Conservation Diver Foundation
The aim of the Conservation Diver Foundation is to not rely solely on governments to solve the problems faced by our oceans. But to instead increase the capacity and skill sets of local managers and divers around the globe to empower a new generation of action oriented conservationists. Through training courses we are giving people from many different backgrounds the knowledge to initiate action, and through our networks helping those who want to make a difference join up and realize their goals.
Our Goals
Our goal is to establish marine conservation and research centers in various locations around the globe where such efforts are currently lacking or have proven unsuccessful. These centers will be run by or will employ local community members and be integrated into community based projects. Through our network of scientists, conservationists, and photographers we hope to create a nexus that will empower local communities to take the sustainability of their enthronement, economy, and culture into their own hands.
Our key strategies to making this happen:
We have a series of scientifically based (and proven) techniques that can be implemented in any location where SCUBA diving is possible. These methods and techniques are taught to local reef managers, who then become certified in teaching them. By teaching our courses, not only are the conducting the necessary work, but also raising stakeholder capacity within their community, generating income through Eco-tourism, and creating sustainable revenue through the sale of certification cards.
Conservation Diver provides this turn-key package through our established learning materials, certification cards, group trips, scholarships, and other means.
Our capabilities
We have published more than 25 courses in marine monitoring, research, and protection. These courses have already trained thousands of students and local community members. Through the operation of these courses we have produced more than 30 peer-reviewed scientific publications to further the science. Out restoration projects have been independently evaluated (Hein, 2020) to be one of the most successful in the world. Through our global network of conservationists we are spreading the word, training others, and facilitating careers int he industry.
How will we know we are making progress?
We have several objective and quantifiable metrics that can be used to judge success:
- The number of new students certified through our programs
- The number of training centers in operation around the globe
- The number of scientific publications based on our research and management work
- The number of local community members involved in our projects
- The number of individuals realizing a career in the industry due to our assistance
- The ecological and social impact of our training centers in their communities
What have we accomplished so far?
The Conservation Diver Foundation has established some of the most successful coral reef research, protection, and restoration programs in the world. Based on the success of our first program, we have now expanded to other areas of Thailand, Indonesia, Nicaragua, Madagacsar, Spain, USA and the Azores. We currently have plans to open further centers in the UK, Egypt and South Pacific in 2024.
The courses we have developed cover a wide range topic and interests. These courses have not only trained up thousands of students and lead to several Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD theses, but also a long list of peer-reviewed articles in scientific journals.