RIPPLE EFFECT
In May 2019, the government designated 41 new Marine Conservation Zones to protect UK waters. Crucially, it was extensive data about the state of marine life and habitats around our coasts that helped make this happen. And the biggest contributor, amassing over half a million records in 30 years, were the army of recreational divers and snorkellers who volunteer for the Marine Conservation Society’s Seasearch programme. Through organised dives, club dives and individual dives with buddies, volunteers are tasked with discovering what marine wildlife lurks beneath the waves – from tiny, colourful sea slugs and sponges, to nippy crustaceans and even shy sharks. The fragile seabed habitats where animals live are also recorded during these ocean forays, whether that’s a seagrass meadow, a cold-water coral reef, or fronds of kelp.
Organised dives are
