PADI Continues Effort to Decrease Ocean Pollution

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, Calif., April 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- PADI, the world's largest diver training organization, today announced its support of Dive for Earth Day, an initiative launched by the Project AWARE Foundation and aimed at protecting the oceans and cultivating community awareness through underwater and shoreline cleanup events.  In combination with this effort, the PADI organization has launched the Sea the Change Conservation Contest, inviting people to submit a video about their favorite aspect of ocean life and how they make a positive impact on this environment.  Videos can be uploaded to padi.com between now and December 15.  

"The ocean is one of the earth's most fragile ecosystems.  As scuba divers, we appreciate the beauty and vibrancy of undersea life and realize it must be protected in every way possible," says Kristin Valette, vice president of marketing and communications for PADI Americas. "We hope the underwater cleanups and Sea the Change Conservation Contest will ignite a sense of responsibility and encourage people to do their part in keeping our oceans clean – the more individuals who participate, the greater impact we can make."

Dive for Earth Day will take place on April 22, 2011.  Individuals and communities can get involved by signing up through ProjectAware.org.  Last year, more than 26,000 volunteers participated in the annual worldwide cleanup day and collected more than 258,000 pounds of marine debris from shorelines and nearly 300,000 pounds from the ocean.

To participate in the Sea the Change Conservation Contest, individuals must submit their videos from now until December 15, 2011 at padi.com.  People can vote for their favorite clips and the videos receiving the most votes will win monthly prizes.  The contestant whose video accumulates the most overall votes will win a grand prize of $5,000 and an additional $5,000 will be donated to the Project AWARE Foundation on the winner's behalf.

About PADI

PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) is the world's largest diver training organization, with more than 135,000 trained PADI Professionals dedicated to introducing new divers to the thrill of scuba diving and enhancing the skills of experienced divers through its 6,000 dive centers and resorts worldwide.  PADI Members obtain close to 1,000,000 certifications worldwide each year, advancing and encouraging the exploration of the ocean, while maintaining the highest industry standards for dive training, safety and customer service.  For more information, visit www.padi.com.

About Project AWARE Foundation

Project AWARE Foundation is a registered nonprofit organization founded by a group of PADI environmental advocates to support ongoing education, advocacy and action.  It promotes the involvement of divers and scuba professionals in conservation activities across the globe.  For more information, visit www.projectaware.org.  

Contact: Margee Macdonell
Formula
619-234-0345
[email protected]

SOURCE PADI