a filter system. They will choose sunscreens with mineral filters that do not pollute coral reefs.

I can give many more examples, but they all have something in common – reliable knowledge. It is knowledge that enables us to develop a sense of responsibility – and we, as divers, should accept some of the responsibility for protecting aquatic ecosystems.

The current approach to education results in future generations of divers, instructors and instructor trainers who are ecologically illiterate.

By neglecting environmental topics, we contribute to the creation of institutional ignorance, which would only grow. At best, divers will remember that they should not touch everything they see underwater. But respect that is not based on knowledge is empty. They will eventually become instructors who treat environmental issues with neglect, and the next generation of instructors and instructor trainers brought up in this way will systematically limit environmental education even further.

‘For those who are interested.’ ‘Not everyone is interested.’ ‘It's a waste of time.’ ‘You can read about it on your own.’

We need change.

We need a new model of environmental education that is not just an additional course neglected by most, but one of the fundamentals of every dive training course, both for scuba divers and freedivers. This is the only way we can contribute to structural change – to stop the rising problem of environmental illiteracy and build a diving community that is actively able to care for the underwater environment.

Let's talk about an educational model that could address these challenges.

Dive agencies should embrace their responsibility for the ecological education of divers and make it a priority rather than a secondary specialisation. This is the only effective method that will break the chain of ecological illiteracy. The change must be structural.

In cooperation with scientific communities and NGOs, a new model should be created based on solid foundations:

Knowledge about the functioning of marine ecosystems.

This includes general knowledge about the Earth's hydrosphere, but above all specific information that can be transferred to the local context:

Learning to recognise key animal species (such as parrotfish, cleaner wrasse, shrimp, sea cucumbers and sharks) and their role in the ecosystem.

The ability to assess the health of existing reefs, but also kelp forests, sea grass meadows and lake littorals.

Assessment of the condition of the animals inhabiting this environment. What is their number and age range?

The ability to assess threats to the ecosystem.

Natural and global threats, such as storms and typhoons, coral bleaching caused by climate change, tsunamis, changes in ocean currents, or invasive species that have a negative impact on the local environment.

Threats directly related to human activity, which include overfishing (mainly due to tourist demand), reef damage caused by sunscreen in popular tourist destinations, littering, physical damage to the aquatic environment, and unethical practices (such as touching everything underwater – we know this, right?).

Local problems include a variety of issues. In many places around the world, fish are still caught using dynamite. The Mediterranean Sea is struggling with municipal pollution that enters the water from old and leaky installations. In other places, we encounter people who dispose of sewage and rubbish in lakes. Poaching, also for aquarium fish collectors, is a problem in other regions. Let's clean up our own backyard!

Personal contribution and action for the aquatic environment.

This point is particularly important and is closely related to the previous one. Knowledge about threats and problems should be directly linked to actions that individual divers can take.

Sustainable consumer decisions – i.e. those that reduce consumption. This is the moment when we decide that we do not need cheap Chinese wetsuits, torches, buoys or other equipment that will only last a few seasons before falling apart. We know the ecological cost of this kind of mass production.

Let's opt for electronic diving certificates. Or at least printed on cards made from recycled plastic or biodegradable materials.

Let's travel responsibly and as sustainably as possible. Let's choose filter bottles instead of plastic ones. Let's use creams with mineral filters or protective clothing. Let's reduce the amount of waste we generate, which will disappear - but only from our sight.

Let's not support unethical tourist attractions such as dolphinariums. When travelling, let's get involved in pro-environmental activities such as coral reef restoration or clean-up events. If you see any rubbish underwater, pick it up. When choosing food in a restaurant, do not ask for endangered species such as parrotfish.

Let's behave responsibly underwater. Don't touch anything, don't collect ‘souvenirs’ such as shells and corals, and never rest your fins on the bottom. Buoyancy control and awareness of your own equipment are key elements of diving skills.

Let's support local initiatives and NGOs involved in protecting the aquatic environment. Organise your own local clean-up event. Hold an educational meeting at a nearby school.

Share your knowledge and activities on social media. Underwater photos and videos go viral, allowing us to reach a much wider audience.

I am well aware of the criticism this idea will face. Additional difficulties for instructors, a multitude of instructors completely unprepared (because they lack knowledge of marine ecology) to conduct such classes, more time spent on lectures, juggling classes in the water. The question is, can we afford to systematically foster ignorance?

In my opinion, we cannot. I believe that we need a comprehensive ecological education system that will allow future generations of divers to answer a simple question:

What is the real price of a cheap Chinese wetsuit?

I had been struggling with the following post for some time. The final impulse to write it came from a posts on one of the diving groups discussing Chinese wetsuits. However, it wasn't the only reason – I can't count how many times I've seen people say that Chinese flashlights are so cheap that you can buy five, three will work, and the rest can be thrown away. In the era of disposable products from Temu, Wish, Shein and other fast brands from China, the problem will only get worse. We recklessly produce huge amounts of waste that disappear from our sight – and thus from our hearts. Unfortunately, it remains on Earth. Mass production comes with a huge environmental cost – from water use and pollution to cheap transport to the other side of the world. Let's change things, one step at a time.