How Coral Reefs Are Dying—and How Divers Can Help
Most of the world’s coral reefs have bleached due to climate change and pollution, but divers can help through restoration, citizen science, reef-safe practices and advocacy.
PRESERVING OUR GREAT LAKES AND OCEANS
How Coral Reefs Are Dying—and How Divers Can Help
The Bleaching Crisis
The current global coral bleaching event is the worst on record—affecting over 80 percent of the world’s reefs between 2023 and 2025. Heat stress from rising ocean temperatures has turned reefs white, reduced biodiversity, and caused mass coral mortality. Even reefs once thought resilient, such as those in Raja Ampat or the Red Sea, have suffered severe bleaching.
Coral cover loss accelerated through the past decade as stressors like warming, pollution and overfishing compounded. Now, 44 percent of coral species face extinction. Scientists warn that even with warming limited to 1.5 °C, most tropical reefs could disappear by 2050.
Pollution, Poor Diving Practices & Other Stressors
Nutrient runoff, sedimentation, sewage and pesticides weaken coral health and encourage algal overgrowth.
Diver-related damage is more common than most people realize. Up to 88 percent of divers inadvertently touch or damage coral at least once during a dive. This adds up to 200,000 damaging contacts per dive site per year in some popular locations, making corals less likely to survive other stressors.
Boat anchors, sunscreen chemicals, plastics and other pollutants further destroy coral structure and ecology.
Ways Divers Can Make a Difference
Master Low-Impact Techniques
Learn and practice buoyancy control and proper equipment streamlining. Avoid touching reef life altogether. These skills help protect fragile coral structures. Green Fins, UNEP and The Reef‑World Foundation promote internationally recognized guidelines for sustainable dive behavior.
Participate in Citizen Science
Volunteer as a reef monitor through programs like Reef Check, REEF’s Great Annual Fish Count, CoralWatch or NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch. Tracking bleaching, invasive species, fish counts and disease data supports long-term reef health research.
Join Reef Restoration Projects
Divers can help propagate and plant coral fragments on damaged reefs, participate in surveys of restored areas, or assist researchers with logistical support. These hands-on efforts boost biodiversity and reef resilience.
Support Reef-Safe Diving Practices
Use mineral, reef-safe sunscreen (like non-nano zinc oxide), avoid plastic waste and choose operators that follow best environmental practices. Supporting PADI Eco Centers, Green Fins operators or local marine park programs helps shift conservation-minded tourism forward.
Advocate for Change
Speak up for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and protecting marine habitats. Tell operators and policymakers to enforce beach and reef protections, better manage sewage, and implement fishing regulations. Voice matters—tourism operators are increasingly motivated to adopt environmentally responsible policies.
Happy and safe diving,
The ScubaBlast Team
International Coral Reef Initiative. (2025, April 23). 84 percent of the world’s reefs hit by bleaching in record-breaking event. Retrieved from https://phys.org/news/2025-04-global-coral-ocean-reefs-biggest.html
United Nations SDG Report. (2025). Ongoing global coral bleaching event affects 84% of reefs. Retrieved from https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2025/Goal-14/
Green Fins. (n.d.). Guidelines for sustainable scuba diving operations. Retrieved from https://www.greenfins.net/
Coral Reef Alliance. (2025). Protecting Coral Reefs: sustainable practices for dive centers. Retrieved from https://coral.org/
UNEP / The Reef‑World Foundation. (n.d.). Dive professionals on the front line of coral reef protection. Retrieved from https://www.unep.org/
Blue Planet Diver Community. (n.d.). Tips for divers: cleanup, surveys and education. Retrieved from https://www.blueplanetdc.com/
Reef Check Foundation. (n.d.). Reef monitoring and volunteer citizen science programs. Retrieved from https://www.reefcheck.org/