PADI AWARE Week 2025: How to Get Involved

From September 13–21, 2025, divers worldwide will unite for AWARE Week, an annual movement to protect the ocean. Take part through cleanup dives, citizen science, specialty courses, and advocacy using the Conservation Action Portal (CAP) or AWARE App. Every action counts toward a healthier blue planet.

Join divers worldwide for PADI AWARE Week, an annual dive to make waves in ocean conservation. From 13–21 September 2025, the global dive community will unite for the 8th annual AWARE Week, a movement dedicated to protecting the underwater world we all love.

The initiative is designed to mobilize divers, dive shops, and conservation groups around practical action. Activities range from debris removal dives and citizen science surveys to signing petitions and attending local events. With the launch of the new Conservation Action Portal (CAP), participants can now log data, track their impact, and connect to global conservation campaigns more easily than ever.

What is AWARE Week?

AWARE Week began in 2018 as a collaboration between PADI and the PADI AWARE Foundation. Its purpose is to unite the diving community in conservation action while raising awareness of the most pressing threats to marine environments.

Each year, the event highlights different ways divers and non-divers can contribute to the PADI Blueprint for Ocean Action, a framework focused on reducing marine debris, protecting vulnerable species, restoring habitats, and expanding marine protected areas.

In 2025, the emphasis is on the Conservation Action Portal (CAP), a digital hub and mobile app where divers can log their Dive Against Debris® surveys, sign global petitions, join Adopt the Blue™ programs, and see their contributions recorded as part of a collective effort.

Why Participate?

Taking part in AWARE Week has multiple benefits. For divers, it provides opportunities to learn new skills, engage more deeply with marine ecosystems, and join a global network of like-minded conservationists. For dive shops and clubs, it creates a platform to demonstrate leadership in sustainability and build stronger connections with local communities. At the global level, every action contributes to measurable results, from cleaner reefs to stronger protections for vulnerable species.

Since its inception, the Torchbearer community has helped secure protections for more than 104 shark and ray species, freed over 35,000 entangled marine animals, and logged thousands of Dive Against Debris® surveys. Each year, those numbers grow, and each year, AWARE Week adds another wave of progress.

How to Take Part in AWARE Week 2025

There are many ways to get involved in AWARE Week, and the best part is that you can choose the actions that fit your skills, interests, and location. From underwater cleanups to surface-level advocacy, every contribution strengthens the global movement.

1. Join or Host a Dive Against Debris® Cleanup

Dive Against Debris® is PADI AWARE’s flagship citizen science program. Divers collect and record marine debris, submitting the data to a global database that informs conservation strategies and policies. In 2024, AWARE Week participants conducted more than 300 Dive Against Debris surveys, removing 23,691 pieces of debris and aiding 385 entangled marine animals. These cleanups often include shoreline activities, making them accessible to non-divers as well.

2. Take a Conservation Specialty Course

Another way to participate is through education. PADI AWARE specialty courses, such as Shark Conservation, Coral Reef Conservation, or Dive Against Debris®, are designed to deepen your understanding of marine ecosystems while equipping you with practical conservation skills. These aren’t just classroom lessons. They also involve real dives where you apply what you’ve learned. Some dive centers go further by designing week-long programs, like Ceningan Divers in Bali, who paired specialty training with manta and turtle ID dives, giving participants both knowledge and hands-on conservation experience.

3. Contribute to Citizen Science

Every dive can become a survey dive when you approach it with a conservation mindset. Recording sightings of marine life, logging debris data, or noting habitat conditions through the Conservation Action Portal (CAP) or AWARE App makes your dive part of a much bigger story. Even relatively clean sites can provide valuable information. In 2024, PADI AWARE collaborated with NOAA to carry out coral bleaching surveys in the Caribbean and Asia Pacific, mobilizing dive centers and professionals to collect critical scientific data during the fourth global coral bleaching event.

4. Advocate Above the Surface

Conservation doesn’t stop once you’ve left the water. Signing petitions, donating to grassroots programs, and raising awareness are powerful ways to extend your impact. Past petitions led by the Torchbearer community have helped secure protections for more than 100 shark and ray species. In 2024, participants from around the world added their voices to support a Global Plastics Treaty, demonstrating that divers and ocean advocates can drive policy change when they speak collectively. Even something as simple as sharing your AWARE Week story with #AWAREWeek can inspire someone else to take action.

5. Explore the Conservation Action Portal (CAP)

The Conservation Action Portal is central to this year’s AWARE Week. Available online or as a mobile app, it allows you to log your dives, track your personal progress, and discover Adopt the Blue™ sites near you. It also connects you with local events through the Activities Locator and makes it easy to join global campaigns. Think of it as your conservation hub—a place where every small action you take is recorded, amplified, and connected to the larger mission.

6. Host Your Own Event

If you’re part of a dive center, club, or school, hosting your own AWARE Week event can magnify your impact. This could be as simple as organizing a single Dive Against Debris® survey, or as ambitious as running a week-long program of cleanups, workshops, and specialty courses. Hosting an event is a powerful way to build community and show how local action connects to global change.

Image credit: PADI

AWARE Week Success Stories From Around the World

AWARE Week demonstrates how coordinated local actions can scale into global wins. Here are some wins from previous AWARE Weeks:

• In the Caribbean and Asia Pacific, PADI AWARE Foundation worked with NOAA to conduct coral bleaching surveys during the fourth global coral bleaching event. Dive centers and professionals collected vital data through Adopt the Blue™, providing insight that will help shape future conservation strategies.
  

• At the policy level, more than 10,000 Ocean Torchbearers signed a global petition supporting PADI AWARE’s advocacy at the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations. This effort ensured that the voice of the dive community was heard in international discussions on reducing plastic pollution.

• In the Maldives, PADI and PADI AWARE Foundation helped secure a major win for endangered species. Following advocacy from the dive community, the government decided not to resume longline fishing, a decision that protects sharks, rays, and the livelihoods of local dive operators.

• On the island of Barbados, conservation took a community-centered approach. PADI AWARE helped teach 325 children to swim, trained local teens in conservation diving, and collaborated with government and dive centers to adopt 37 sites under the Adopt the Blue™ program. These initiatives not only safeguarded ecosystems but also built capacity for long-term marine protection.

• Globally, PADI AWARE Week 2024 mobilized more than 1,750 participants, who carried out over 300 Dive Against Debris® surveys. Together, they removed and reported 23,691 pieces of marine debris and aided 385 entangled marine animals across 21 official events in seven countries.

How to Get Started

AWARE Week is open to everyone, from first-time divers to experienced professionals and surface supporters. Getting involved can be as simple as signing a petition, logging your dives in the AWARE App, or joining a local cleanup with your dive shop. If you want to do more, consider hosting an event, taking a specialty course, or helping spread the word.

Share your experience on social media using #AWAREWeek, and tag @paditv and @padiaware. By sharing your story, you not only celebrate your own contribution but also inspire others to take part. The more voices that join in, the greater the ripple effect for ocean conservation.

Resources and Further Reading

For more information and to take action, visit the following links:

• PADI AWARE Week Official Page – overview of events, activities, and global campaigns.

• Conservation Action Portal – log your dives, track your impact, and explore Adopt the Blue™ sites.

• Download the AWARE App – submit data and access resources on the go (Apple App Store / Google Play).

• Join the Torchbearer Community – connect with other ocean advocates and receive updates.

• Find a Conservation Event – locate AWARE Week cleanups and activities near you.