News
New Mobile App Transforms Any Smartphone into a Tool for Ocean Protection

A smartphone app from the environmental organization Project AWARE® will enable scuba divers around the world to record levels of marine debris now causing increasing problems for wildlife and ocean habitats.
The app is designed to make it easier for scuba divers to register information on the man-made debris they encounter on their dives, building a dataset shared with science and conservation bodies.
The app includes a list of common debris items and uses geo-location for quick and easy reporting.
Project AWARE developed the mobile app to support the data submission process for its global underwater marine debris survey Dive Against Debris®, which began in 2011 in an attempt to map the extent of the underwater problem.
Marine debris is defined to include any anthropogenic, manufactured, or processed solid material discarded or washed into the sea. Awareness of the problem of plastic and other pollution of the ocean has risen sharply in recent years, with litter being ingested by marine mammals and seabirds and microplastics now traced in the remotest seas including the deep waters of the Arctic.
Divers are increasingly in the vanguard of the so-called ‘citizen scientist’ movement working alongside academic bodies to map the scale and extent of marine litter and help governments meet the objectives of the Global Partnership on Marine Litter, which builds on the 2011 Honolulu Strategy and seeks to protect human health and the global environment by the reduction and management of marine debris.
Danna Moore, Project AWARE’s Director, Global Operations, said: “For many people, marine debris is a problem that’s out-of-sight, out-of-mind once it enters the marine environment. This is mainly because 70 percent of marine debris that enters the ocean sinks to the seafloor. That’s why scuba divers are so critical to this movement – they have the unique ability to bring to the surface what’s going on beneath the waves. This app is going to make a huge difference in gathering critically-needed data to reveal the extent of the global marine debris crisis for scientists and help conservationists to advocate for change. There is a tide of debris suffocating the ocean. We have to reverse it.”
How the App works:
- After the dive, divers simply report all the debris items removed along with the dive conditions and any photos.
- The dive site’s latitude and longitude can be easily added using information from the mobile device.
- No data connection? No problem. The app will store divers’ data as a draft for submission once connection is resumed.
- Data becomes part of a global dataset to help drive long-term change and address the global marine debris crisis.
- Through the App, divers are also encouraged to report debris free dive sites.
The free Dive Against Debris® App is available now for iOS and Android devices from the App Store or Google Play. For more information visit: www.projectaware.org.
Gear Reviews
BARE: 53 Years of Innovation

53 Years Deep
53 years ago, the idea for BARE was kindled in a small shop on the coast of British Columbia. Two passionate divers—hellbent on crafting a drysuit capable of surviving their frigid local waters—came together with a vision and a dream.
53 Years of Innovation
With every stitch, they innovated. Through every failure, they pushed. Not for profit, but for performance. To provide the sport of diving with equipment that fit better, functioned better—and lasted longer.
Ever since, BARE has continued to push, with innovations like their revolutionary Graphene Omnired® thermal technology, their impenetrable No-Stitch Technology, and their relentless dedication to Fit, Craftsmanship and Innovation.
More Than 5 Decades of Passion
Just like their founders over five decades ago, heart and passion drive every suit the BARE team make today. Because, like their founders, they don’t just make the suits—they dive in them. It’s this strong culture and unrelenting dedication that has transformed BARE from that small British Columbia shop into a truly global brand. And they’re just breaking the surface.
So whether you’re taking your first paddle strokes, or venturing out on a worldwide dive odyssey, BARE have the experience and know-how—53 years’ worth—to keep you safer and more comfortable in the water.
When you’re ready, BARE won’t be hard to find. They’ll be there—In Your Element—53 Years Deep.
Sea & Sea is the home of BARE and other Huish Outdoors diving brands in the UK.
Marine Life & Conservation
Shark Photographer of the Year Announced by the Shark Trust

Today, on Shark Awareness Day, the Shark Trust have announced the winners of its 2025 Shark Photographer of the Year Competition.
Entries came in from 34 countries and represented 76 different species of shark, ray, skate and chimera. An exhibition of the finalists’ images is currently on display in Plymouth, the home of the Shark Trust. They’ll remain there until the end of the month as part of the Shark Month celebrations going on in Britain’s Ocean City.
The 14th of July, Shark Awareness Day, is a day to celebrate the over 1200 different species of shark and ray found in our ocean. And the submitted photographs in the Shark Trust competition did just that. From Australia to Scotland, from South Africa to The Bahamas, sharks and rays of all shapes and sizes have been beautifully photographed and submitted. From rarely seen chimera to the unmistakeable Critically Endangered Great Hammerhead Shark.
The highest accolade in this year’s competition, Shark Photographer of the Year 2025, has been awarded to Julian Hebenstreit for his stunning shot of an Indo-Pacific Leopard Shark (also known as a Zebra Shark) in Australia.

Shark Photographer of the Year 2025: Julian Hebenstreit
Simon Rogerson, Shark Trust Patron and one of a trio of judges that had the tough job of selecting the winners, said “This photograph is at first glance quite simple, but with a depth that rewards repeated views. The golden form of the Indo-Pacific Leopard shark stands in vivid contrast to the dark rock and the white sand. Placing it small in the frame creates a sense of drama rather than distance. For me, it suggests the precarious existence of our remaining sharks, this golden species representing treasure in dark times.”
Julian has won a package of accommodation and shark diving in The Bahamas courtesy of Diverse Travel and The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism. He also receives the Shark Trust Shark Photographer of the Year 2025 trophy.
Paul Cox, Shark Trust CEO, said “The highlight of the photography competition for me is the wonderful diversity of sharks and rays represented and the quality of images across the board. We’re grateful to each and every one of the photographers for taking part and sharing their love of sharks with the world.”
The judges picked out a further two outstanding images as the British and Overseas Winners. These awards went to Hector Clarke and Martin Broen respectively. They received Mares dive computers in addition to their trophies.
Hector’s image of Small Spotter Catshark lying on a mass of brittle stars in Loch Carron, Scotland highlights just why our seabed is so important to many species, including sharks and rays. Hector said “I found this individual resting on a bed of brittle starfish at around twenty metres depth. It seemed very comfortable with my presence, allowing me to get exceptionally close. I like how this image captures the density and diversity of life in this area, all the way from the multicoloured brittle stars to the exquisitely patterned catshark.”

British Isles Winner: Hector Clarke
Martin’s shot is an eye-catching split-shot. Where the camera captures subjects both above and below the water. Is depicts the mobular ray migration in Mexico in dramatic black and white. Martin said: “Below the surface, a dense school of rays forms a luminous, geometric ballet, their bodies catching shafts of sunlight filtering through the ocean. Above, a small boat with observers floats quietly, a silent witness to one of nature’s most graceful spectacles.”

Overseas Winner: Martin Broen
Sharks have been in our ocean for over 400 million years. Now, the survival of many species is in danger. This extinction crisis is avoidable if we act to address the primary threat: overfishing. The Shark Trust works globally to improve the conservation status of sharks, skates and rays. Advocating for policy changes. And generating collective action to support our goals.
To reflect the Shark Trust’s current projects in shark and ray conservation, additional accolades were awarded to those that entered images that closely align with their programmes.
Oceanics Programme
The Oceanics Programme is a wide-ranging advocacy effort which targets the conservation of oceanic sharks and rays. Oceanic sharks are some of the most iconic and functionally important species in our ocean. They are exceptionally threatened by overfishing and urgent action is required to ensure their long-term sustainability.
The winner of this category, Byron Conway, captured Silky Sharks at the surface in Cuba. He said “To tell the story of these sharks I used a slow shutter speed to get some natural movement into the image. This also allowed me to use Snell’s window at sunset to burn in some beautiful colours from the sunset above and show the relationship these sharks have with the surface. A memorable experience, amongst the best large animal encounters I have had.”
Living with Sharks
Living with Sharks is a new cross-disciplinary project which seeks to identify emerging issues and co-create equitable solutions with affected communities. It will focus on three main groups: beachgoers, recreational anglers and those taking part in shark and ray eco-tourism activities such as scuba diving or snorkeling.

Living With Sharks Winner: Gillian Marsh
The winning image, by Gillian Marsh, shows a Blue Shark off the coast of Cornwall with an underwater photographer. She said “The blue sharks were bold and curious, and we four snorkelers had a lot of good interactions with them, but I particularly like the interaction in this image. It’s tempting to imagine the shark is asking the photographer “Have you got my best side?”
Mediterranean Programme
The Mediterranean Sea is a hotspot of extinction risk for sharks and rays. A complex body of water home to nearly 80 species of shark and ray, of which at least 53% are at risk of extinction. Surrounded by 22 different countries across 3 continents, and home to over 77,000 small boats, the Mediterranean Sea is subject to a broad range of diverse fisheries pressures. Working through a network of regional partners, the Mediterranean Programme spans policy engagement, species-specific recovery programmes, and community engagement.
The winner of this category, Linda Mazza, did not actually capture her image in the Mediterranean Sea. But there is a poignant reason for this. Finding Critically Endangered Angelsharks is now very difficult. Perhaps the Canary Islands, where sightings are more common, can champion protecting them.

Mediterranean Programme Winner: Linda Mazza
Linda said “This raw portrayal highlights not only their vulnerability but also their misunderstood nature in an increasingly threatened ocean. For me, this photo breaks the usual barrier between viewer and shark. It creates an unexpected intimacy.”
Great Eggcase Hunt
The Great Eggcase Hunt is the flagship citizen science project from the Shark Trust. It not only asks people walking beaches around the world to search for empty eggcases washed ashore, but also divers and snorkellers to look out for live, developing eggcases underwater. These are perhaps the most valuable sightings that we receive as they reveal exactly where sharks and skates lay their eggs. This improves our understanding of which areas are critical habitat.

Great Eggcase Hunt Winner: Grant Evans
The winner of this category is Grant Evans with a shot of a Pyjama Shark eggcase in South Africa. He said “I took this picture as I found it a curious sight, and it is important to acknowledge the sharks’ life stages before it is a fully formed shark that is so often seen gliding through the nearby kelp forests. It also highlights the importance of the sea floor for these animals, as they need these sea fans to secure their egg cases safely. Bottom trawling threatens these corals and the egg depositing sites of catsharks in South Africa.”
Young Shark Photographer of the Year
And finally, the Young Shark Photographer of the Year 2025 was awarded to Panitbhand Paribatra Na Ayudhya for his image of a Whale Shark feeding at the surface. He said “I was very excited to see with my own eyes the largest fish in the world feeding on some of the smallest living creatures in the ocean. For me, enjoying this moment is not all there is, we must take action to help ensure these incredible, gentle giants of the sea survive. I believe that together we can help Whale Sharks live and swim freely in their ocean home, allowing them to share this planet with us for years to come.”

Young Shark Photographer of the Year: Panitbhand Paribatra Na Ayudhya
All the images will be put to good use to support shark and ray conservation efforts for years to come. Which makes each and every image entered into the competition incredibly valuable to this diverse and important group of animals, many of which of globally threatened.
The Shark Trust would like to thank all the photographers that took part. And the sponsors of the competition: Diverse Travel, The Ministry of The Bahamas; Mares; Sea Change Wine; Astralis Print and Design, Scapa Joe, In Deep Diving Centre, Haven Diving Services.
Main Image: Oceanics Programme Winner, Byron Conroy
About the Shark Trust
The Shark Trust is a UK-based charity that works tirelessly to safeguard the future of sharks, and their close cousins, the skates and rays, around the world. They have a vision: A future where sharks thrive within a globally healthy marine ecosystem. Whilst the team, based in Plymouth, is relatively small, its successes have been considerable. This is partly due to the collaborative philosophy of the charity, working with a global network of scientists, policymakers, conservation professionals, businesses, and supporters, to further shark conservation. Established in 1997 to provide a voice for UK sharks, the Shark Trust has an ever-growing number of passionate supporters. And together they’re creating positive change for sharks around the world.
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