Environment - Ocean Recovery

Now you’ve immersed yourself beneath the waves, here’s a chance to learn of some of the threats to the marine environment we as divers gain so much pleasure from, and how best we can help to reverse or lessen our own adverse impact on marine life.

Minimise the impact!

Even if you live many miles from the sea you can have a serious impact on our oceans and the marine life in them. Here are a few simple tips to help you minimise the impact:

Don’t flush cottonbuds, condoms, tampons or plastics down the toilet; you just might find them on the beach the next time you visit! Sanitary items can take four months to biodegrade and most plastic wrappings do not biodegrade at all. Bag up the waste and bin it!

Illegal waist disposal

It is illegal to put waste oil down sinks or drains – a litre of oil can spoil up to 1,000,000 litres of water! Take it to your local household waste recycling centre (your local council will give you details).

Environmentally friendly

Choose environmentally friendly cleaning products containing plant extracts that degrade quickly when washed down the drain. Other strong household cleaning products use harmful chemicals which remain in seawater for a long time, continually harming wildlife.

Fish-buying: WWF’s report Fish of the Day – can consumers help save UK fisheries? lists ten top tips for consumers. These include looking out for eco-labelling schemes such as the one developed by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), buying locally caught fish and varying the sort of fish you eat. Buy organic produce. The cultivation of non-organic produce involves the use of damaging chemicals such as pesticides which can pollute waterways as well as the rest of the environment.

Many pesticides and fertilisers contain harmful chemicals, so use organic and environmentally friendly substitutes in your garden instead.

Use it – but please don’t abuse it!

The UK is a country with an important marine heritage and miles of beautiful coastline, so many of us visit the coast in our leisure time. Use it – but please don’t abuse it!

Take all of your rubbish home. Many types of litter, such as plastic multi-pack can holders, are dangerous to wildlife and can take many years to degrade.

Don’t let your dog foul beaches. If the appropriate disposal bins aren’t there, ask your local council to provide them. Keep dogs under control so they don’t disturb nesting or feeding birds.

Respect marine life. Don’t move rocks and stones in pools or take plants, animals or shells home. If you’re rock pooling, replace animals where you found them as soon as possible.

Find out about the area you are visiting. It may be a protected area or reserve which means you will need to take extra care, for example by sticking to marked pathways.

Report any unusual happening (such as pollution) to the local authority, coastguard or Environment Agency; report any stranding of marine mammals or turtles to the RSPCA.

If you are concerned about development plans near your part of the coast, write to your local MP or council.

Don’t buy marine curios such as corals, sponges and exotic shells which may have been taken from coral reefs or other threatened habitats.

The UK has more than 16,000 km of coastline and more of us than ever are taking part in watersports in our spare time. People enjoying recreational activities can inadvertently cause harm to the environment. Follow these tips to lessen your impact while having fun on – or under – the water.

When diving, take care not to collect or damage marine life. Sea fans, for example, may take up to 50 years to reach full size but they are easily broken by careless finning.

Powerboats and jetskis: the noise and exhaust emissions from motorised boats and jetskis can disturb wildlife. If you spot dolphins or other marine animals don’t chase them or drive directly towards them. Don’t keep the engine running unnecessarily – save fuel, reduce noise and limit exhaust emissions where possible – and be careful with the wake you produce. This can erode the bank or beach at the water’s edge and disturb wildlife.