Dear Annie,

I fell in love with the ocean from my first dive. I feel as if scuba diving healed me, but now the ocean needs healing. How can I help protect it?

—Ocean Guardian

Dear Ocean Guardian,

Thanks for this question—we are kindred spirits! I feel it’s my life’s work to connect people to the ocean I love so much. Like you, all I want to do is protect what I love. This unites us as PADI Torchbearers—advocates for ocean conservation. We are witnessing many unprecedented human impacts in our world today. Divers often see these impacts firsthand and are compelled to act. I believe that people created these problems, so only we can be the solution.

Currently, I’m writing from the Witu Islands in Papua New Guinea, documenting and bearing witness to crimes against nature as I observe coral death and bleaching events down to and below 100 feet.

Since January 2023, more than 84 percent of the world’s coral reefs have been impacted by an oceanic heatwave that continues to rage today.

The ocean covers 70 percent of our planet and absorbs up to 90 percent of excess heat caused by fossil fuel emissions. This causes the ocean to warm dramatically, with devastating consequences for coral reefs. As water temperatures rise, corals eject their symbiotic algae, causing them to bleach and turn white. While some can recover, many do not—and the reef dies. In just the past two years, over 80 countries have reported coral bleaching and reef stress, with no end in sight.

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"You don’t need to be a scientist to make a difference. You just need to care—and act. Whether you reduce your own carbon footprint, write to policymakers, volunteer, donate or help educate others, your voice matters."

To help coral reefs around the world, there are many things we can all do— starting today. We need to cut our use of fossil fuels and make bold transitions to clean, renewable energy. We must improve water quality by reducing pollutants from agriculture, plastic waste, tire chemicals and urban runoff that poison our watersheds. More than 25 percent of all ocean animals depend on healthy coral reefs. Supporting sustainable fishing practices is vital, as overfishing is one of the greatest threats to marine ecosystems.

The PADI AWARE Foundation created diving and nondiving specialty courses to help people understand the complex nature of reef ecosystems. One I highly recommend is the PADI AWARE Coral Reef Conservation course—perfect for involving both divers and nondivers alike. It’s also a gateway to coral restoration efforts happening around the world, where coral gardeners grow and plant fragments to rebuild reef ecosystems. These projects are thriving in places like French Polynesia, the Great Barrier Reef, Florida, the Caribbean, Indonesia, Kenya and many more.

In addition to taking steps to reduce your carbon footprint, you can also address your impact by thinking before you eat. Knowing where your food comes from gives you the power to support sustainable food systems. Eating plant-based, locally grown food cuts down on your carbon footprint. It also supports a healthier ocean by reducing the fishing pressure humans put on it.

Overfishing is a huge threat to our ocean. The demand for fish and seafood around the world often drives destructive practices and impacts coral reefs. If you are a tourist visiting popular island locations, I encourage you to steer away from local seafood. Many people love to eat reef fish, but not all local fish are caught responsibly, and many species are struggling to keep up with demand.

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If you do choose to eat seafood, use the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Guides and only eat seafood if you can trace its origin. Many times, if you eat fish and chips, you are eating shark without even knowing it.

In the past 50 years, more than 70 percent of our oceanic shark and ray populations have been destroyed due to overfishing. Eating a more plant-based diet also prevents habitat destruction around the world. Industrial fishing as well as livestock farming often destroy coastal and marine habitats, including mangroves and seagrass beds. Both are known ocean nurseries and crucial habitats for ocean life. These practices also create pollutants that leak into our water, including nitrogen, phosphorous and antibiotics.

You don’t need to be a scientist to make a difference. You just need to care—and act. Whether you reduce your own carbon footprint, write to policymakers, volunteer, donate or help educate others, your voice matters. Each action creates ripples of change.

We need urgent action, participation and a deeper understanding that the health of humanity is interconnected with a healthy ocean. Together, we must do everything in our power to conserve, protect, and restore coral reefs so future generations can fall in love with them the same way we did!

Ask Annie

PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer Annie Crawley answers your most pressing questions about dive etiquette, training qualms and gear analysis with zero judgment and a whole lot of lived experience.

Have a question for Annie? Send to edit@padi.com with the subject "Ask Annie".