June 8 marks two important events for the diving field and for the environment: World Oceans Day and the re-launch of Project AWARE Foundation’s grassroots campaign to protect ocean environments “one dive at a time.” The Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), which anyone pursuing SCUBA diving knows of and probably owes a lot of their safety to, has thrown its support behind both endeavors.

World Oceans Day was established in 1992, and its success—carried out year by year by various global organizations and small groups around the world—even led to the United Nations adopting World Oceans Day officially in 2009. The UN generally announces a slightly different theme for the June 8 event, but the goal remains the same: to raise awareness of the indispensible role our connecting oceans play in the health of our planet and how human activity can negatively and positively impact the oceans. This year, the UN theme will look at “UNCLOS at 30,” a special 30^th anniversary conference recognizing the importance of 1982’s United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The World Oceans Day theme, as guided by the Ocean Project and the World Ocean Network, will be “Youth: the Next Wave for Change.”

A list of events from around the world being held in support of World Oceans Day can be found on the event’s official website.

Project AWARE Foundation is a 21-year-old grassroots organization that recognizes the extraordinary role the millions of divers around the world play in organizing community action to protect marine environments. The movement is currently focusing on two major conservation issues: (1) Sharks in Peril, and (2) Marine Debris. This video from Project AWARE explains their local to international drive:

TRI Air Testing hopes that dive shop owners, equipment manufacturers, and divers everywhere take a moment on June 8 to consider the incredible role divers play in ocean awareness. Divers, often wearing SCUBA equipment, see the impact of development, fishing, and other human activities on our shared waters up close. They see the good, and they see the bad. And they are concerned with safety at every turn—safety of other divers and the protection of the environment.

We are proud to play our part in this field. TRI Air Testing provides compressed breathing air testing to a diverse, international client base serving commercial, recreational, technical and military dive operations of all sorts. TRI offers 24-hour results, online air testing report access, and excellent customer service. Our Compressed Air Sampling Equipment was designed to capture a non-pressurized sample of compressed breathing air for compressed air analysis by TRI’s accredited laboratory. Tests include CGA Grade E, PADI, ANDI or Grade E Oxygen Compatible, ADC Commercial Diving Standard, and more. If you dive with compressed breathing air or compressed air equipment (e.g., SCUBA), the safety and security of that equipment is confirmed through compressed air testing.

Safe diving and safe air with TRI…and a better world with World Oceans Day. Take part!