Dive Brief:

• Project Aware, a non-profit comprised of a network of scuba divers, created an interactive map that illustrates the expansive scope of underwater trash found around the world. 
• The Dive Against Debris Map was released this year. It utilizes data collected by volunteers to document the waste they find and remove while underwater.
• The group anticipates using the information collected to promote debris prevention initiatives and to reduce the volume of waste reaching the oceans, thereby protecting wildlife populations. 

Dive Insight:

The "Dive Against Debris" program was established in 2011 as a survey of underwater trash in oceans around the world. The group hopes to improve waste management practices by changing the infrastructure to prevent waste from reaching the oceans in the first place. After divers reach land with the trash, volunteers categorize the waste by type of material: plastic, wood, metal, rubber, textile, mixed materials, paper and cardboard. 

Ocean pollution has gotten so massive that the US State Department announced a plan in June to eliminate ocean waste.

Although the scuba divers themselves are not responsible for the trash generation, this project seems akin to the plan conceived by the Nepal tourism authority to eliminate waste on Mt. Everest. Mountaineers must return from their climb with 18 pounds of trash or face fines and legal ramifications.