As PADI celebrates 60 years of exploring and protecting the ocean, one truth has become increasingly clear: the future of ocean protection will be shaped not only by scientists and policymakers, but also by divers. Around the world, the global PADI community is demonstrating what is possible when everyday ocean explorers become citizen scientists, collecting meaningful data, supporting local action and helping safeguard marine ecosystems for generations to come.
Expanding the Global Citizen Science Portfolio
In 2026, the PADI AWARE Foundation® is expanding the ways divers can participate through an enhanced global citizen-science portfolio designed to generate real-time impact. Building on the long-standing success of Dive Against Debris®, new initiatives, including the Global Shark & Ray Census (GSRC) and the AWARE Biodiversity Survey, will form one of the world’s largest diver-powered ocean monitoring networks. Together, these three pathways give divers, instructors and dive centers powerful yet accessible ways to turn every dive into action for the ocean.
Dive Against Debris: A Proven Foundation for Action
For more than a decade, Dive Against Debris has illustrated the power of community participation, enabling divers to remove marine debris while documenting the types, quantities and locations of ocean pollution. This growing global dataset has informed national policies, supported marine debris legislation and helped decision-makers better understand the sources and impacts of plastic pollution. It remains the foundation of PADI’s citizen-science approach, demonstrating how collective local efforts can drive global change.
Expanding Monitoring Through the Biodiversity Survey
The new AWARE Biodiversity Survey expands diver engagement beyond debris monitoring to include ecosystem observation. By recording the presence and relative abundance of key marine indicator species across Adopt the Blue™ sites and other priority locations, divers help create valuable ecological snapshots that allow scientists and resource managers to track ecosystem health, detect changes over time and identify areas requiring protection or restoration. In doing so, everyday recreational divers become meaningful contributions to global marine monitoring.
Global Shark & Ray Census: Scaling Species Monitoring Worldwide
Launching this year, the Global Shark & Ray Census represents one of the most ambitious citizen-science initiatives ever undertaken by the recreational diving community. Developed in collaboration with James Cook University and Blancpain, PADI’s founding Partner of the Blueprint for Ocean Action, the Census enables divers worldwide to record shark and ray sightings, generating critical data needed to monitor coastal populations, identify key habitats and support science-based protection measures, such as marine protected areas. Given the vulnerability of many shark and rays species globally, the reach of the PADI dive network offers an unprecedented opportunity to track whether protection measures are working.
Strengthening the Value of Adopt the Blue™ Sites
Together, these expanding programs significantly strengthen the value of Adopt the Blue™, PADI’s flagship site-based initiative. With integrated monitoring tools now available across debris removal, biodiversity observation and species tracking, Adopt the Blue™ sites gain enhanced ecological tracking capabilities that allow operators to demonstrate measurable impact while supporting local advocacy and marine protected area development. For dive centers, these initiatives also create new opportunities to deepen customer loyalty, encourage repeat participation and position their operations as leaders in ocean stewardship.
Integrating Citizen Science Into Everyday Training
Citizen science is most powerful when it becomes part of the everyday diving experience. Participation in the new surveys can be seamlessly integrated into a wide range of existing courses and dive experiences, from the AWARE Shark & Ray Specialty and PADI AWARE Specialty to Underwater Photography and Peak Performance Buoyancy training. This allows instructors and operators to combine education, exploration and action into a single, meaningful experience. By embedding these activities directly into training and guided dives, dive centers can enhance both diver engagement and business value while contributing to global conservation outcomes.
Looking Ahead: The Next Era of Diver-Powered Ocean Protection
As PADI marks six decades of building the world’s largest dive community, the continued expansion of citizen science reflects an enduring belief: when people feel connected to the ocean, they are inspired to protect it. Every debris survey submitted, every biodiversity observation recorded and every shark or ray sighting logged contributes to a growing body of knowledge that helps scientists, policymakers and local communities make better decisions for the ocean’s future.
