I had the opportunity to don a scuba diving suit to see with my own eyes how much debris there is in the ocean. It was devastating to swim through cigarette buds, plastic bottles, plastic water cups, and other trash off Mavro Lithari Beach. Last November, I joined Project A.W.A.R.E.’s (aquatic world awareness, responsibility and education), ongoing program to protect the Flora and Fauna of our seas. The volunteer process began with a lesson on the basics of scuba diving equipment in the pool of my school. There, we were taught how to exhale and inhale underwater, and we were briefed about would take place on our first mission. I had never scuba-dived before, so this was my first experience with the equipment. A week later, at Mauro Lithari Beach, our goal was to collect as much trash in the sea as possible. The amount was overwhelming, and we did our best. Since then, I have striven to live more sustainably. I also spread the word about the importance of being responsible and protecting our aquatic environment.
For many, this may sound like something you've heard before, but it is until you see it with your own eyes. Ocean trash kills millions of animals yearly. Sea turtles and seals get trapped in fishing nets, and
fish get trapped in plastic gloves. It is crucial that we all understand the danger not only to sea life, but to humans. To this end, I will be organizing beach clean-ups, which you can find on the
events page of this blog. Hope to see you at one soon!