Todd Kincaid, Science and Conservation Director of Project Baseline
Mankind has influenced the world we live in dramatically over time and continues to do so. Some things are good, but unfortunately we also bring a lot of damage to it.
Those of us who have been diving for a long time may have noticed how the waters we dive in have changed over time. Visibility may have changed dramatically, corals may have died off or are not florishing as they may have been when we first visited the dive spot some years back. Different algae blooms may have arrived possibly killing off what used to be there and marine life is affected.
This is what Project Baseline is about. It’s about engaging everyone who is visiting the waters and collectively document the current state of health of the waters. This is done by choosing specific spots, documenting what they look like and preferably taking photographs and possibly videos of these. Over time revisiting the same spots and getting new photos and videos makes it possible to create a timeline that will clearly show how things are changing, whether for the better or for the worse.
Everyone is invited to participate in the project. Which includes you. In fact what we seek is that everyone will adopt specific dive spots and locations they may dive over and over again over time and have these spots documented. The more place that get observed and documented, the more valuable the data will be. You can make a difference too.
Project Baseline along with a host of partners and sponsors are amidst an important expedition that spread vast areas, commencing from South Florda, waters around the Bahamas, crossing the Atlantic over to the Azores and continuing into the Mediterranean Sea. To document, photograph, videofilm and possibly collect samples.
We invite you to do the same in your neck of the woods wherever you may be.