By DIVE Staff
PADI and watch manufacturer Seiko Prospex are teaming up to help marine conservation charity Oceanum Liberandum host the world’s largest underwater cleanup event in Sesimbra, Portugal on 24 September 2022.
Taking place during AWARE Week, the event aims to bring together 700 divers to clean up the coastline for a 12-hour period and is anticipated to host the most divers ever on record taking part in one consecutive underwater cleanup effort. Participating divers and dive centres from around the region will come together to collect marine debris, which will ultimately be logged into PADI’s Dive Against Debris database.
‘Our database is the world’s largest in terms of capturing seafloor debris data, which has already helped drive two pioneering scientific papers being used to create new waste management policies,’ said Emma Daffurn, CSR Specialist for PADI Worldwide. ‘More than 250 million tons of plastic are estimated to make its way into our ocean by 2025 and the environmental damage caused by plastic debris alone is estimated at $13 billion US a year. This world record attempt further highlights the important role divers play in reporting, removing and advocating to stop marine debris at its source.
‘PADI is proud to have Seiko Prospex on board as the sponsor of the marine debris program and a partner for this world record attempt,’ said Ms Daffurn. ‘Their support is critical to advancing the PADI Blueprint for Ocean Action, and protecting the global ocean now and for generations to come.’
‘Helping to raise awareness and take an active role in environmental conservation has become one of Seiko Prospex’s missions,’ said Miguel Rodrigues, Sales & Marketing Director for Seiko Prospex. ‘We seek, whenever possible, to support events that have ocean conservation at their core, and we are very honored to sponsor the world’s largest underwater cleanup. We are proud to contribute to a more sustainable future where humans are an integral part of nature.’
Those who want to volunteer to take part in the world record attempt can learn more and sign up at oceanumliberandum.pt/en/Largest-Underwater-cleanup-in-the-World/. The €15 registration fee will go towards supporting dive centres with boats, facilities and air bottle logistics.
