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Marine Life & Conservation

How Shark Diving can help save sharks

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by: Sean M. Cleary

Shark diving is considered one of the fastest-growing animal encounter experiences. Tourists and locals alike travel to meet sharks face-to-face and for many, this is an unmissable, once-in-a-lifetime experience. Unfortunately, it may become a rare encounter in more ways than one.

There is a decline of shark populations around the world, largely due to the rising demand in Asia for shark-fin, a costly delicacy. Shark finning is the act of cutting off a shark’s fins, then throwing the shark’s body back in the water. The shark is then eaten alive by other fish…or it drowns. All for a bowl of fin soup.

Shark diving can perform an important ecological service as it shows the reality of a misunderstood animal suffering from modern industrial fishing. Consumers need to know that they can help the environments that are home to our fierce friends.

An ethical animal attraction you can feel good about 

For sharks to be protected, they need to be worth more alive, in the ocean, than dead. Consequently, authorities will do more to protect them. Ethical and responsible shark diving is a great tool for achieving this. It educates people about the importance of sharks while helping remove fear.

According to research, shark tourism is worth over $314 million per year and this tourism is expected to generate over $780 million worldwide within the next 20 years. Shark diving is a good way of promoting their protection and conservation and can be enjoyed with a variety of shark species at amazing destinations.

“The only way many people come to know sharks is through movies. But when you’re in the water looking at these animals calmly swimming around, you go through a transformation. You understand sharks, see what they really are. Chances are you’ll walk off a shark diving tour as a proponent for sharks,” says Sean M. Cleary, an avid Florida diver who has obtained his scuba certification before becoming a lawyer.

Divers are blessed with the chance to see what only a few others see; the heart of the underwater world. At every shark dive, you can encounter a wide variety of mysterious depths and this beautiful, endangered animal.

Up to 73M sharks are killed each year by shark finning. It’s illegal in most countries but, due to the lack of funds to patrol the waters, enforcement is sparse in many nations. Therefore, promoting shark tourism and encouraging more adventurers to swim or dive with sharks is one of the most important ways to save them.

The funds generated by diving with sharks can then be used to patrol the waters and keep the shark finners out.

Shark diving in Florida 

When thinking of shark diving in the US, most people think of great white shark cage diving in California. But the variety of sharks that can be seen in Florida is among the best on the planet. If you consider the number of shark-human interactions, you’ll notice the state that wins is Florida.

Off the coast of California, tourists can see great white sharks and even the odd blue. Although there is only a small chance to see a great white shark in Florida, the list of shark species that can be admired is huge. Among others, these include the hammerhead shark, scalloped hammerhead shark, bull shark, lemon shark, blacktip shark and tiger shark.

With that selection comes a variety of options for shark interaction, you can:

  • Swim with sharks. On some tours, you will be swimming with sharks.
  • Snorkel with sharks. When you add a snorkel you can get more personal with them.
  • Scuba dive with sharks. This is a common scenario in which, while you dive, a divemaster attracts the sharks with bait.
  • Cage dive with sharks. This type of diving is an option as well.

Almost everyone can go shark diving in Florida, whether they’re certified or not. If you go shark spotting from a boat you don’t even have to know how to swim.

The pre-dive safety check 

Before diving, there are a great number of standard safety procedures that have to be followed. There must be a dive protocol, and an instructional period before all the divers enter the water. There should be a buddy system that’s followed. There should be an emergency recall signal. All of these need to be discussed before anyone enters the water.

Whether you have just started scuba diving or are an experienced deep-sea diver, there is always something new to learn about diving. Take full advantage of every opportunity to learn and bring safety, awareness and positive attitudes to recreational scuba diving operations.

Shark diving is, in many ways, about education and respect. As stated, there are many benefits to enjoy from giving the public access to sharks. However, this means always fostering a spirit of learning and symbiosis and having the necessary experience and permits.


To find out more about International Training, visit www.tdisdi.com.

From its humble beginning in 1994 to today, the group of training agencies Scuba Diving International (SDI), Technical Diving International (TDI), and Emergency Response Diving International (ERDI) form one of the largest diving certification agencies in the World – International Training. With 24 Regional Offices servicing more than 100 countries, the company today far exceeds the original vision the founders had when they conceived the idea on a napkin, sitting at a kitchen table in the early 1990’s.

Marine Life & Conservation

New report shows simple measures needed to cut beach plastic pollution

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The Marine Conservation Society has launched its annual State of our Beaches 2023 report, highlighting the need for less single-use plastic items and more refillable options.

The charity’s beach cleaning programme, now in its 30th year, asks volunteers to record all litter that they find within a 100-metre stretch of beach. By gathering vital data from across the UK and Channel Islands, the charity creates change for cleaner seas and a healthier planet through policy and industry change. Last year, over 148 kilometres of beach were surveyed by volunteers, who removed 17,208kgs of litter from our coast.

Using data collected by over 14,000 volunteers, the State of our Beaches 2023 report shows that half of all litter collected came from public sources – either dumped, blown or washed onto our beaches.

Drinks-related litter, such as plastic bottles, caps and cans were one of the most found items, with an average of 16 found per 100 metres of beach surveyed. This figure is up 14% compared to the charity’s 2022 report.

Plastics caps and lids were recorded on 89% of surveys, with over 30,000 found in total. Plastic bottles were also commonly collected, with 73% of surveys finding this single-use item – a 4% increase compared to 2022. The charity’s inland litter pick survey, Source to Sea, also reported finding plastic bottles on 92% of cleans.

However, the charity’s State of Our Beaches 2023 report also indicates that some types of litter are on a downward trend. Although still in the top 10 litter items, disposable plastic cutlery, trays and straws were found on 5% fewer beaches across the UK, showing that bans on these plastic items between 2022 – 2023 could be working. The presence of plastic cotton bud sticks also dropped by 14%.

Lizzie Price, Beachwatch Manager at the Marine Conservation Society, said, “Half of the litter found on our beaches originates from public sources, underscoring the pressing issue of single-use plastic. Evidence shows that refillable alternatives and litter return schemes effectively reduce rubbish, as demonstrated by the decline our data has shown in items like plastic bags and disposable cutlery.

“Urgent and decisive action from UK governments is needed to accelerate our shift towards a circular economy, where we reuse, repair and recycle. The public needs greater access to refillable products and systems need to be implemented in which manufacturers are responsible for their waste.”

Governments across the UK have committed to delivering deposit return schemes from October 2025. However, the proposed scheme in England does not include glass items, despite glass being found on 52% of beaches in 2023. The charity is calling for governments across the UK to introduce compatible all inclusive deposit return schemes as soon as possible. This would see aluminium cans, and plastic and glass bottles have a 20p deposit which would be returned when recycled which would reduce drinks-related pollution.

Businesses are, however, starting to take refillable and reusable options into their own hands. Supermarket chain, Aldi, the largest corporate funder of the charity’s 2024 Beachwatch programme, is already leading the charge in refillable items by trialling refillable options for cereals and porridge oats in their stores over the past 5 months.

Plastics and Packaging Director, Luke Emery, from Aldi, who are running 4 beach cleans for staff and volunteers in 2024, said, We are continually working to reduce single-use plastics and packaging, and making unpackaged product options more commonplace for our customers is a key part of this. We are really pleased with the uptake of our refillable range so far by customers. Not only are we making sustainable shopping more accessible, but we also offer refill products for a better price than the packaged alternative, helping our customers save money.”

Marine litter is one of the biggest threats to our seas, with plastic breaking down over time into microplastics and threatening marine life which can ingest or become entangled in them. The Marine Conservation Society is urging the UK Government to move faster on its policies to cut down plastic waste and prevent items from reaching our seas.

To find out more about the charity’s beach cleans and how to get involved, please visit mcsuk.org/beach-cleans

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Guarding Against Coral Invaders

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Protecting (Dutch) Caribbean Reefs from Unomia stolonifera

Recent reports highlight the concerning spread of the invasive soft coral, Unomia stolonifera, currently devastating Venezuela’s marine ecosystems and detected in Cuba. With the potential threat of its expansion to the (Dutch) Caribbean islands, urgent action and awareness are essential to safeguard marine biodiversity and local economies from possible catastrophic consequences.

Invasive species are animals or plants from another region of the world that don’t belong in their new environment. These species can have major ecological effects by decimating native flora or fauna. They can also cause large economic losses and impact human health. Invasive species also pose a significant threat to marine ecosystems worldwide, including the Dutch Caribbean. Among these invaders is the octocoral species Unomia stolonifera or “Pulsing Xenia”, originally from the Indo-Pacific. With its rapid growth and lack of natural predators, this species can outcompete native species and disrupt fragile marine habitats such as seagrass beds and coral reefs.

Background

The invasive soft coral U. stolonifera was first identified in 2014, off the coast of Venezuela. It is believed to have been introduced via the illegal aquarium trade.  Since this species can reproduce sexually and asexually (or fragment), even small pieces can regenerate to spread.  Once introduced it quickly took over shallow reefs and hard substrate at depths of 0-50 meters, outcompeting local corals and seagrass for space.  Follow on surveys found that this coral species exhibited average percentage cover as high as 80%, vastly outcompeting native corals. In highly colonized areas, fish are disappearing due to loss of habitats.

In 2022, during a survey conducted in Cuba by the University of Havana, an unknown octocoral was discovered which was later identified as the invasive Unomia stolonifera. It is suspected that the coral larvae arrived in ballast water from fossil fuel ships originating from Venezuela, as nearby sites adjacent to Venezuelan ports have been heavily affected by the invasion.

How to help

Prevention through continuous monitoring, particularly in high-risk areas such as marine harbors and oil facilities, is paramount. Early detection plays a pivotal role in mitigating the threat posed by Unomia stolonifera.

The public’s involvement and awareness are also vital. Local communities, recreational divers, tourists, and all stakeholders are urged to participate in early detection efforts by reporting sightings (photo, location and date) of this invasive coral to their respective Protected Area Management Organization (PMO’s)- the Fundacion Parke Nacional Aruba (FPNA)STINAPA BonaireCARMABI Curaçao Saba Conservation Foundation (SCF)Nature Foundation St. Maarten (NFSXM) and St. Eustatius National Parks (STENAPA). If an invaded area is confirmed, follow the recommendations by the local PMO’s.

Keys to Success

Despite the challenges, early detection is key to mitigating the threat posed by Unomia stolonifera. With continued vigilance, research, and community engagement, there is hope for containing this potential issue before it becomes a major threat.

About the DCNA

The Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) supports (science) communication and outreach in the Dutch Caribbean region by making nature related (scientific) information more widely available through amongst others the Dutch Caribbean Biodiversity Database, DCNA’s news platform BioNews and through the press. This article contains the results from several scientific studies but the studies themselves are not DCNA studies. No rights can be derived from the content. DCNA is not liable for the content and the in(direct) impacts resulting from publishing this article.

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