Dive Against Debris

Home / Project Finder /

By Christian Fischer, CC BY-SA 3.0, https___commons.wikimedia.org_w_index.php_curid=287428

Dive Against Debris

Project is inactive

Dive Against Debris is PADI AWARE's flagship citizen science programme focused on documenting marine litter found beneath the surface. Divers collect information about debris encountered during recreational dives, recording the types, quantities and locations of litter before submitting observations through the PADI AWARE platform.

Unlike beach clean-up surveys, Dive Against Debris focuses specifically on underwater pollution, helping scientists better understand what is accumulating on the seafloor and within marine ecosystems. The data contributes to a global database used by researchers, conservation organisations and policymakers working to reduce marine pollution and improve ocean health.

Every survey helps build a clearer picture of the sources, distribution and impacts of marine debris around the world.

WHAT

Record marine debris and ocean conservation actions.

HOW

Complete Dive Against Debris survey submissions.

WHERE (LAND)

Attribute

WHERE (SEA)

Attribute

VISIT THE PROJECT WEBSITE

TOPICS:

SPECIES:

EQUIPMENT/TASKS:

GOOD TO KNOW

Dive Against Debris has become one of the world's largest underwater marine debris monitoring programmes.

RUN BY

PADI Aware

SUITABLE FOR

experienceLevels

PARTICIPANT LOCATION

participantLocations

PROJECT SOCIALS

Seventy per cent of all marine debris sinks to the bottom of the ocean, so divers are best placed to survey sites to paint a picture of common waste issues which could influence local management plans.

Nic Emery, co-founder of Fifth Point Diving, speaking about Dive Against Debris in The Guardian

RELATED PROJECTS

VIEW ALL

LATEST POST

VIEW ALL

Five New Opportunities to Make Your Time on the Water Count

Whether you're exploring coral reefs, crossing an ocean or simply spending time by the water, there's a good chance you could collect data that helps scientists better understand and protect our blue planet. We're excited to include five new projects to the Free Range Ocean Citizen Science Directory, each offering a simple way to turn your time on the water into meaningful scientific contributions. Manta Project Fiji If you're lucky enough to encounter a manta ray in Fiji, yo

What I Saw at Sea: Fisheries Observations from a Pacific Crossing - Duncan Copeland

Spending time at sea means you get to observe things you wouldn’t normally see. Over the past year, my family and I have sailed across the Pacific - from Mexico to New Zealand via the Pitcairn Islands, French Polynesia, American Samoa, Samoa, Wallis, and Fiji. While much of this voyage has centred on family life at sea and our work supporting ocean citizen science initiatives (see www.freerangeocean.org), it’s been impossible to completely take off my fisheries hat. Opportuni

A collaborative expedition to investigate oceanic manta ray deaths in migration corridor

We're busy preparing for a collaborative 1,100 nautical mile expedition hosted by Free Range Ocean aboard 50ft sailing vessel FREERANGER will depart Whangārei, Aotearoa New Zealand bound for Nukuʻalofa, Tonga, subject to a suitable weather window around 8 June 2026. (updated departure - the weather has not been behaving!) The expedition will support pioneering research by two New Zealand-based marine conservation initiatives, Manta Watch Aotearoa New Zealand and Citizens of t

Bluewater Pathways Expedition 2026: Beneath the Surface of a Bluewater Corridor

From manta sightings to eDNA, we’re sailing NZ–Tonga with Manta Watch Aotearoa NZ and Citizens of the Sea to map bluewater corridor sealife

Intersection of Science, Yachting and Exploration

At ‘A Day of Exploration’ in Monaco on March 24, 2026 — hosted by the Yacht Club de Monaco in partnership with The Explorers Club — the room was filled with extraordinary perspectives. From ocean conservation to space exploration, the shared thread was clear: understanding our world is key to protecting it. Amid voices like world-renowned oceanographer Sylvia Earle and Arctic explorer (and friend!) Andreas B Heide, what stood out to us at Free Range Ocean was the emphasis on

The Power of Being Ready Enough

There’s a particular energy in a room full of women who have chosen the sea. At the recent Women on Water gathering, hosted by the Bluewater Cruising Association , our co-founder Larissa Clark opened the weekend with a welcome keynote that set the tone not with grand declarations, but with something far more resonant: honesty. At Free Range Ocean, our work is rooted in the belief that everyday ocean users can play a meaningful role in understanding and protecting the sea. Ov

SV Freeranger Duncan Copeland Larissa Clark and kids Free Range Ocean wins OCC Environment Award 2025

Free Range Ocean Receives the 2025 OCC Environment Award

We are thrilled to announce that the Ocean Cruising Club has awarded its 2025 Environment Award to Duncan Copeland, Larissa Clark and family aboard S/V Freeranger in recognition of the creation of the Ocean Citizen Science Directory and the wider work of Free Range Ocean. Duncan, Larissa, Eden and Skye Copeland aboard SV Freeranger in Russell, New Zealand 2026 (picture by Krista Harries) We were truly humbled to hear we'd been nominated for this award, and deeply honoured t

Citizen Science Projects for Cruisers in NZ and Australia

We were happy to write an article for Island Cruising: Cruise News magazine to help cruisers in NZ and Australia find citizen science projects to participate in. Read the full article in the February 2026 issue of Cruise News by clicking here and looking for page 56 in the e-magazine .