This month, REEF is proud to highlight one of our outstanding Conservation Partners: Blue Planet Scuba in Washington, D.C. REEF Conservation Partners are active organizations and dive shops dedicated to protecting marine environments. As valued REEF ambassadors, they teach fish ID classes, host survey dives, organize volunteer events and more. Read on to find out how you can get involved with these centers of conservation action!

With more than 80 partners across the country and beyond, there are plenty of opportunities to engage! You can see the full listing of Conservation Partners or register your business or organization as a REEF Conservation Partner here: www.REEF.org/conservation-partners.

Blue Planet Scuba

Blue Planet Scuba is a PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Center located in Washington, D.C. Blue Planet provides educational opportunities and scuba diving experiences that help protect both local and global marine environments. This shop promotes sustainability and conservation initiatives including avoiding single-use plastics, using reef-safe sunscreen, and donating to conservation organizations with every certification card they issue. Join monthly fish ID classes, or complete fish surveys while on a trip through their shop. Additionally, they host fundraisers every year for conservation organizations, and the latest one was for REEF. Thank you, Blue Planet Scuba!

Conservation Actions – How can you get involved?

• Join a monthly fish ID class hosted at Blue Planet Scuba to learn more about marine life from diverse destinations all around the world.
• Complete REEF surveys or coral restoration efforts on one of Blue Planet Scuba’s monthly group SCUBA trips.
• Join one of the regular cleanups along Rock Creek, or a Dive Against Debris event on the Chesapeake Bay.
• Listen to an environmentally focused topic presented by a monthly guest speaker, or come for the monthly happy hour!
• Support one of the fundraising events hosted at Blue Planet Scuba

Why is conserving marine environments important to Blue Planet Scuba?

Divers are ambassadors for the underwater world. You hear it a lot in the dive industry, but it's true! We see first-hand what these marine environments are facing and we must do what we can to protect them: share our photos and experiences with non-divers, lobby for better policies and enforcement, serve as an example to others in our personal choices about what to eat, buy, use, etc. If we're fortunate enough to have the means and training to breathe underwater and see the world beneath the waves, we have an obligation to protect it too!

For more information on how you can get involved, visit Blue Planet Scuba’s website or Facebook page.