Community and policy are at the core of everything Project AWARE stands for. Its mission to connect a passion for ocean adventure with the purpose of marine conservation and return to a clean, healthy ocean is evident in every campaign it supports. You don’t need to be a policy expert to support the work Project AWARE is doing. If you love the ocean and its inhabitants and want to fight for their future, here are five easy ways you can get involved and help further Project AWARE’s mission.

1. Find and Report Debris

Dive Against Debris — Project AWARE’s flagship citizen-science initiative — empowers everyday divers to become citizen scientists who remove and report on the types of marine debris they find while diving. Project AWARE has made it easy to get involved by providing a free survey toolkit that is available for download in 14 different languages. Reporting data is even easier when you download the free Project AWARE Dive Against Debris App.

2. Complete a Project AWARE Specialty Course

Love sharks or want to learn how to clean up marine debris? Sign up for a Project AWARE-authored specialty course to gain the knowledge and skills you need to become a confident citizen scientist and start making a difference in the underwater world.

3. Select Project AWARE as your charity of choice through AmazonSmile

AmazonSmile is the no-cost option for supporting your favorite charitable organizations if you are already an Amazon Prime member. When you select Project AWARE as your organization of choice, AmazonSmile will donate 0.5% of your eligible purchases to Project AWARE. Even better, Amazon will periodically keep you updated on the donation amount your favorite charity has received through the program.

“I chose to donate to Project AWARE because their mission to help conserve our sharks and our oceans means a lot to me,” said Brian Childs, an underwater photographer, when he shared the above image on Facebook. “I’ve been fortunate to dive with many shark species around the world and I understand the vital role they play in our oceans ecosystems. To me they are worth saving and Project AWARE takes action to help bring about the change needed to ensure their survival.”

4. Dive with 100% AWARE dive shops

When you dive with a 100% AWARE partner, you can feel good knowing that a portion of your dive trip cost will be donated directly to the nonprofit. This option is a no-brainer, the definition of putting your money where your beliefs are, and also supports dive shops that are going the extra mile to conserve the oceans. This is also true when completing continuing education courses with a 100% AWARE partner.

5. Start a Fundraiser

Fundraising doesn’t always mean bake sales and organized runs, and due to COVID-19 it's understandable if you cannot book a dive or organize an in-person event. If you are looking for a way to give back virtually, Project AWARE offers a fundraising toolkit on their website, including suggestions for where to start your first fundraiser, like through Facebook.