Want to find out how you can enhance the sustainability of your business and attract the growing market of eco-conscious travellers?

Join The Reef-World Foundation on Thursday, 9 November, 2023 at 20:00 GMT+08 in their webinar, “Deep Dive Into Boosting Your Business’ Sustainability”. The event is perfect for marine tourism operators (scuba diving, snorkelling and liveaboard) interested in making their business more environmentally friendly while delivering high-quality services. Unlock the potential to not only protect and conserve our ocean, but also skyrocket your revenue!

During this session, Reef-World’s Programmes Officers, Emma Levy and Erin Canto will chat with three industry leaders from around the world to explore various strategies and practical tips to boost your business’ sustainability. The guest speakers will share their experiences, success stories and provide valuable insights to help you take your business to the next level.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals, exchange ideas and gain inspiration to create a more sustainable business.

Register now and secure your spot for this informative and engaging online event at https://deep-dive-into-boosting-your-business.eventbrite.com

Reef-World has expanded its impact, welcomed new team members, and embraced growth while prioritising employee well-being

The Reef-World Foundation — the leading voice in sustainable marine tourism and the international coordinator of the UN Environment Programme’s Green Fins initiative —released its Impact Report for 2022 – 2023, outlining a year of significant achievements, innovative initiatives and groundbreaking collaboration.

In a year marked by global challenges, The Reef-World Foundation has been resilient and continued to excel in its mission to protect and conserve coral reefs and related ecosystems. The organisation has expanded its impact, welcomed new team members and embraced the opportunity for growth, all while remaining dedicated to the well-being of its employees.

Chair of The Reef-World Foundation, Vic Hancock Fell, said, “The past year has been both challenging and transformative. We’ve embraced new faces and a culture of care, further igniting our passion for safeguarding coral reefs and our natural world. We’ve redefined our strategic objectives to drive immediate, collective action in the marine tourism industry.”

Impact Report Highlights

• Our Programmes: Green Fins, Reef-World’s flagship program, continues to set environmental industry standards and has made significant strides in protecting coral reefs globally. The Green Fins network now covers over 60 countries, an expansion from 14 in the previous year! Through the Youth Ambassador Programme, 2,432 students in the Dominican Republic are educated about marine ecology, creating Youth Ambassadors for reef protection.
• Sustainability Targets: Reef-World diligently works toward achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a particular focus on SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and SDG 14 (Life Below Water). 
• Impactful Partnerships: In partnership with Reef-World, PADI established Eco Centers to recognise continuous conservation commitments. Reef-World’s supported survey, featuring partners like PADI, RAID, PSS, and ZuBlu, garnered 2,400 responses from April to June 2022, uncovering evolving travel trends and sustainability’s growing role in post-COVID-19 tourism.
• Expanding Communications: Reef-World’s refined approach amplifies its global message of sustainable marine tourism through increased social media engagement, press coverage, and a reformed communications strategy.
• Diversity and Inclusion: Reef-World’s commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion is reflected in its core values, culture of care and workforce capacity-building.

In the face of pressing climate change impacts, the need for immediate climate action is undeniable. The Reef-World Foundation has set the stage for a future where marine tourism will champion sustainable practices as the norm, offering solutions and hope for the world’s coral reefs.

Looking Forward

As Reef-World continues to grow and innovate, it remains committed to promoting environmental conservation and employee well-being. The organisation’s dedication to a Culture of Care and its efforts in fostering Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) set a shining example for the marine conservation sector and beyond.

“The launch of Green Fins Hub is positively a dream come true for us all, seeing the fruits of our labour over the years, and this is only the beginning. There is lots more work to be done, and now Reef-World has stronger foundations upon which to build, the only way is onwards and upwards,” said JJ Harvey, Operations Director at the Reef-World Foundation 

The Reef-World Foundation is immensely grateful for the continued support of its grant funders: UN Environment Programme, IDB Lab, The Matthew Good Foundation, Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority and GIZ (German development agency) in Jordan.

Reef-World would also like to express its gratitude to international partners whose vital support has resulted in significant tangible benefits for our work and mission: PADI; Professional SCUBA Schools International (PSS); Explorer Ventures; 1% for the Planet; ZuBlu; Snorkel Venture, GSTC; Dive O’Clock; WildSocks, Charitable Travel and Seven Dragons, without whom these achievements would not be possible. 

Find the full 2022–2023 Impact Report on Reef-World’s website.

The Reef-World Foundation, DiveAssure, and ZuBlu are launching a new collaboration to champion marine conservation while promoting sustainable diving practices. The symbiotic partnerships aim to increase awareness and implementation of environmental standards in the marine tourism industry through the Green Fins initiative, spearheaded by Reef-World in partnership with the UN Environment Programme.

Businesses have a unique opportunity to create a long-lasting impact through partnerships with conservation organisations. These partnerships show how tourism can go hand in hand with sustainability when businesses join forces with conservation organisations. By working together, these organisations and companies demonstrate their dedication towards sustainability and open doors to endless opportunities for growth and success in the tourism industry that benefit the people and the planet. 

As the number of divers continues to grow and make a comeback post-pandemic, studies have shown that there’s a strong demand for sustainability education from dive tourists. This resulted in the partnership between Reef-World, DiveAssure and ZuBlu to promote sustainable diving practices through one of Green Fins tools, the Green Fins Diver e-Course. The course is designed for recreational divers to build on their existing scuba diving knowledge and provide them with the skills and confidence to conduct environmentally friendly diving trips. This, in return, empowers them to use their consumer power to demand more sustainable practices.

Chloe Harvey, Executive Director at The Reef-World Foundation, said: “We’re thrilled to be taking this step with these two wonderful companies. This is a truly symbiotic partnership, one that furthers the business priorities of DiveAssure and ZuBlu, as well as delivering on our conservation objectives.  Reef-World has a long history of working with sustainability leaders in the diving industry, and with their support, we look forward to diving into a future where sustainability is at the heart of every dive adventure.”

What the partnerships entail for divers who have completed the Green Fins Diver e-Course:

• Get 20% off worldwide diving accident and dive-travel insurance from DiveAssure.
• Get 5% off scuba diving holidays booked with ZuBlu, a dive travel agency which has over 800 carefully chosen resort and liveaboard partners across 100 dive destinations worldwide.
• Reef-World to provide 10% off on Green Fins Diver e-Course for all DiveAssure and ZuBlu customers and members.

Besides offering a discount on their diving accident and travel plans, DiveAssure proudly supports top Green Fins Members across the globe with grants to fulfil their sustainability and conservation goals. Founded in 1999, DiveAssure has a goal of not only providing scuba divers with everything they might need in terms of safety and medical assistance, they are also committed to sustainability and the protection of our ocean. They champion responsible diving, endorse marine conservation, and continuously strive to minimise environmental footprints. Every quarter, DiveAssure evaluates initiatives proposed by Green Fins members — be it beach or reef cleanups, coral propagation, or setting up marine life nurseries. Dive centres keen to collaborate on such impactful endeavours are encouraged to reach out to info@greenfins.net for further details.

Tal Tamir, Business Development & Community Chief at DiveAssure, said: “We are thrilled about our new partnership with The Reef-World Foundation. We believe that sustainable diving is a key factor in preserving the beauty and biodiversity of our ocean. And that through education, we can raise awareness and drive positive change. The Green Fins courses empower divers and operators with knowledge about marine conservation, sustainable diving practices and the importance of protecting the ocean and its ecosystems — knowledge we encourage all our members to have. Green Fins Members are welcome to apply for funding for their blue-green initiatives, which are considered quarterly. Let’s do good together!”

With the “Explore the blue. Dive green.” tagline, ZuBlu celebrates sustainable businesses and encourages divers to be more environmentally conscious while on their adventures to contribute to a healthier ocean. Reef-World has proudly collaborated with ZuBlu since 2018, and this new partnership model represents a transformation in the impact they can have together. Their mission centres around improving the way travellers engage with the ocean. They believe every dive starts at home, and every decision made in planning a holiday can make a difference to the marine environment. With access to information on the sustainable practices implemented by their featured resort and liveaboard partners, they can ensure their customers find sustainable operators to book their ocean adventures with.

Adam Broadbent, co-founder and CEO at ZuBlu, said: “We are delighted to be deepening our collaboration with The Reef-World Foundation to further encourage more conscious divers. At ZuBlu, we want to empower our guests to be a force for good on their scuba diving adventures. And we are delighted to be rewarding Green Fins Divers with a 5% discount to acknowledge their commitment to the ocean.”

Join the movement to protect our ocean by taking the Green Fins Diver e-Course and receiving all the rewards that come from the partnerships.

An organisation that puts the well-being of its people and our planet at the heart of their operations

The Reef-World Foundation — the international coordinator of the UN Environment Programme’s Green Fins initiative — has been selected for The Escape 100, a well-known campaign highlighting the top purpose-led organisations to ‘escape to’ in 2023! 

Beating some 14,000 other company nominations, Reef-World has come out top thanks to their inspiring mission, positive impact and flexible working environment – ranking alongside social enterprise giants like Too Good To Go, Origin Coffee, Rude Health, FLOWN, City to Sea, HereWeFlo and Finisterre.

The charity prioritises a Culture of Care within the organisation that sits at the heart of decision-making. Reef-World is an exemplary marine conservation organisation and is considered a leading voice on sustainability in the marine tourism sector. They are determined and fully committed to ensuring that Reef-World also continues to be an exemplary employer, attracting and retaining champions of marine conservation today and tomorrow.

The Escape 100 campaign was started by Escape the City. While on their mission to help 1,000,000 quit their corporate jobs and find work that matters to them and the world, they began to wonder: what actually makes an organisation different, forward-thinking, and impactful? They came up with a scoring system of 6 criteria (Impact, People, Mission, Planet, Innovation and B-Corp) to rank companies, including anonymous employee reviews – and ‘The Escape 100’ was born.

This campaign comes at a key moment in working history. Since the pandemic started, employees all over the world have been given time to think about what really matters to them, and are increasingly prioritising finding new meaningful, flexible and forward-thinking work environments (as reported by The Times). In Escape the City’s recent survey of 1500 job-seekers, 89% want a career with a clear sense of purpose (up from 71% in 2015), with 73% saying that their reflection time during the pandemic has made them reevaluate their path. Furthermore, for 74% of professionals, a flexible working location is the primary barometer they use when choosing a new role.

Dom Jackman, Founder of Escape the City, explained further: “The job market is still dealing with the impact of the pandemic, and job seekers will have to work harder than ever to find opportunities that align with their values. This list has been designed to rank organisations on the metrics that really matter. What are they doing to save our planet? How do they look after their people? What problems are they solving? These are all things that job seekers want to know in 2023, and we hope this list helps talented people discover interesting opportunities and organisations that they might not have found otherwise.”

The Reef-World Foundation’s Operations Director, JJ Harvey, commented on what the campaign means to the charity: “Being recognised for the 3rd year in a row and ranking 6th in the world is a testament to our dedication to ensure that our staff feel valued, respected and continue to receive job satisfaction working at Reef-World. We continually strive to become a forward-thinking organisation that delivers on our goals and commitments to our stakeholders with fresh approaches and not being afraid of steering away from a “normal approach.” This approach is not only applied to our programmes of work but also internally and carries over to our culture of care for our team. We wouldn’t be where we are without the hard work and dedication of the staff, and their wishes must be respected and listened to. We can only grow and evolve with both ears open, and that’s what we intend to continue to do. We appreciate there is still lots more we can do as we seek to ensure we are all working in a fair and equitable work environment.”

James Greenhalgh, Digital Strategy Manager at The Reef-World Foundation, commented: “The Reef-World Foundation is a phenomenal place to work where everyone’s contribution is valued, and our team is able to punch well above our weight in terms of conservation impact. It has been an absolute pleasure to contribute to Reef-World’s output for the last 3.5 years.”

Check out The Escape 100, 2023 list here to see Reef-World’s ranking and read their team members’ reviews!

Aims to protect and preserve the Red Sea’s pristine coral reefs and marine ecosystems

The Reef-World Foundation is delighted to announce that Jordan is now the 15th country globally to implement the Green Fins programme — a UN Environment Programme initiative. The programme’s launch in Aqaba is evidence of Jordan’s commitment to safeguarding its natural resources and promoting sustainable tourism as the country builds its reputation as a world-class diving destination.

Green Fins is implemented in the country by Aqaba Special Economy Zone Authority (ASEZA) with the support of the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) through the “Employment-oriented MSME promotion” project on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), with the ultimate aim of improving the communication of environmental best practice from local diving centres to environmentally conscious tourists to help protect the environment.

Dominik Lee Zaax Wyszogrodzki, Green Fins Local Team Leader, said: “Divers are willing to pay more for services provided by dive centres that follow environmental regulations, and they expect dive centres to be leading the way in protecting the ocean. Implementing Green Fins in Aqaba is going to open us up to new markets and bring us to be one of the top diving destinations in the world.”

Following a week of training by an all-female-led training team from Reef-World (10 to 15 June 2023), Jordan now has a national Green Fins team comprised of five fully certified Green Fins Assessors and two Green Fins Coordinators from representatives of the Royal Jordanian Navy Forces, Aqaba Marine Reserve and the University of Jordan made up of a diverse group of local diving experts, environmentalists, and industry leaders. The Green Fins Jordan team is led by Ms Thelma Redwan, the Product Director at ASEZA, who coordinates the programme in collaboration with The Reef-World Foundation, GIZ, and other stakeholders.

The newly established local Green Fins team will be responsible for recruiting, assessing, training and certifying dive and snorkel operators to become Green Fins Members in the country. This involves providing training about the ecology and threats to coral reefs, advice for adopting simple and practical solutions to these threats and guidance to the Green Fins’ environmental standards for dive and snorkel operators. Green Fins membership will help marine tourism operators identify priority areas to improve their business sustainability performance and communicate their commitment  to following environmental best practices as a way of attracting eco-minded tourists.

“I’m thrilled to welcome Jordan to the Green Fins network as the fifteenth country to adopt the initiative to secure the future sustainability of their marine tourism industry,” said Chloe Harvey, Executive Director of The Reef-World Foundation. “ASEZA has shown exceptional leadership in recognising the opportunity to establish best environmental practice among their diving community with Green Fins. Jordan is a unique diving destination and home to a bountiful array of marine life. Our coral reefs are in serious trouble; it’s possible that coral reefs globally could be lost in our lifetime. Reducing local, direct threats to coral reefs, such as those posed by diving and snorkelling activities, will significantly improve their chance of survival.” 

Diving and snorkelling-related damage to sensitive marine ecosystems, including coral reefs, is becoming an increasingly significant issue. This damage makes them less likely to survive other local and wider threats, such as those associated with overfishing or plastic debris and the effects of climate change. Based on robust individual assessments of business practices, the Green Fins initiative helps identify high-risk activities. The assessors then work with participating business leaders to build and commit to a tailored sustainability action plan to address these risks. Through Green Fins implementation in Jordan, Reef-World aims to improve the sustainability of the diving industry in the region by working with 15 marine tourism operators, training 75 dive guides and raising awareness of sustainability best practices among 15,000 tourists in the first year of implementation.

Abdullah, Manager at Red Sea Dive Center, said: “I signed up for the Green Fins membership and got the help and support of the Green Fins team. I saw how thorough the process was and all the things they do on the assessment day. Now I’m convinced it’s an amazing programme that could really help the environment and one I’m very proud to be part of!”

Green Fins is a UN Environment Programme initiative, internationally coordinated by The Reef-World Foundation, which aims to protect and conserve coral reefs through environmentally friendly guidelines to promote a sustainable diving and snorkelling tourism industry. Green Fins provides the only internationally recognised environmental standards for the diving and snorkelling industry and has a robust assessment system to measure compliance. 

To date, four dive operators in Aqaba have joined the global network of 700+ trained and assessed Green Fins Members. These are: Aqaba Adventure Divers, Arab Divers, Coral Garden Diving Center and Red Sea Dive Center.

For more information, please visit www.reef-world.org or  www.greenfins.net/countries/jordan.

Dive and snorkel operators in Jordan interested in becoming Green Fins Members can sign up at: www.greenfins.net/register or contact the team at jordan@greenfins.net.

The Green Fins Award is awarded to the marine tourism operation best achieving the only internationally recognised environmental standard for marine tourism.

The Reef-World Foundation — the international coordinator of the UN Environment Programme’s Green Fins initiative — is delighted to announce the winner of the Green Fins Award 2023 — Evolution Beach and Dive Resort in Malapascua, Philippines.

The esteemed annual award recognises the Green Fins Member with the lowest environmental impact, as demonstrated by an assessment of business practice conducted within the last 12 months across 75 diving hotspots in 14 countries. This year, the award made a return at Asia Dive Expo (ADEX) 2023 in Singapore after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the last award was presented at ADEX in 2020.

The winner was identified from the network of hundreds of Green Fins Members around the world through a rigorous and robust assessment of environmental business practices. To be eligible for the award, the operator must have had its latest assessment conducted within the last 12 months.

As 2023’s Green Fins Award winner, Evolution Beach and Dive Resort is globally recognised as the top Green Fins Member. This means that they operate in compliance with the Green Fins Code of Conduct and have exceptional environmental performance every day at their dive resort. The Green Fins Code of Conduct is the only internationally recognised environmental standard for marine tourism. 

Chloe Harvey, Director at The Reef-World Foundation, said: “It’s such a pleasure to recognise the team at Evolution with this award. Their Green Fins membership journey started back in 2012, and ever since then, Matt, David and the Evolution staff team have been pivotal in Green Fins programme development. They are not only an exemplary sustainable dive operation, but also an incredibly valuable voice in our network, helping to drive the collective global industry towards a more sustainable future. THANK YOU EVOLUTION!”

Evolution Beach and Dive Resort is a PADI 5-star Dive Resort that also provides Technical Diving International (TDI) tech dive training based in Malapascua Island — the infamous island for its thresher sharks sightings. They have been a Green Fins Member since 2012, and their steps to improve sustainability practices, which have resulted in this recognition, have included but are not limited to: 

• Preventing toxic chemicals such as used oil, cleaning products and sunscreen from entering the ocean
• Consistently providing training for their staff and guests on best environmental practices
• Taking part in regular marine life monitoring and data reporting
• Disposing of all waste responsibly
• Including environmental information in pre-dive briefings

Matt Reed, co-owner of Evolution Beach and Dive Resort, said: ”The last few years have shown that uncertainty is always just around the corner. This has made us more determined than ever at Evolution to ensure that what we can control is done to the highest ‘best practice’ standards.  We cannot stop wars and pandemics, but we can protect and defend our tiny speck of the globe.”

The Green Fins Award is organised annually by The Reef-World Foundation and has been hosted by Underwater360 at the Asia Dive Expo since 2018.

In the Philippines, Green Fins is implemented by the Coastal and Marine Division under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Biodiversity Management Bureau (DENR-BMB) with support from local NGOs.

Dive, snorkel and liveaboard operators interested in signing up for Green Fins membership can find more information at: https://www.greenfins.net/join.

Reef-World’s Programmes Officers provide technical support for the development and delivery of assigned Reef-World Programmes. This Programmes Officer role is tied specifically to overseeing Green Fins digital products including but not limited to the public website (greenfins.net), Green Fins Hub and Green Fins e-Courses.

As a key member of the Programmes team, you will be helping to protect one of the world’s most valuable ecosystems – coral reefs – by building the knowledge, capacity, and motivation for the global marine tourism industry to become more sustainable. 

Programmes Officers supporting the Green Fins programme are passionate about protecting coral reefs and the incredible marine life they support because of their ecological value as well as for the benefit of our stakeholders – local communities, visitors, and future generations.

What We’re Looking For

We are looking for an experienced Digital Product Specialist to oversee the Green Fins Hub and take it to the next level. The successful candidate will understand user needs, design ongoing product iterations and lead digital product development including testing, product strategy and delivery. Enhancements will be user-centred, intuitive, functional and achieve desired outcomes.

You should be a proactive and resourceful leader and team player, able to work independently and remotely across multiple time zones while maintaining strong communication with international team members. You will naturally approach tasks with a sense of curiosity, patience and the ability to consider the bigger picture impact of your work. You’ll be open to new experiences and adventures, adaptable and have a good sense of humour! 

For more information and full job description download this PDF.

Reef-World believes that a team with diverse experiences and backgrounds generates richer discussions and more nuanced thinking that will magnify our conservation impact. We strive to be an inclusive workplace where everyone feels welcome and respected. We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome applications from anyone with the required skills and experience: whatever their background or location. We actively encourage applications from those whose identities reflect the diversity of the communities and networks we serve and whose identities are traditionally underrepresented in the conservation sector. 

How To Apply

Please email a CV and a cover letter to apply@reef-world.org.

In your cover letter, please include how you meet the job specifications and why you feel you’re the best person to help us boost our global conservation impact. If you’re a diver, please include details of your qualification and the number of dives.

We will then get back to you after the team has reviewed your application and let you know if we would like to pursue your application.

Due to the expected volume of incoming enquiries, the charity does not have the resources to provide feedback on applications that have not been accepted. If you do not hear from us, then take note that we have decided not to take your application further, and we wish you the best of luck in your career. 

Applications close 30th April 2023 (23:00 UK BST time). 

Round 1 of interviews (online) week commencing 8th to 19th May 2023. 

Round 2 of interviews (online) week commencing 22nd May to 2nd June 2023 (you will be expected to complete a short assignment if you reach this stage).

• Location: Dumaguete City, Philippines (option for role to be partially remote)
• Salary: £12,000 GBP per annum
• Contract Length: Permanent (Full Time) following a 3-month probation period
• Job Start Date: 5th June 2023
• Reporting to: Programmes Manager
• Closing date for applications: 30th April 2023 (23:00 UK BST time). 

Learn more about Reef-World at: https://www.reef-world.org

Reef-World’s Programmes Officers provide technical support for the development and delivery of assigned Reef-World Programmes. This Programmes Officer role is tied specifically to leading the analysis of data to inform Green Fins programme delivery and development for impact.

The Reef-World Foundation is recognised as the leading voice on sustainability solutions for the marine tourism industry. Through its flagship initiative, Green Fins, Reef-World drives sustainable behaviours for environmental protection by providing low-cost and practical solutions to local and industry-wide environmental challenges associated with the marine tourism industry. Reef-World has implemented Green Fins in Antigua & Barbuda, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Maldives, Palau, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. 

As a key member of the Programmes team, you will be helping to protect one of the world’s most valuable ecosystems – coral reefs – by building the knowledge, capacity, and motivation for the global marine tourism industry to become more sustainable. 

The Programmes Officers supporting the Green Fins programme are passionate about protecting coral reefs and the incredible marine life they support because of their ecological value as well as for the benefit of our stakeholders – local communities, visitors, and future generations.

What We’re Looking For

We’re on the lookout for someone who is an analytical thinker who’s passionate about understanding data and applying learnings to further our programmes to conserve coral reefs and the marine life and local communities they support. The successful candidate will have more than 3 years in conservation / environmental management data analysis and a proven track record interpreting this for, and executing, impact. 

You should be a proactive and resourceful leader and team player, able to work independently and remotely across multiple time zones while maintaining strong communication with international team members. You will naturally approach tasks with a sense of curiosity, patience and the ability to consider the bigger picture impact of your work. You’ll be open to new experiences and adventures, adaptable and have a good sense of humour!

For more information and full job description download this PDF.

Reef-World believes that a team with diverse experiences and backgrounds generates richer discussions and more nuanced thinking that will magnify our conservation impact. We strive to be an inclusive workplace where everyone feels welcome and respected. We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome applications from anyone with the required skills and experience: whatever their background or location. We actively encourage applications from those whose identities reflect the diversity of the communities and networks we serve and whose identities are traditionally underrepresented in the conservation sector. 

How To Apply

Please email a CV and a cover letter to apply@reef-world.org.

In your cover letter, please include how you meet the job specifications and why you feel you’re the best person to help us boost our global conservation impact. If you’re a diver, please include details of your qualification and the number of dives.

We will then get back to you after the team has reviewed your application and let you know if we would like to pursue your application.

Due to the expected volume of incoming enquiries, the charity does not have the resources to provide feedback on applications that have not been accepted. If you do not hear from us, then take note that we have decided not to take your application further, and we wish you the best of luck in your career. 

Applications close 16th April 2023 (23:00 UK BST time). 

Round 1 of interviews (online) week commencing 17th to 21st April 2023. 

Round 2 of interviews (online) week commencing 1st to 5th May 2023 (you will be expected to complete a short assignment if you reach this stage).

• Location: Dumaguete City, Philippines (option for role to be partially remote)
• Salary: £12,000 GBP per annum
• Contract Length: Permanent (Full Time) following a 3-month probation period
• Job Start Date: 5th June 2023
• Reporting to: Programmes Manager
• Closing date for applications: 16th April 2023 (23:00 UK BST time). 

Learn more about Reef-World at: https://www.reef-world.org

Job Title: Communications Manager

Location: Dumaguete City, Philippines (option for role to be fully or partially remote)

Salary: £19,000 – £24,000 GBP per annum, dependent on experience 

Contract Length: Permanent (Full Time) following a 3-month probation period 

Job Start Date:  1 Mar 2023 (or early as possible)

Reporting to: Directors

Closing date for applications: 8 Jan 2023

Hi! We’re The Reef-World Foundation, a registered UK charity which delivers practical solutions for marine conservation around the world. We are a small but highly effective team of passionate and dedicated individuals who are driven by achieving lasting conservation impacts in areas of the world where it is needed the most. We started working with local fishing communities in Thailand in 1999. Today we operate across 14 countries, supporting governments, businesses and communities to sustainably develop their coastal resources.

In partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), we are the international coordinator of the Green Fins initiative, which aims to protect and conserve coral reefs through environmentally friendly guidelines that promote a sustainable diving and snorkelling tourism industry. The reality is that coral reefs couldbe gone in your lifetime – if they go, the health and wellbeing of people and the planet go with them. Reef-World is working to buy more time for coral reefs to thrive by mobilising collective, urgent and wilful action through the marine tourism industry.

Our work involves supporting, inspiring and empowering governments, businesses, communities and individualsaround the world to act in conserving and sustainably developing coral reefs and other coastal resources.

The Reef-World Foundation is subject to UK employment law.

Reef-World’s Core Values

• We empower our colleagues, our stakeholders, our partners and our supporters to have conservation impact.
• We collaborate. Our approach is not competitive – the more we collaborate, the stronger the conservation impact we will have.
• We are innovative. We explore new ways to grow and harness new technology that helps us do so. We are not afraid to break from the norm and use innovative approaches, to achieve conservation impact.
• We stay optimistic in our decision-making and in our approach to tackling global conservation issues.
• We seek to inform. The messages we bring to the public’s attention are based on sound science. Westrive to keep ourselves informed and in tune with the latest science and approaches.

Job Purpose

The Communications Manager plays a key role within the organisation, shaping and leading the delivery of all aspects of communications and outreach related to Reef-World and its programmes, with a primary focus on Green Fins.

Coral reefs could be gone in your lifetime – if they go, the health and wellbeing of people and the planet go with them.A strategic-thinking and creative Communications Manager will continue to shape and lead Reef-World’s communications to address this reality.

The Communications Manager leads the development and distribution of Reef-World’s communication content topromote the work of the Charity. Additionally, they will work with the Programmes team to oversee the development and distribution of outreach content and materials supporting Reef-World’s programmes and partnerships, informed by cutting-edge behavioural change and evidence-based approaches to result inempowering more individuals to take action for environmental protection around the world.

The main responsibilities of this role are:

• Lead Reef-World’s communications
• Provide management and mentorship to Reef-World’s Communications team
• Deliver Reef-World’s communications output in line with Reef-World’s strategic plan
• Contribute to Reef-World’s strategic planning

In addition to the primary role, the Communications Manager will also support the implementation of Green Finsalongside country partners and teams consisting of government representatives and NGO’s.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Communications and Outreach

• Manage all articles and publications; with the support of the Reef-World team, release compelling contentthat works across a variety of channels (press releases, news, blogs, articles, publications)
• Lead development of The Reef-World Public Annual Report
• Lead on stakeholder engagement, public relations, digital and communication campaigns, engaging arange of audiences across a diverse set of geographies and platforms
• Ensure all content is on-brand (Reef-World and its Programmes where applicable) and consistent in terms of style, quality and tone of voice
• Act as the primary communications contact for outreach partners (press and media), Green Fins partners(dive and snorkel operators and dive professionals), general public and symbiotic partners
• Campaign design, development, implementation; based on results from analysis of current and pastcommunication campaigns / social marketing research (or similar)
• Conduct monitoring and evaluation of communication campaign uptake and impact using existing softwareand programmes (Sprout, Sendinblue, Google analytics etc) with a view to increasing our followers and overall reach.
• Design new, manage current and oversee production of marketing, outreach and capacity buildingmaterials associated with Reef-World Programmes (e.g. Green Fins materials)
• Oversee management of the content of Reef-World’s digital communications assets (social media accounts and websites)
• Design collateral for conferences, dive and travel shows and international conservation events

Programmes Support

• Support in training and capacity building for Green Fins as required
• Work closely with Green Fins partners (dive and snorkel centres, NGOs, national and local authorities) toshare lessons across active countries, support implementation and provide technical advice for enhanced conservation impact
• Document, report and carry out administration duties for Reef-World’s Programmes development in as instructed by the Programmes Manager
• Support the Programmes team in the monitoring of impact and uptake of all online tools and report on findings where necessary
• Maintain data management systems in line with Reef-World’s Programmes

Personnel Management

• Supervise and manage the Reef-World Communications team
• Maintain effective communication with Communications team members through regular 1-1s, organisationand team meetings, team socials and coffee meetings – following the standard internal protocols for each of these
• Support the Directors in ensuring all Communications team members understand their roles, are engaged in Reef-World’s strategic direction/ goals and, fulfil their responsibilities in line with their personal annual targets
• Oversee the recruitment and and onboarding of new Communications team members staff as required
• Create the conditions to ensure effective teamwork and morale in line with Reef-World’s Culture of Care
• Support the Directors in appraising and improving the performance of Reef-World’s Communications team

Culture of Care

• Ensure the definition and validity of wellbeing days is fully understood among Communications staff
• Champion reflection days
• Ensure communication and methods of working with other staff is informed by insights gained from TypeCoach personality analysis
• Champion the support provided by the Reef-World team coach

Internal Communication

• Use and champion internal communications platforms and channels, ensuring they are fully embedded in to daily working life of the Communications team and provides an effective two-way flow of information with staff
• Utilise internal communication platforms and channels to maintain regular communicationbetween Reef-World pillar teams, Managers and the Directors

Fundraising and Networking

• Assist with identifying fundraising opportunities through relevant grants and private sector donations for Reef-World projects including but not limited to Green Fins.
• Support the delivery of Reef-World’s Sustainability Strategy
• Monitor and refine the effectiveness of Reef-World’s online donation tools
• To represent Reef-World at exhibitions, shows and events

Administration

• Ensure organised accounting and reimbursement of all Reef-World expenses to the Directors
• Support reporting of Reef-World activities to the Trustees, UNEP and other grant sources.

The employee’s duties may from time to time be reasonably modified as necessary to meet the needs of the Charity and/or associated project.

What We’re Looking For

We’re on the lookout for someone who is passionate about conserving coral reefs and the marine life and localcommunities they support. The successful candidate will be a confident marketer with 3-5 years of experience in conservation or environmental communications management.

You should be a proactive and resourceful leader and team player, able to work independently and remotely across multiple time zones while maintaining strong communications with international team members. You will naturally approach tasks with a sense of curiosity, patience and the ability to consider the bigger picture impact ofyour work. You’ll be open to new experiences and adventures, adaptable and have a good sense of humour!

Skills and Experience

Essential

• Prior experience in conservation / environmental communications;
• Strong copywriting (English, UK), editing, proofreading, layout and design, professional printing / publishing skills, including the ability to present concepts verbally;
• A certified scuba diver;
• Experience working in multiple locations around the world and / or within international teams;
• Prior experience in leadership and management;
• Excellent attention to detail;
• Excellent organisational and planning skills;
• Superior project management and time management skills;
• A wide degree of creativity and latitude;
• Self-motivated with a positive and professional approach to management;
• Possess good interpersonal skills, agility to think and act strategically;
• Confident communicator and presenter;
• Multilingual, fluency in English is essential;

• Ability to use basic Windows or Mac computer packages such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint or similar;
• Excellent written English; and:-
• Committed to diversity, equity and inclusion.

Desirable

• Previous knowledge of the diving or marine tourism industry;
• Strong knowledge and understanding of current trends in digital media/social media;
• Training or experience in behaviour change communications and design for the environment;
• Experience using GSuite including GDrive, Gmail and GCalendar; and:-
• Prior experience working with governments and/or NGOs.

Reef-World believes that a team with diverse experiences and backgrounds generates richer discussions andmore nuanced thinking that will magnify our conservation impact. We strive to be an inclusive workplace where everyone feels welcome and respected. We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome applications from anyone with the required skills and experience: whatever their background or location. We actively encourage applications from those whose identities reflect the diversity of the communities and networks we serve and whose identities are traditionally underrepresented in the conservation sector.

Benefits

Holiday entitlement

30 days a year.

Flexible working

The Directors are based at the Future Leap coworking in Bristol and we have a field office in Dumaguete in thePhilippines. As an international team working across timezones our working policy is flexible and hybrid.

Pension

For UK employees, we’ll pay a minimum of 3% or match up to a maximum of 8% per month. You’ll pay a minimum of 5% of your qualifying earnings per month.

Staff

A small, friendly (but ambitious) staff team

How to Apply

Please email your CV and a separate attached cover letter specific to this position to apply@reef-world.org. Inyour cover letter, please include how you meet the job specifications and why you feel you’re the best person to help us boost our global conservation impact. If you’re a diver, please include details of your qualification and number of dives.

We will then get back to you after the team has reviewed your application and let you know if we would like to pursue your application. Due to the expected volume of incoming enquiries, the charity does not have the resources to provide feedback on applications that have not been accepted. If you do not hear from us by 20 Jan 2023, then takenote that we have decided not to take your application further, and we wish you the best of luck in your career.

Applications close 8 Jan 2023.

Round 1 of interviews (online) week commencing 16 Jan 2023.

Round 2 of interviews (online) week commencing 30 Jan 2023 (you will be expected to complete a short assignment if you reach this stage).

Learn more about Reef-World at: https://www.reef-world.org

Reef-World reveals developments that will create lasting and systemic change for the marine environment

The Reef-World Foundation – international coordinator of the UN Environment Programme’s Green Fins initiative – today released its 2021-2022 annual report highlighting its major developments to spur inclusive growth of the Green Fins initiative for coral reef protection globally. The report shows the resilience of the organisation amid unprecedented times.

“Not only did they manage to navigate the disruption and stresses of pandemic life from different parts of the world, but they also used this time to reflect, resourcefully adapt, and prepare for the eventual resumption of international travel and dive tourism. As the world gradually reopened over the last year, the team were more than ready to hit the ground running across the various project countries, with even more drive and determination,” said Viv Stein-Rostaing, Chair of The Reef-World Foundation.

One of the year’s main highlights is the rebranding of Green Fins, a brand which has not changed since it was created in 2004. The rebrand comes as the urgency of Green Fins’ work ramps up due to climate change impacts. It represents the initiative’s global expansion, the evolution of its network and the inclusivity of all its stakeholders. Another major milestone includes the release of the new Green Fins Diver e-Course, further increasing the accessibility of marine environmental knowledge and tips on reducing environmental impact whilst diving.

Green Fins activities at popular diving destinations started to buzz again, and Reef-World supported the national governments of  Costa Rica and Japan to launch Green Fins and trained new Green Fins assessors in the Dominican Republic and the Philippines. Other major developments such as the Green Fins Hub, a new type of digital membership and Green Fins membership structure updates are now launched in September 2022, months after the annual report operational year.

Green Fins collection of educational materials, which covers guidance on tackling every environmental challenge facing the diving industry has also been bolstered. Four new guidelines for environmental best practices, two new language translations (Chinese and Bahasa Malaysia) and two posters were updated to expand the reach of its conservation message. The revamped Green Fins website, which loads faster and is more mobile-friendly, saw a 16% increase in web traffic, and communications efforts to broaden the charity’s audience resulted in a 200% increase in web traffic on Reef-World’s website.

With the growth in impact and scale, and as an exemplary marine conservation organisation, Reef-World’s Directors have embarked on the Great Organisational Shakeup, integrating a culture of care alongside an ambitious recruitment plan to meet a new strategy to ensure the long-term success of the team personally and professionally. To support staff in navigating the challenges of working remotely, the charity engaged a coach to provide regular one-to-one coaching sessions, and the results have been invaluable. In May 2022, Reef-World was ranked number six for Escape the City: Top purpose-led companies to ‘escape’ to in 2022, as one of the most progressive organisations to work for amongst 13,000 company nominations.

“The Reef-World team dreams big, and we’ve proven in the past that when we do so, big things happen. We’re super excited about the coming year. To lead and innovate for lasting change, to continue to deliver on the needs of local communities and further secure the long-term sustainability of the marine resources they rely on.” said Chloe Harvey, Director at The Reef-World Foundation.

Reef-World would also like to thank its grant funders: UN Environment Programme, IDB Lab and TUI Care Foundation; symbiotic partners whose vital support has resulted in significant tangible benefits for the ocean: PADI; Professional SCUBA Schools International (PSS); The Matthew Good Foundation; Explorer Ventures; 1% for the Planet; ZuBlu; Snorkel Venture, GSTC; Dive O’Clock; WildSocks, Charitable Travel and Seven Dragons. 

The full 2021–2022 Annual Report is available on Reef-World’s website.

The Chamber of Diving and Watersports is celebrating the first Green Fins trainers to complete the “Train the Trainer” programme in Africa and the Middle East Region

The Reef-World Foundation—the international coordinator of UN Environment Programme’s Green Fins initiative—has successfully trained and certified three new Green Fins trainers from the Green Fins Egypt national team. They are now qualified to train new Green Fins assessors in the country, building capacity for the initiative’s continued expansion in the country.

Due to the increasing demand for the Green Fins programme by dive and snorkel operators in Egypt, the Green Fins Egypt team has undergone the Green Fins “Train the Trainer” programme in October 2022. Reef-World developed the “Train the Trainer” programme to assist the national teams in becoming more independent and sustainable. Following the week of training, Egypt now has a national Green Fins team comprised of three fully certified Green Fins trainers and nine Green Fins assessors from the Chamber of Diving & Watersports (CDWS).

Chloe Harvey, Director at The Reef-World Foundation, said: “The team behind Green Fins in Egypt are such a unique mix of individuals with decades of diving experience and more than 100,000 dives between them. The team is constantly breaking down barriers and thinking really innovatively to work with the industry to overcome some systemic patterns of behaviour. By building their capacity to now train new assessors, they are more sustainable as a national team and can plan ahead to ensure they have the right people in the right places to continue to drive change within the marine tourism industry. I’m really hopeful that as the Green Fins network in Egypt grows, we can engage the right government agencies in further supporting the future sustainability of the Egyptian diving and snorkelling industry.”

Green Fins Egypt was launched in September 2019. The programme was piloted in the South Sinai Governorate with the CDWS leading all Green Fins activities in the country. The plan is to strengthen sustainability within the marine tourism sector across Egypt by guiding operators towards a more sustainable operating model. Training and encouraging the adoption of the Green Fins management approach to reduce their impact on the marine environment.

Mostafa Hefny, Chairman of the Chamber of Diving & Watersports, said: “Green Fins is raising awareness of the diving industry on the importance of sustainability and providing useful solutions to our problems. Egypt is leading the way in sustainable diving in the Middle East and African region.”

Building on the successful pilot, Green Fins was then expanded to be available to all dive and snorkel operators across Egypt in 2020. The team was lucky to complete the roll-out before the pandemic hit and travel restrictions prevented further implementation. Despite the setback, the team has continued to assess Members where possible, and there are now Green Fins certified dive and snorkel operators in all of the key destinations in the Red Sea.

Lina Challita, Environmental Manager at the Chamber of Diving & Watersports, said: “As a team, we are happy to become some of the few assessor trainers in the world. We hope to reach as many operators as possible and help with positive change in the industry.”

Green Fins provides the only internationally recognised environmental standards for the diving and snorkelling industry and has a robust assessment system to measure compliance. The initiative aims to protect and conserve coral reefs through environmentally-friendly guidelines that promote a sustainable diving and snorkelling tourism industry.

The new Green Fins Hub offers enhanced and global membership for participating dive and snorkel operators to conserve the marine environment.

Sustainable marine tourism is receiving a major boost with the launch of the Green Fins Hub, a global digital platform for diving and snorkelling operators worldwide. The industry-backed digital platform is expected to scale up reach from about 700 operators across 14 countries today to a potential 30,000 worldwide, thus increasing coral protection and conservation worldwide. 

The Green Fins Hub is the first-ever global marine tourism industry platform, helping operators to make simple, cost-efficient changes to their daily practices by utilising tried and tested solutions, keep track of their annual improvements and communicate with their communities and customers. The tool has been developed by The Reef-World Foundation in partnership with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) to overcome the biggest sustainability challenges in the marine conservation tourism industry. 

“Coral reefs, home to at least 25 per cent of marine life, are the mecca for marine-related tourism, contributing up to 40 per cent or more of the gross domestic product in some island nations. However, they are a most vulnerable ecosystem, especially to climate change with the difference between a global temperature rise of 1.5 or 2 degrees Celsius being existential for reefs,” said Leticia Carvalho, Principal Coordinator, Marine and Freshwater at UNEP. “Increasing accessibility of best practice, knowledge and citizen science through this global digital hub can be a game changer in ensuring a future for coral reefs and other fragile marine ecosystems.”

The Green Fins Hub is the latest development by The Reef-World Foundation to meet a growing industry demand for environmentally-friendly underwater sports. The foundation recently surveyed over 2,400 dive tourists and professionals, of whom 83 per cent said they are looking for further sustainability education on their holiday, 75 per cent said they would pay more for it, but 85 per cent said that they find it difficult to see if an operator is sustainable.

The Green Fins Hub is intended to catalyse a seismic shift towards sustainability in the marine tourism sector, by hosting two types of Green Fins membership:

• Digital membership that will be available to dive, snorkel and liveaboard operations globally. Throughout every year of membership, operators will receive environmental scores based on a detailed online self-evaluation and progress made on their action plans.
• Green Fins Certified Members will continue to be assessed annually and trained in person at their operation. The assessment process will continue to be based on set criteria using a scoring system (0-330 point system, with a low score implying low impact of a business on coral reefs). As part of the Green Fins Hub, there will now be a minimum threshold (>200 of a maximum environmental impact score) for becoming a Green Fins Certified Member and a ranking of bronze, silver or gold certified members according to performance.

Additional features on the Hub include: 

• The Green Fins Community Forum for operators around the world to raise industry needs, discuss environmental issues and share lessons and ideas with like-minded industry leaders, NGOs and governments. For example, dive centres experiencing outbreaks of invasive species like the Crown-of-Thorns Seastar (COTS) at their dive sites can use the forum to gain the resources and expertise to take immediate conservation action.
• The Green Fins Solutions Library gives access to over 100 proven environmental solutions to common daily operational challenges, tried and tested by the Green Fins network for over two decades. 
• The Action Plan: Members will receive an annual sustainability action plan with set goals. An advanced user interface now allows them to track their progress over time.

The Green Fins Hub has been co-created with key industry partners from around the world, to ensure it meets the needs of our stakeholders. Diver training agency, PADI, and its network have pioneered and financially backed this project from its inception. In addition, industry leaders including training agencies PSS, RAID, diver insurance company DAN, dive holiday booking platforms such as ZuBlu and PADI Travel, and a series of Green Fins Members from around the world have helped shape the platform throughout development.

Katie Thompson Global Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at PADI said, “As the world’s leading initiative dedicated to environmental guidelines that promote a sustainable diving and snorkelling industry, we knew that to reduce the global environmental footprint of scuba diving, we had to work closely with Reef-World’s Green Fins initiative. Since the beginning of our partnership in 2018, it’s been a major priority for us to make sure that all 6,600+ PADI Members across the globe have access to the low-cost and practical support that Green Fins membership provides. That’s why we have worked together to conceptualise and refine Green Fins Hub; now every one of our amazing PADI Members can join a community committed to positive change, and work towards a more sustainable future one step at a time.”

The development of the Green Fins Hub has been supported by numerous partners, another indication of the need for such a sustainability tool. Significant support was received from the Inter-American Development Bank through the Beyond Tourism Challenge, UNEP, the Matthew Good Foundation and Conservation X Labs. 

“The Green Fins Hub is the solution the scuba diving industry needs to push sustainability efforts forward,” said Adam Broadbent, founder of ZuBlu, a leading dive travel booking platform “By digitalising environmental goal tracking, centralising countless sustainability resources, and encouraging collaboration between operators, the Hub is empowering us all to create a greener future for the big blue we all love.”

“We are very excited about this new development from Green Fins,” says Anais Lefrere, Business Development Manager at DUNE United, an international network of Liveaboards and Dive Centres. “The self-evaluation model on the Green Fins Hub will help us to identify environmental challenges within each of our partner operations and provide step by step support in addressing these. This will ultimately help us  to mainstream environmental considerations across our whole brand and help us to demonstrate our commitment to sustainability.”

Reef-World released a report informed by divers to help the diving industry bounce back from the pandemic without compromising on sustainability

The Reef-World Foundation released a new report summarising the results from an online survey conducted from April to June 2022, which received over 2,400 responses from various demographics. The study reveals new travel trends and how important sustainability is regarded in this new era of tourism as the industry recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. Reef-World hopes for the report to assist in this rehabilitation process and aid marine tourism businesses, local governments and communities to not only bounce back better but also prepare themselves for a bright future of travel, all whilst protecting the ocean.

“This survey has highlighted some really encouraging trends,” said Chloe Harvey, Director at The Reef-World Foundation. “The Gen Z and Millennials, those with the biggest buying power today and tomorrow, are seeking out experiences that align with their sustainability values. They are willing to pay more for sustainable offerings and are wanting to educate themselves and be involved in meaningful environmental activities while on holiday. This is so positive for both the industry and the environment upon which it is built. It’s given us a sneak peek into the future of marine tourism; one where sustainability is no longer a competitive edge, but a minimum requirement. We’re proud that the Green Fins approach and tools remain at the cutting edge, delivering on the needs of the industry and the consumer as we move into this new era of tourism.” 

The report has identified some of the key narratives that will drive the market in the future and insights to help businesses take advantage of these trends for the future sustainability of their business and the environment it is built on. One main highlight from the report is that the demands from dive tourists have shifted since the pandemic.

Emerging from a travel hiatus, they now want more sustainable holiday options and more transparency around options coined as environmentally friendly during their dive trips. While 75% of dive tourists are willing to pay more for sustainability, they fear spending more on their holidays due to the risk of contributing money towards “greenwashing”. The tourism industry needs a brand-conscious, transparent, and effective global green label to address that.

The industry professionals (guides, instructors, business owners) have also spoken. The data clearly suggests they seek more environmental education and tools to raise environmental awareness, both for themselves and their customers. From their perspective, the fact that these are lacking represents the single biggest challenge for them on achieving their sustainability goals in their workplace. An overwhelming majority of dive professionals think dive operators, including the operations they work in, should do more to protect the environment. Dive tourists are also calling on marine tourism operators to do better. They believe these businesses profit from tourism and therefore have a responsibility to protect the environment and surrounding ecosystems they work in and should be held accountable for their actions.

The Reef-World Foundation leads the global implementation of the UN Environment Programme’s Green Fins initiative, which focuses on driving environmentally friendly scuba diving and snorkelling practices across the industry globally. Green Fins offers the world’s first independent certificate to stop the environmental impact from marine-based tourism. It is a proven conservation management approach that leads to a measurable reduction in the negative environmental impacts of marine tourism.

The survey, conducted with the support of Reef-World’s partners, PADI, RAID, PSS and ZuBlu, proves that tourists will be increasingly voting with their wallets and selecting businesses and brands that align with their values for sustainability and preservation of our incredible ocean ecosystems. 

To learn how the key findings from the survey can help marine tourism businesses to bounce back from the pandemic while keeping sustainability at the forefront, download the full report.

To reduce the pressures on coral reefs and increase the value of sustainable marine tourism

The Reef-World Foundation, the Onna Village Diving Association, the local government, and Oceana are delighted to announce that Japan is now the 14th country globally to implement the Green Fins initiative – a UN Environment Programme initiative. Onna Village in Okinawa is the first Japanese tourist destination to adopt Green Fins environmental standards to reduce the threats associated with diving and snorkelling on the marine environment.

Green Fins is piloted in Onna Village, Okinawa prefecture, an area renowned for its marine sports and has been working to protect its reefs for many years. Green Fins is implemented as part of the national Sustainable Development Goals project, which aims to manage and illustrate to the local industry how sustainable tourism can play a role in reef conservation. The economic benefits of the reefs benefit not only the fisheries industry but also the tourism industry as it has rocketed in recent decades. 

If the project is successful – proving the value of sustainable tourism – the model has the potential to be escalated to a national level. A wide rollout would allow Reef-World to focus on uptake and expansion into other marine tourism and biodiversity hotspots across Japan. Green Fins implementation in Japan would provide practical solutions to many of the common problems faced in the area. It would also help to promote high standards for diving in the country. Improving the quality of the diving industry through Green Fins would demonstrate the added value of Onna Village’s tourism product. This, in turn, will encourage tourists to spend more time and money diving in the region.

Following a week of training by Reef-World (23 to 28 May 2022), Japan now has a national Green Fins team comprised of four fully certified Green Fins Assessors and two Green Fins Coordinators from Oceana and the local government. They will be responsible for recruiting, assessing, training and certifying dive and snorkel operators to become Green Fins members in the country. This involves providing training about the ecology and threats to coral reefs, simple and local everyday solutions to these threats and Green Fins’ environmental standards to dive and snorkel operators. Green Fins membership will help marine tourism operators improve their sustainability and prove they are working hard to follow environmental best practices as a way of attracting eco-minded tourists.

James Harvey, Director at The Reef-World Foundation, said: “We are really excited to finally introduce Green Fins in Japan. We have been planning this for almost three years, but the travel restrictions related to the pandemic hindered progress. The diving industry in Okinawa and the marine life upon which it has been built is so unique, it must be preserved for generations to come. The Okinawa diving community is very passionate about protecting their marine environment, and Green Fins has given them an opportunity to collectively work to reduce their environmental impact and pursue exemplary environmental standards.”

Diving and snorkelling related damage to sensitive marine ecosystems, including coral reefs, is becoming an increasingly significant issue. This damage makes them less likely to survive other local and wider stressors, such as overfishing or plastic debris and the effects of climate change. Based on robust individual assessments, the Green Fins initiative helps identify and mitigate these risks by providing environmental consultation and support to dive and snorkel operators. Through Green Fins implementation in Japan, Reef-World aims to reduce negative environmental impacts in the region by reaching 10 marine tourism operators, training 50 dive guides and raising awareness of sustainability best practices among 10,000 tourists in the first year.

Yuta Kawamoto, CEO of Oceana, said: “Green Fins will help to unify all the conservation efforts in Okinawa by applying the guidelines in many areas and raising tourists awareness. We hope this will increase the sustainable value in the diving industry and in turn increase the diving standards in the country.”

Green Fins is a UN Environment Programme initiative, internationally coordinated by The Reef-World Foundation, which aims to protect and conserve coral reefs through environmentally friendly guidelines to promote a sustainable diving and snorkelling tourism industry. Green Fins provides the only internationally recognised environmental standards for the diving and snorkelling industry and has a robust assessment system to measure compliance. 

To date, four dive operators in Onna Village have joined the global network of 600+ trained and assessed Green Fins members. These are: Benthos Divers, Okinawa Diving Center, Arch Angel and Pink Marlin Club. There has also been significant interest from other operators, even those that are not located in Onna Village, for Green Fins training and assessment.

Suika Tsumita from Oceana said: “Green Fins serve as an important tool for local diving communities to move towards a more sustainable use of their dive sites; so that they can maintain their scenic beauty and biological richness to provide livelihoods for many generations to come.”

For more information, please visit www.reef-world.org or  www.greenfins.net/countries/japan.

Dive and snorkel operators interested in signing up for Green Fins can find the membership application form at: www.greenfins.net/how-to-join.

Dive and snorkel operators in Japan interested in signing up to be Green Fins members can contact the Green Fins Japan team at japan@greenfins.net.

The Reef-World Foundation – the international coordinator of Green Fins – and Reef Check Malaysia are pleased to announce that Bahasa Malaysia-speaking dive and snorkel operators can now benefit from environmental resources in their first language. 

The Green Fins programme is resuming in the country after a pause due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The newly translated Green Fins posters and guidelines are designed to help marine tourism operators understand their impact on the environment and empower them to adopt more sustainable practices. 

Diving related damage to sensitive marine ecosystems, including coral reefs, is becoming an increasingly significant issue. This damage makes them less resilient to survive other local and wider stressors, such as overfishing or run-off from land containing pollutants and plastic debris and the effects of climate change, such as rising sea temperatures. 

Dive and snorkel operators being able to understand the issues faced and educate others is hugely important to the local environment and community, especially when Malaysia is a part of the Coral Triangle as well. Having access to readily available materials in their first language will help Bahasa Malaysia speakers learn how to protect coral reefs by adopting sustainable tourism behaviours and empower local guides to teach best practice to their guests whatever their level of English. 

JJ Harvey, Director at Reef-World, said: “We’re thrilled that our educational materials are now available to Bahasa Malaysia speakers. With Green Fins being a global initiative, it’s important for us to communicate and educate as effectively as possible and translating materials into Bahasa Malaysia allows us to reach even more people than before leading to greater impact.”

Samantha Craven, Programmes Manager at Reef-World, said: “The face-to-face environmental training sessions given by the Green Fins national teams to dive shop members in their local language are invaluable to building the environmental knowledge of their staff and crew. That’s why we’re delighted to build on this by providing our suite of tools and resources in Bahasa Malaysia to help even more marine tourism operators improve their sustainable practices.” 

Alvin Chelliah, Senior Programme Manager at Reef Check Malaysia, said: “Many local boatmen, compressor boys, snorkel guides, divers and snorkellers aren’t fluent in English. Also, with the restarting of tourism in Malaysia, more local tourists are travelling and exploring destinations close to home. Having the Green Fins materials in Bahasa Malaysia makes it easier to get the message across to a much wider range of people that are visiting the reefs, which could have more impact on raising awareness and taking actions to protect them. We hope this will encourage more dive and snorkel operators to use them with their guests.”

Green Fins is a UN Environment Programme initiative which aims to protect and conserve coral reefs through environmentally friendly guidelines to promote a sustainable diving and snorkelling tourism industry. It provides the only internationally recognised environmental standards for the diving and snorkelling industry and has a robust assessment system to measure compliance. Green Fins was first launched in Malaysia back in 2004 and is available to dive and snorkel operators nationwide.

Green Fins members are evaluated annually based on a 15-point code of conduct, which measures the company’s impact on coral reefs: of a possible score of 330, the lower the score, the lower its impact. The assessment then enables Green Fins assessors to offer practical alternatives to the most pressing threats posed by that business.

Download the Bahasa Malaysia Green Fins materials here.

For more information, please visit www.reef-world.org or www.greenfins.net. Dive and snorkel operators interested in signing up for Green Fins can find the membership application form at: www.greenfins.net/how-to-join.

The Reef-World Foundation has been selected for The Escape 100, a well-known campaign highlighting the top purpose-led companies to ‘escape to’ in 2022! 

Beating some 13,000 other company nominations, The Reef-World Foundation has ranked number 6 globally thanks to our inspiring mission, positive impact and flexible working environment – ranking alongside social enterprise giants like Oddbox, OLIO, Too Good To Go, Moving Worlds and more. 

The Escape 100 campaign was started by Escape the City. While on their mission to help 1,000,000 quit their corporate jobs and find work that matters to them and the world, they began to wonder: what actually makes an organisation different, forward-thinking, and impactful? They came up with a scoring system of 6 criteria (Impact, People, Mission, Planet, Innovation and B-Corp) to rank companies, including anonymous employee reviews – and ‘The Escape 100’ was born.

This campaign comes at a key moment in working history. Since the pandemic started, employees all over the world have been given time to think about what really matters to them, and are increasingly prioritising finding new meaningful, flexible and forward-thinking work environments (as reported by The Times). In Escape the City’s recent survey of 1500 job-seekers, 89% want a career with a clear sense of purpose (up from 71% in 2015), with 73% saying that their reflection time during the pandemic has made them reevaluate their path. Furthermore, for 74% of professionals, a flexible working location is the primary barometer they use when choosing a new role.

Dom Jackman, Founder of Escape the City, explained further: “The job market is still dealing with the impact of the pandemic, and job seekers will have to work harder than ever to find opportunities that align with their values. This list has been designed to rank organisations on the metrics that really matter. What are they doing to save our planet? How do they look after their people? What problems are they solving? These are all things that job seekers want to know in 2022, and we hope this list helps talented people discover interesting opportunities and organisations that they might not have found otherwise.”

The Reef-World Foundation’s Director, JJ Harvey, commented on what the campaign means to the company: “This is a fantastic recognition of our combined effort to ensure that The Reef-World Foundation is a forward-thinking and evolving organisation that is positioned to effectively take on the challenges we face in helping to protect and conserve coral reefs. We are delighted to be in the top 100 for the 3rd time in a row and coming #6 this year shows that we are on the right track. Our staff have been key to this and this award is a reflection of their input and hard work. ”.  

Emma Levy, who works at The Reef-World Foundation, commented: “The senior management at Reef-World work hard to make sure every employee is happy, heard and thriving. It’s a pleasure to work where everyone is highly motivated due to a shared passion for marine conservation and genuinely enjoying working together as a team.”.  

The Reef-World Foundation is a registered UK charity which delivers practical solutions for marine conservation around the world. The charity leads the global implementation of the UN Environment Programme’s Green Fins initiative, which focuses on driving environmentally friendly scuba diving and snorkelling practices across the industry globally.

Check out The Escape 100, 2022: Top purpose-led companies to ‘escape’ to in 2022 here to see our organisation’s ranking and read our employee reviews!

First Green Fins material focused on guidelines for snorkellers

The Reef-World Foundation – the international coordinator of the UN Environment Programme’s Green Fins initiative – has launched a new poster on Green Fins Environmental Best Practice for Snorkellers. These guidelines help marine tourism operators inform their guests about environmental best practices while snorkelling in an effort to protect marine ecosystems.

Snorkelling is one of the most popular water sports worldwide. Unlike many other marine tourism activities, it requires minimal equipment and training, making it one of the most accessible activities for tourists to explore the underwater world. However, if not done responsibly, the cumulative impact from all snorkellers worldwide could increase pressure on the already vulnerable coral reefs. Harmful practices while snorkelling, such as fish feeding, standing on coral and chasing marine life, have been observed globally. Often, tourists aren’t aware of the negative impact of these actions. 

Due to its popularity and tourism restarting in many parts of the world, The Reef-World Foundation finds it important to raise awareness and educate both marine tourism operators and tourists on conducting snorkelling activities in an environmentally friendly manner. This can help minimise the negative impact on the marine environment, encouraging the tourism industry to shape a better post-pandemic future.

Snorkelling, unlike diving, is often an unled or unsupervised activity, and in many places is not well regulated. Therefore, the Green Fins Environmental Best Practice for Snorkellers poster can also be used by tourists to equip themselves with the knowledge and guidance to limit potentially negative impacts. This enables them to enjoy the coral reefs and other marine ecosystems responsibly for years to come, including when they’re snorkelling independently without guides. 

The guidance includes a wide range of recommendations adapted from the Green Fins Code of Conduct: reducing toxic chemicals from entering the ocean by using reef-safe sunscreens, abiding by the local laws, and learning how to use snorkel equipment. These recommendations are consolidated from professionals and marine tourism operators in the industry. 

Chloe Harvey, Director at Reef-World, said: “Snorkelling is a fabulous way to get people into the water and enjoy the wonders of the marine environment. Such experiences are a powerful tool to inspire people to make changes to protect these vital marine resources. However, there are very few touchpoints for raising awareness of best practice along a regular snorkeller’s pathway from land to ocean. We hope that this new Green Fins Environmental Best Practice for Snorkellers will fill this gap — provide vital guidance and allow holidaymakers to enjoy snorkelling without unwittingly jeopardising the health of the very environment they have come to see.”

The Green Fins Environmental Best Practice for Snorkellers poster is available for free on the Green Fins website here.

For more information, please visit www.reef-world.org or www.greenfins.net. Dive and snorkel operators interested in signing up to Green Fins can find the membership application form at: www.greenfins.net/how-to-join.

Hi! We’re The Reef-World Foundation: a registered UK charity which delivers practical solutions for marine conservation around the world. We are a small but highly effective team of passionate and dedicated individuals who are driven by achieving lasting conservation impacts in areas of the world where it is needed the most. We started working with local fishing communities in Thailand in 1999. Today we operate across 14 countries, supporting governments, businesses and communities to sustainably develop their coastal resources.

In partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), we are the international coordinatorof the Green Fins initiative, which aims to protect and conserve coral reefs through environmentally friendly guidelines that promote a sustainable diving and snorkelling tourism industry. Our vision for Green Fins is to make sustainable diving and snorkelling the social norm.

Our work involves supporting, inspiring and empowering governments, businesses, communities andindividuals around the world to act in conserving and sustainably developing coral reefs and other coastal resources.

The Reef-World Foundation is subject to UK employment law.

Reef-World’s Core Values

• We empower our colleagues, our stakeholders, our partners and our supporters to have conservation impact.
• We collaborate. Our approach is not competitive – the more we collaborate, the stronger the conservation impact we will have.
• We are innovative. We explore new ways to grow and harness new technology that helps us do so. We are not afraid to break from the norm, and use innovative approaches, to achieve conservation impact.
• We stay optimistic in our decision-making and in our approach to tackling global conservation issues.
• We seek to inform. The messages we bring to the public’s attention are based on sound science.We strive to keep ourselves informed and in tune with the latest science and approaches.

Job Purpose

We’re currently looking for a Digital Community Officer to support our Digital Strategy Manager and the wider Reef-World team to help maximise our digital conservation impact.

The Green Fins initiative drives sustainable behaviours for environmental protection by providing low-cost and practical solutions to local and industry-wide environmental challenges associated with the marine tourism industry. To date, trained Green Fins Assessors have verified operators in-person every year. Thisworks but isn’t scalable, so Reef-World is building digital membership for the Green Fins initiative to be delivered by a new digital platform called the Green Fins Hub.

When the Hub launches, the Digital Community Officer will be an active participant in the discussion as a moderator and facilitator while also providing customer service and day to day management of the Hub’sadministration. We expect the Green Fins Hub to shape the future of sustainable marine tourism globally, andthe Digital Community Officer will be the voice for this. They will also communicate with the Green Fins national teams (usually local government and NGO staff members) to facilitate their interaction with the Hub.

The Digital Community Officer will be passionate about protecting coral reefs and the incredible marine life they support because of their ecological value as well as for the benefit of our stakeholders – local communities, visitors, and future generations.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Green Fins Hub coordination lead

●      Hub community forum management

• Be Reef-World’s voice behind the online Green Fins community.
• Work with the Digital Strategy Manager and Programmes Manager to refine and implement the community strategy so that Reef-World builds an active, vibrant and inclusive community of Green Fins operator members.
• Gather and share insights from across the organisation to inform decision making.
• Propose improvements to the Hub user experience to maximise the conservation impact of the platform.
• Represent and champion community opinion within Reef-World.
• Work with network teams, community collaborators, and partners to facilitate their participation in the Hub community.

●      Hub membership management

• To ensure that any issues onboarding or request emails to support@greenfins.net are swiftly dealt with.
• Support the Green Fins National Teams to verify Green Fins Certified Membership applications and add assessment action plan points and score info onto the Hub (data inputting).

●      Hub action plan oversight

• Monitor and encourage progress of Hub users and proactively contact members who appear to be underperforming or not engaging with their action plans

Team Support

• Support the Reef-World team in creating and maintaining the conditions to ensure effective teamwork and morale following Reef-World’s core values.
• Support administration duties for project and programme development and implementation in project sites as instructed.
• Support reporting of Reef-World activities to the Trustees, UNEP and other grant sources.

The employee’s duties may from time to time be reasonably modified as necessary to meet the needs of the Charity and/or associated project.

What We’re Looking For

We’re on the lookout for someone who is passionate about conserving coral reefs and the marine life and local communities they support. The individual will be dedicated to using Reef-World’s digital tools andassets to inspire and empower long term changes in behaviour and business practices in line with the code of conduct, throughout the Green Fins network.

This person will have 1-3 years of experience in online community management. They will be a proactive and resourceful team member able to work independently and remotely across multiple time zones whilemaintaining strong communications with international team members.

Online community management experience is more important than technical skills.

Skills and Experience

Essential

• Prior experience in online community management;
• Previous knowledge of the diving or marine tourism industry;
• Strong communication skills;
• Team player;
• Able to effectively manage workloads and ask for help when needed;
• Fluent English speaker; other languages are a bonus;
• Good written English and research skills;
• Excellent attention to detail;
• Ability to use Google Workspace (Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Mail);
• Committed to equity, diversity and inclusion; and:-
• Open to new experiences, adaptable and a sense of humour!

Desirable

• Virtual event organisation;
• Data analysis skills;
• Technical background in software engineering, open source, or linux server administration;
• A certified scuba diver;
• Knowledge of, or experience in, the marine conservation sector; and:-
• Prior experience working with governments and/or NGOs.

Reef-World believes that a team with diverse experiences and backgrounds generates richer discussionsand more nuanced thinking that will magnify our conservation impact. We strive to be an inclusive workplace where everyone feels welcome and respected. We are an equal

opportunity employer and welcome applications from anyone with the required skills and experience:whatever their background. We actively encourage applications from those whose identities reflect the diversity of the communities and networks we serve and whose identities are traditionally underrepresented in the conservation sector.

How to Apply

Please email your CV and a cover letter to apply@reef-world.org. In your application, please include howyou meet the job specifications and why you feel you’re the best person to help us boost our global conservation impact.

We will then get back to you after the team has reviewed your application and let you know if we would like to pursue your application. Due to the expected volume of incoming enquiries, the charity does not have the resources to provide feedback on applications that have not been accepted. If you do not hear from us by 3 Jun 2022, then take note that we have decided not to take your application further, and we wish you the best of luck in your career.

Applications close 13 May 2022.

Interviews (online) week commencing 16 May 2022.

Learn more about Reef-World at: https://www.reef-world.org

The rebranding of the Green Fins initiative represents its global reach and evolution for the past 18 years.

The Reef-World Foundation – international coordinator of the UN Environment Programme’s Green Fins initiative – reveals the Green Fins rebrand today. The charity is introducing an updated logo and Branding & Communication Guidelines to represent the initiative’s global expansion, the evolution of its network, the creation of strong foundations for sustainable marine tourism, and the inclusivity of all its stakeholders.

The rebrand comes as the urgency of Green Fins’ work ramping up due to climate change impacts, and as the initiative continues to grow and adapt from a simple code of conduct to an ever-expanding sustainable network throughout the marine tourism industry, extensively increasing the reach of Green Fins messaging and practices globally. To date, the initiative has spread to 14 countries and connected with thousands of divers, dive professionals and operators worldwide. 

The long-standing identifiable logo has been around since the initiative’s inception in 2004 — 18 years ago. After an in-depth brand audit and market research, the team decided to refresh it to enhance and align it with the brand’s design standards, inclusive of all stakeholders and the significant changes coming to Green Fins in the near future. To coincide with the need for a global identity to reach a global scale, the rebranding exercise includes the Branding & Communication Guidelines that incorporate the different elements that make up the identities of both The Reef-World Foundation and Green Fins. 

Juliana Corrales, Creative Consultant at The Reef-World Foundation, said: “It was essential for us to go through this process with our stakeholders involved. The logo is the most important element of a brand and it should accurately represent its purpose. Green Fins has evolved massively since its inception and the brand identity needed to catch up to current standards. The product that you can see now comes from many conversations with the people behind the initiative, representing them in the best way possible.”

The redesign of the logo has undergone a meticulous process for an end product that represents all Green Fins stakeholders and the primary ecosystem that the network aims to protect — the coral reefs. The inclusion of coral is not a common element used in marine tourism branding thus, Reef-World believes it highlights Green Fins as a conservation initiative from a tourism operator. To preserve the logo’s recognisability, the identifiable green colour and fins representing all types of marine tourism stakeholders’ close relationship with the ocean are kept in the new logo.

The rebrand reflects the growth of the Green Fins initiative and lays the foundations for updates in the pipeline that will expand the reach of Green Fins. The charity plans to update the procedure Green Fins Members are being managed, via a new membership structure and digital platform. The changes further establish Green Fins as an initiative that takes heed of its network’s needs and intends to continue doing so to have a stronger conservation impact.

James Harvey, Director at The Reef-World Foundation, said: “Green Fins has come a long way since its roots back in 2004 with some incredible achievements. The approach has managed to connect governments and businesses in a way we never thought possible whilst helping communities at the heart of where we focus our work, coral reefs. Everyone in the Green Fins network has worked hard in the evolution of Green Fins and that has made Green Fins what it is today. Laying strong foundations for a healthier relationship between marine tourism and marine ecosystems on a global scale. We are really pleased with the outcome of the logo and we hope that this new and fresh looking logo will become even more recognisable than the last one, becoming a well-known brand amongst tourists.”

Chloe Harvey, Director at The Reef-World Foundation, said: “Reef-World recognises that to reach a global scale, we need a global identity that is inclusive of all our stakeholders. We’d also like to think of the rebranding as a celebration of Green Fins’ new milestone, the upcoming new membership structure and the digital platform developed to meet the growing demand for Green Fins launching later this year. The aim is to align the rebrand with the new changes and the charity’s value to be innovative. We will always continue to evolve and support the needs of the marine tourism industry and conservation effort worldwide.”

Green Fins is the only internationally recognised environmental standard for dive and snorkel operators, established through a partnership between the UN Environment Programme and The Reef-World Foundation. Green Fins uses a unique and proven three-pronged approach; green certifications of dive centres, strengthening regulations and environmental education for dive staff, divers and government.

To download the new Green Fins logo and Brand & Communications Guidelines, please visit: https://greenfins.net/material/green-fins-logo-brand-guide

To download the free Green Fins environmental education posters and guidelines with the new logo, please visit: https://greenfins.net/action-centre

The only environmentally accredited online course for dive professionals gets an update with the latest news from the dive and conservation industry.

The Reef-World Foundation – international coordinator of the UN Environment Programme’s Green Fins initiative – is pleased to announce the launch of the updated Green Fins Dive Guide e-Course: new contents in Green Fins’ free online course designed to teach dive professionals about the marine ecosystems in which they work and to help build on their existing scuba diving knowledge to conduct more environmentally friendly dives.

Diving-related damage to sensitive coral reefs remains an increasingly significant issue. According to the GCRMN’s The Sixth Status of Corals of the World: 2020 report, “reducing local pressures on coral reefs in order to maintain their resilience will be critical while global threats posed by climate change are addressed”. The Green Fins Dive Guide e-Course continues to equip dive professionals with the knowledge to manage this important issue.

Reef-World initially created the Green Fins Dive Guide e-Course in 2019 with the support of Professional SCUBA Schools International (PSS) but since 2021, the course has been independently hosted on the Green Fins website. Reef-World created the course to enable individual dive professionals to be part of the Green Fins network without their operation being a Green Fins member. To date, the course has enrolled 1,827 dive guides and instructors who have learnt how to maximise their ability to influence diver behaviour and better manage their guests to prevent them from causing damage to marine life, notably coral reefs. The Green Fins Dive Guide e-Course is still the only environmentally accredited course for dive professionals to learn best environmental practice.

The updated course now has an extended marine biology section, including lessons about coral reefs and other marine ecosystems, the latest updates in marine conservation and environmental threats; and the actions to help prevent them. Upon completing the course, there is an option to pay $25 to receive a personalised electronic certificate. All funds will be used to support Green Fins’ work worldwide to make sustainable diving the social norm. Each certificate has a validity of two years to encourage dive professionals to remain educated with the latest information. 

Reef-World recommends that dive professionals retake this course every two years in order to refresh their skills and stay up to date with the latest environmental and dive industry knowledge. Just like refreshing their safety skills, refresher courses help to keep important knowledge fresh and current. Those who have completed the course can display the certificate to inform their guests that the guide is aware of reducing the environmental impacts of diving, making divers more confident about the guide and centre’s standards.

This is the first update since the course’s inception in 2019, with Reef-World now planning to update the course content annually, whilst making minor modifications throughout the year to match dive and conservation industry news and incorporating feedback from dive professionals who have taken the course.

JJ Harvey, Director at The Reef-World Foundation, said: “As global tourism slowly restarts, it’s crucial to stay up to date with the latest environmental knowledge. To protect coral reefs and minimise local threats to allow them to be more resilient and the chance to recover from other wider stressors effects such as climate change. Reef-World aims to continue providing dive professionals with the latest marine conservation and dive industry updates to help preserve the coral reef ecosystems, which many rely on for food, coastal protection, and income from tourism and fisheries.”

The Andrea Leeman Green Fins Dive Guide Scholarship Fund is still available for those who cannot afford the certificate personally or through their employers. This is funded purely from generous donations from the general public. Those that would like to support and sponsor a dive guide can do so by visiting: https://greenfins.net/sponsor-a-dive-guide.

Green Fins is the only internationally recognised environmental standard for dive and snorkel operators, established through a partnership between the UN Environment Programme and The Reef-World Foundation. Green Fins uses a unique and proven three-pronged approach; green certifications of dive centres, strengthening regulations and environmental education for dive staff, divers and government.

For more information, or to sign up for the Green Fins Dive Guide  e-Course, please visit: https://greenfins.net/green-fins-dive-guide

Reef-World’s annual report reveals that the charity continues to prioritise coral reef health moving forward.

The Reef-World Foundation – international coordinator of the UN Environment Programme’s Green Fins initiative – reveals the highlights and major developments in their latest 2020–2021 annual report today. The report shows how the charity has had to adapt to the pandemic to continue to deliver and is determined to build back better.

While grassroots work was unable to occur throughout most of the year due to the global pandemic, digital innovations have enabled the charity to continue to help the marine tourism industry reduce its direct and local impacts on coral reefs. Through the Green Fins Dive Guide e-Course, the charity continues to educate dive professionals worldwide to protect and preserve coral reefs, no matter their location. The course is now hosted independently on the newly launched Green Fins website. The revamped Green Fins website has a strong focus on increasing tourist demand for members and consolidating the charity’s digital portfolio. It is now easier for tourists to find active Green Fins members to dive with through a live member map and new content structure.

In addition, the charity developed two new guidelines for environmental best practices and four new language translations (Arabic, Japanese, Portuguese and Spanish) to expand the reach of its conservation message. The new website loads faster, is more mobile-friendly and is built to scale for visitor traffic peaks. The outcome from the update is the increment in Green Fins tools and resources downloads, a growth of 45.4% from the previous year.

Key highlights include the resignation of the founder of Reef-World, Anne Paranjoti. After 24 years dedicated to helping communities to tackle the many environmental threats facing their livelihoods, she has decided to step down as Chair and Trustee. The Reef-World team will sorely miss her guidance and support. Other highlights and new developments include: expanding the Green Fins online courses to meet the demand for education on sustainable diving from recreational divers with the development of the Green Fins Diver e-Course; selected for the Beyond Tourism Innovation Challenge along with Reef Check Dominican Republic and Misión Tiburón in Costa Rica to foster innovative solutions to transform and revitalise the tourism sector. 

Furthermore, there will be a significant shift for Green Fins as the charity is updating the membership structure for Green Fins members, moving towards a minimum acceptable environmental standard for dive and snorkel operators. The charity is also developing a ‘Green Fins Digital Membership’ to meet the growing demand for the Green Fins initiative and to support the national teams. All that will be accompanied by a new Green Fins logo that incorporates the Green Fins’ ethos, the vast network of country teams and members, and the initiative’s maturity.

“Community conservation is at the heart of Reef-World and Green Fins. Activities and initiatives that link communities around the world and provide open access to resources are a key part of a good future. We all have interesting days ahead. After a pandemic that has impacted all over the world, we know we have to face up to changes together and with the right view in our hearts, no matter what we start with today, we can do anything.” said Anne Paranjoti, Founder of The Reef-World Foundation.

“As we move towards 2022 at a rate of knots, we are a stronger, more dynamic and fluid team ready to take on new challenges. The biggest changes to Green Fins since its inception are about to take place and I have every confidence in our team’s ability to ensure that these changes benefit our stakeholders and prioritise coral reef health moving forwards,” said JJ Harvey, Director at The Reef-World Foundation.

“These are difficult and uncertain times but also exciting and a real chance to maximise our potential and the impact that we can have on a global scale with a stronger and bigger team,” he added.

With 32 national and local government agencies or NGO implementing partners engaged, Green Fins now has 82 active assessors, 32% of whom are female. The Green Fins national teams are looking forward to resuming training and assessments as soon as it is possible and safe to do so. In addition, plans for Green Fins’ expansion into Japan and Colombia are in place when travel opens up again.

Chloe Harvey, Director at The Reef-World Foundation, added: “This year, we were met with challenges we couldn’t have possibly predicted. The best thing about completely being forced to erase an entire year of planned activity is that you can take stock, cut out the background noise, and work out what your stakeholders truly need from you during these difficult times. It was so uplifting to see our core Reef-World team rally together and ride on the support of our partners and network as we redirected our efforts to ensure conservation impact despite the lack of grassroots work. We go into our next operational year stronger than ever, our digital profile specifically so, and we are really excited to start the next chapter of the Reef-World adventure.”

Reef-World would also like to thank its partners whose vital support has resulted in significant tangible benefits for the ocean: PADI; The Matthew Good Foundation; 1% for the Planet; Explorer Ventures; Professional SCUBA Schools International (PSS); ZuBlu; GSTC; Dive O’Clock; WildSocks and Charitable Travel. 

Find the full 2020–2021 Annual Report here: https://reef-world.org/reefworld-annual-reports

Helping the country to achieve the national biodiversity targets

The Reef-World Foundation, the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC) and Misión Tiburón are delighted to announce that Costa Rica has joined 13 other countries globally to implement the Green Fins initiative — a UN Environment Programme initiative. Costa Rica is the first country on the American continent to adopt Green Fins environmental standards to reduce the threats associated with diving and snorkelling on the marine environment.

Green Fins is implemented in Costa Rica by Misión Tiburón through the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC) with support from Cynthia Barzuna Gutiérrez, Vice Minister of Water and Seas. Green Fins is being piloted in Guanacaste province, the North Pacific of Costa Rica, a major hub for scuba diving and snorkelling, as the first step in a national process. In North Pacific Costa Rica itself, there are around 50 sites with ideal conditions for snorkelling and recreational diving. Scuba diving tourism is a source of employment for many families in communities such as Playas del Coco, Brasilito or Tamarindo. Ensuring the sustainable use of these dive and snorkel sites is essential so that they continue to be a source of employment for current and future generations. 

Over the last 10 years, the tourism industry in Costa Rica has seen a steady increase. The implementation of Green Fins in Costa Rica responds to the national and international goals set to reduce threats to biodiversity. One of its goals is to increase the number of marine tourism companies with sustainability certifications to promote a sustainable diving and snorkelling industry in the country. The adoption of Green Fins in the country also contributes directly to the Sustainable Development Goals 12 and 14, established by the United Nations and adopted by Costa Rica.

Following a week of training by Reef-World (9 to 14 November 2021), Costa Rica now has a national Green Fins team comprised of four fully certified Green Fins Assessors from Misión Tiburón and one Green Fins Coordinator from the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC). They will be responsible for recruiting, assessing, training and certifying dive and snorkel operators to become Green Fins members in the country. This involves providing training about the ecology and threats to coral reefs, simple and local everyday solutions to these threats and Green Fins’ environmental standards to dive and snorkel operators. Green Fins membership will help marine tourism operators improve their sustainability and prove they are following environmental best practices as a way of attracting eco-minded tourists.

James Harvey, Director at The Reef-World Foundation, said: “Marine tourism in Costa Rica is growing fast with high demand from both national and international tourists coming to visit the incredible marine species that the country has to offer. Implementing best practices and guidelines through the Green Fins approach with support from the government of Costa Rica is critical to ensure that this market is sustainably managed, protecting valuable marine ecosystems for years to come. The national team of SINAC and Misión Tiburón have set out ambitious yet realistic targets to achieve a high level of uptake of Green Fins amongst dive and snorkel operators across the country. This will reduce local threats to the marine environment and increase corals and other marine life’s resilience to wider global impacts, including climate change.”

Diving and snorkelling related damage to sensitive marine ecosystems, including coral reefs, is becoming an increasingly significant issue. This damage makes them less likely to survive other local and wider stressors, such as overfishing or plastic debris and the effects of climate change, such as rising sea temperatures. Based on robust individual assessments, the Green Fins initiative helps identify and mitigate these risks by providing environmental consultation and support to dive and snorkel operators. Through Green Fins implementation in Costa Rica, Reef-World aims to reduce negative environmental impacts in the region by reaching 14 marine tourism operators, training 70 dive guides and raising awareness of sustainability best practices among 14,000 tourists in the first year.

Ilena Zanella, Director of the Misión Tiburón, said: “The diving and snorkelling industry is an important ally to promote conservation practices on our marine and coastal ecosystems. Thanks to the industry’s natural involvement with these ecosystems, threats can be mitigated, and a more sustainable diving and snorkelling industry that follows Green Fins international standards can be established.”

Green Fins is a UN Environment Programme initiative, internationally coordinated by The Reef-World Foundation, which aims to protect and conserve coral reefs through environmentally friendly guidelines to promote a sustainable diving and snorkelling tourism industry. Green Fins provides the only internationally recognised environmental standards for the diving and snorkelling industry and has a robust assessment system to measure compliance. Reducing diving and snorkelling-related damage to sensitive marine ecosystems, including coral reefs, helps to make them more resilient to other stressors such as those associated with climate change.

The Green Fins approach includes proven assessment criteria to identify and mitigate high-risk practices above and below the water. Green Fins members are evaluated annually based on a 15-point code of conduct, which measures the company’s impact on coral reefs: of a possible score of 330, the lower the score, the lower its impact. The robust assessment then enables Green Fins Assessors to provide one-to-one consultation to help the business develop and implement best practice to improve the sustainability of the marine tourism industry. 

The individual feedback from the assessments of the pioneering Green Fins members in Costa Rica and support provided includes practical, low-cost alternatives to common threats to the marine environment such as anchoring, provision of single-use plastics such as plastic bottles and lack of awareness of existing rules and regulations – is based on each company’s area of highest negative impact on the reef, as determined by the assessment. 

To date, four Costa Rican dive operators have already joined the global network of 600+ trained and assessed Green Fins members. These are: Deep Blue Diving, Kraken Divers, El Refugio Guanacaste and Rich Coast Diving. There has also been significant interest from other operators who have signed the membership form and are looking forward to their training and assessment.

Mauricio Méndez, Technical Director of National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC), said: “Green Fins serve as an important tool for local diving communities to move towards a more sustainable use of their dive sites; so that they can maintain their scenic beauty and biological richness to provide livelihoods for many generations to come.”

The launch of Green Fins Costa Rica was made possible thanks to financing support from IDB Lab under the Beyond Tourism Challenge. The Beyond Tourism Innovation Challenge was run by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) through its innovation laboratory, IDB Lab, and in collaboration with the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

For more information, please visit www.reef-world.org, www.greenfins.net/countries/costarica or www.misiontiburon.org. Dive and snorkel operators interested in signing up to Green Fins can find the membership application form at: www.greenfins.net/how-to-join.

Costa Rican dive and snorkel operators interested in signing up to be Green Fins members can contact the Green Fins Team at Misión Tiburón (costarica@greenfins.net).

New guidelines for underwater photographers

The Reef-World Foundation – the international coordinator of the UN Environment Programme’s Green Fins initiative – has launched the newly updated Green Fins Environmental Best Practice for Underwater Photographers poster with new guidelines. These guidelines help dive and snorkel operators encourage their guests to follow environmental best practices while taking photos underwater in order to protect the marine ecosystems they are photographing. 

Underwater photography is becoming increasingly popular as cameras and underwater housings become more accessible, coupled with the prevalence of sharing these sightings on social media. However, using a camera on a dive can be distracting and can lead to changes in buoyancy and body positioning that may cause damage to the marine environment. Additionally, moving or manipulating marine life and coral in order to get the perfect shot is common – a practice that causes stress to marine life and can erode the ecosystem’s health.

The latest global survey of reef health, The Sixth Status of Corals of the World: 2020 Report,  found the critical need to reduce local pressures on coral reefs in order to maintain their resilience while global threats posed by climate change are addressed. This includes the negative impacts from marine tourism. The Green Fins Environmental Best Practice for Underwater Photographers’ poster aims to help marine tourism professionals promote environmental best practices to underwater photographers and prevent practices that are harmful to the coral reefs and other marine ecosystems.

The guidance includes a wide range of recommendations, from improving buoyancy skills to not fixating over a particular species. These recommendations are consolidated from dive professionals and professional underwater photographers with years of experience working in the industry. 

Samantha Craven, Programmes Manager at Reef-World, said: “Underwater photography is a powerful conservation tool that can bring the delights of the ocean to the surface and foster connection with the marine environment. However, if poorly managed, it can damage the very animals we love to photograph. Our research showed that divers holding a camera (either compact or SLR) accounted for 52.7% of observed diver contacts with the reef*. These guidelines will help everyone – from operators to photographers themselves — reduce their impact and protect future photography subjects! 

The Green Fins Environmental Best Practice for Underwater Photographers poster is available for free on the Green Fins website. Anyone can download the poster here.

For more information, please visit www.reef-world.org or www.greenfins.net. Dive and snorkel operators interested in signing up to Green Fins can find the membership application form at: www.greenfins.net/how-to-join.

New guidance helping marine tourism operators conduct Crown-of-Thorns sea star (COTS) cleanups in an environmentally friendly way

The Reef-World Foundation – the international coordinator of the UN Environment Programme’s Green Fins initiative – has launched new guidelines to help dive and snorkel operators assess when to conduct Crown-of-Thorns sea star (COTS) cleanups and how to do so in an environmentally friendly way.

The guidelines give some basic ecological information about Crown-of-Thorns sea stars (Acanthaster planci) to help marine tourism operators learn more about the species and how they’re different to other sea stars. The guidance also gives an overview of the role they play in a balanced ecosystem, why outbreaks occur, what signs indicate a COTS outbreak is happening on your reef and when and what steps you may need to take to protect your reef. For operators facing a COTS outbreak and are organising a cleanup, this document also includes tips to help ensure no further damage is caused to marine ecosystems in the techniques outlined.

Although a known coral predator, COTS’ natural role helps maintain coral diversity in a balanced ecosystem. This is because, by eating the faster growing coral species like Acropora, they allow different, slower growing corals to grow and create colonies, forming a diverse reef. However, frequent or persistent COTS outbreaks can exceed coral recovery rates causing extensive damage.

Samantha Craven, Programmes Manager at Reef-World, said: “Over the years, we’ve heard from Green Fins members who are facing COTS outbreaks and need support in dealing with the issue without inadvertently having a negative impact on coral reefs. That’s why we’ve created these Green Fins Crown-of-Thorns sea star cleanup guidelines, which summarise existing scientific guidance into one handy resource. The comprehensive resource can be used to ensure you and your team know when to act and are protecting marine habitats by following environmental best practice when dealing with an outbreak situation. We hope they’re useful to our network of Green Fins members and non-members alike.”

Gabriel Grimsditch, marine ecosystems expert at the UN Environment Programme, said: “COTS are well known to divers as a threat to corals, but they are also a natural part of a reef system. Keeping fast-growing corals in check allows space for the high diversity we are used to seeing, and COTS cleanups are not always recommended. The Green Fins Crown-of-Thorns Sea Star Cleanup Guidelines will help marine tourism operators gauge when a cleanup is really needed, and adapts information on conducting cleanups from COTS experts and reef management organisations specifically for the diving industry.”

The guidelines are available free of charge and can be downloaded here.

For more information, please visit www.reef-world.org or www.greenfins.net. Dive and snorkel operators interested in signing up to Green Fins can find the membership application form at: https://www.greenfins.net/how-to-join.

Improving environmental standards is critical because 70% of divers contact the reef while diving and 36% are unaware of doing so.

The Reef-World Foundation – the international coordinator of Green Fins – is pleased to announce the launch of the new Green Fins Diver e-Course. This new online course is designed to help recreational divers protect coral reefs by learning how to conduct more environmentally friendly dives. 

Improving the behaviour of recreational divers is critical for the survival of coral reefs because an average of 70% of divers contact the reef while diving.* What’s more, divers contact the reef an average of 5.79 times per dive and 36% of those who contacted the reef were unaware they did so. The cumulative impact is significant: over one million new divers are certified annually and ‘on-reef’ tourism is valued at USD $19 billion per year. If these millions of divers learn how to be more environmentally aware and have zero impact dives, it would have a huge impact on the protection of our precious coral reefs for future generations. 

All divers, whether professional or recreational, can minimise their impact on the ocean by following environmental best practice while diving. The new Green Fins Diver e-Course is the only course which teaches scuba divers how to prevent diving-related damage to coral reefs by following the highest environmental standards, as set out by the Green Fins initiative. It teaches divers how to behave on the reef to prevent them causing environmental damage; helping to protect coral and other marine life one dive at a time. Divers around the world can take this course for just £19 by enrolling here. 

Diving related damage to sensitive marine ecosystems, including coral reefs, is becoming an increasingly significant issue. Even a small breakage from an errant fin kick can cause damage that takes months to recover from; not to mention other negative actions above the water such as littering or buying souvenirs made of marine life. On heavily dived reefs, the cumulative impact of unmanaged tourism can be huge. This damage makes them less likely to survive other local and wider stressors, such as overfishing or run-off from land containing pollutants and plastic debris as well the effects of climate change, such as rising sea temperatures. Research has shown divers who receive environmental information and understand their potential impact on reefs cause significantly less damage to coral.

Following 2019’s successful Green Fins Dive Guide e-Course, the Green Fins Diver e-Course now enables Reef-World to meet the demand for education about sustainable diving from recreational divers. The new course covers straightforward techniques such as best environmental practices from equipment care to underwater photography, above and below the water, which are proven to reduce the level of environmental damage associated with diving. 

The course provides divers with three online modules of easy-to-follow content followed by corresponding tests on an intuitive, user-friendly platform:

• Module 1: an introduction to coral reef biology, global and local threats to the marine environment and the Green Fins approach.
• Module 2: management techniques above water, such as how to prepare and plan an environmentally friendly dive trip: from booking your trip at home to best practices on the boat and caring for your equipment post dive.
• Module 3: applying best diving practices below water on every dive, learning tips for diving with the least environmental impact and how to have longer marine life interactions as well as how to be an environmentally responsible underwater photographer. Finally, suggesting ways in which divers can use the best practices they have learned and contribute to citizen science projects.

There is a short test at the end of each module which diver must pass in order to finish the course. 

The course is available for £19 and, on completion, students will receive a personalised electronic certificate, which is valid for two years and can be displayed as a stamp of individual awareness. The course content will be updated regularly with the latest industry knowledge about environmental best practice so after two years students are encouraged to retake the course to refresh their skills. The proceeds from course certificates support Reef-World’s work to implement the Green Fins programme around the world. Divers who cannot afford to take the course can apply for the Green Fins Diver e-Course Scholarship Fund to receive the certification free of charge. 

Gabriel Grimsditch, marine ecosystems expert at the UN Environment Programme, said: “The Green Fins Diver e-Course is more critical than ever to help ensure the survival of reefs and the diving industry. Divers now have a clear roadmap to champion environmental sustainability as our tourism industries build back better.”

JJ Harvey, Director at The Reef-World Foundation, said: “The Green Fins Diver e-Course enables divers from all backgrounds to become more environmentally aware, understand the main environmental threats posed by scuba diving and be able to minimise those threats. We’re so proud of the results from our 2019 course and we’re excited that we can now also meet demand from recreational divers worldwide who want to reduce their negative impact on the coral reefs they visit.”

Green Fins is the only internationally recognised environmental standard for dive and snorkel operators, established through a partnership between the UN Environment Programme and The Reef-World Foundation. Green Fins uses a unique and proven three-pronged approach; green certifications of dive centres, strengthening regulations and environmental education for dive staff, divers and government. 

For more information, or to sign up for the Green Fins Diver e-Course, please visit: https://greenfins.net/green-fins-diver/ 

Reef-World’s campaign is helping dive guides in need receive Green Fins environmental certification

The Reef-World Foundation – international coordinator of the UN Environment Programme’s Green Fins initiative – is calling for dive guides to submit their application for the Green Fins Dive Guide Scholarship. 

As a result of the Scholarship campaign, dive guides working around the world – including Brazil, the Philippines, Egypt, Colombia, South Africa, Indonesia and Turkey – have received their certificate proving their status as a Green Fins certified dive guide. Yet, thanks to funding from Reef-World’s partner Paralenz, 149 more scuba diving guides will be able to receive their Green Fins Dive Guide e-Course environmental certification.

Dive guides who meet the criteria (outlined below) can apply for the scholarship at any time through the Green Fins website. To be eligible for the scholarship, guides must: have completed and passed all modules of the Green Fins Dive Guide e-Course; be able to demonstrate they or their employer are not financially able to purchase the certificate; and be a national of a country which receives official development assistance from the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).*

The Scholarship was created in response to feedback from dive guides who had passed the Green Fins Dive Guide e-Course and were keen to download and display their personalised electronic certificate but were not financially able to cover the associated cost (£19 / $25 USD). The personalised electronic certificate can be displayed to entice eco-minded guests by informing them the guide has received this vital environmental certification and is aware of how to reduce the negative environmental impacts associated with diving.

Diving related damage to sensitive marine ecosystems, including coral reefs, is becoming an increasingly significant issue. This damage makes them less likely to survive other local and wider stressors, such as overfishing or run-off from land containing pollutants and plastic debris as well as the effects of climate change, such as rising sea temperatures. The Green Fins Dive Guide e-Course, created with the support of Professional SCUBA Schools International (PSS) and running on their innovative EVO e-learning platform, teaches dive professionals how to prevent diving-related damage to coral reefs by following the highest environmental standards and better managing their guests to prevent damage to the reef. 

Sam Craven, Programmes Manager at The Reef-World Foundation, said: “We’re proud to be offering dive guides around the world the opportunity to become Green Fins certified; no matter their background. Both the e-Course and the Scholarship have been a great success so far and we’re delighted to see so many dive professionals demonstrating their commitment to sustainable tourism by taking the course. We urge dive guides who haven’t yet taken the course to consider taking this step and welcome Scholarship applications from anyone who meets the criteria. Together, we can protect coral reefs through sustainable diving and we’d love as many dive guides as possible to join us.” 

Márcio Carvalho, Green Fins Dive Guide e-Course scholar (Salve Maracaípe, Brazil), said: “I can’t thank you enough for helping me so much during my Green Fins Dive Guide e-Course and for the scholarship and certificate. Be sure the knowledge acquired on the course will be actively used in Brazil by me and the Salve Maracaípe environmental movement. The Green Fins guidelines will be great news for the local environment and local business … You guys can count on me in Brazil, let’s make environmentally friendly diving a norm!” 

Gaurav Sharma, Green Fins Dive Guide e-Course scholar (India), said: “I want to express my gratitude for granting me the scholarship. The course was really knowledgeable and informative. Big thank you! Hope to contribute towards betterment of our coral reefs and marine ecosystems in future.” 

Kaan Atalay, Green Fins Dive Guide e-Course scholar (Turkey), said: “…this course has proved to me how some very basic behaviours can be effective on our divers and also marine life too … That’s why the Green Fins Code of Conduct matters so much. As these basic habits and behaviours spread around the world, it would be easier to conserve corals, marine life and our oceans.” 

Dive guides who want to be considered for scholarship can visit https://www.greenfins.net/green-fins-dive-guide-scholarship-applications to apply. To donate to the Green Fins Dive Guide Scholarship Fund, please visit https://www.greenfins.net/appeal/sponsor-a-dive-guide. 

Supporters who are interested in helping additional dive guides receive their certifications can also donate to Sponsor a Dive Guide. 

The Reef-World Foundation is recognised as the leading voice on sustainability solutions for the marine tourism industry. Through its flagship initiative, Green Fins, Reef-World drives sustainable behaviours for environmental protection by providing low-cost and practical solutions to local and industry-wide environmental challenges associated with the marine tourism industry. As a key member of the Communications team, you will be helping to protect one of the world’s most valuable ecosystems – coral reefs – by raising awareness of environmental best practice and driving sustainability across the global marine tourism industry. 

A highly organised and motivated Communications Officer with excellent time management skills is needed to support the Communications Manager in empowering more individuals and organisations to take action for marine protection around the world. You’ll be working across a range of communications channels to inspire, educate and influence governments, businesses, communities and individuals around the world to adopt sustainable behaviours. The Communications Officer will be passionate about protecting coral reefs and the incredible marine life they support because of their ecological value as well as for the benefit of local communities, visitors and future generations.

For more information and full job description download this PDF.

How to Apply

In your application, please include how you meet the job specifications and why you feel you’re the best person to help us boost our global conservation impact. If relevant, please include links to your portfolio. We will get back to you after the team has reviewed your application and let you know if we would like to pursue your application.

Due to the expected volume of incoming enquiries, the charity does not have the resources to provide feedback on applications that have not been accepted. If you do not hear from us by 12th February 2021, we have decided not to take your application further. 

Applications close 31st January 2021. Interviews (online) week commencing 8th February 2021.

Reef-World believes that a team with diverse experiences and backgrounds generates richer discussions and more nuanced thinking and strives to be an inclusive workplace where everyone feels welcome and respected. We are an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from anyone with the required skills and experience: whatever their background. We actively encourage applications from those whose identities reflect the diversity of the communities and networks we serve and whose identities are traditionally underrepresented in the conservation sector.

Learn more at: https://reef-world.org/join-us/#communications-officer

The Reef-World Foundation – the international coordinator of Green Fins – along with the Chamber of Diving & Watersports (CDWS) and the SDGs Promotion Secretariat (Onna Village Office in Okinawa) are pleased to announce Arabic and Japanese-speaking dive and snorkel operators can now benefit from environmental resources in their first language. The newly translated Green Fins posters and guidelines are designed to help marine tourism operators understand their impact on the environment and empower them to adopt more sustainable practices. 

Diving related damage to sensitive marine ecosystems, including coral reefs, is becoming an increasingly significant issue. This damage makes them less likely to survive other local and wider stressors, such as overfishing or run-off from land containing pollutants and plastic debris, as well as the effects of climate change, such as rising sea temperatures. 

Dive and snorkel operators being able to understand the issues faced, and educate others, is hugely important to the local environment and community. Having access to readily available materials in their first language will help Arabic and Japanese speakers learn how to protect coral reefs by adopting sustainable tourism behaviours and empower them to teach best practice to their guests whatever their level of English. 

Chloë Harvey, Director at Reef-World, said “As the international coordinator in partnership with the UN Environment Programme, we are constantly striving to help individuals around the world learn about the simple actions they can take to protect coral reefs. Having materials now available in Arabic and Japanese is a huge step, so even more people can become aware of best dive and snorkel practices and help our oceans thrive.”

Suika Tsumita, SDGs Promotion Secretariat, Onna Village Office: “Japan is a country surrounded by the sea and benefits from fishing and tourism. Various efforts are being made to make this abundant resource sustainable in the future, and I hope that Green Fins will spread as one of them. The release of this Japanese version would be the first step. Currently, we are starting to introduce Green Fins in Japan in Onna Village, Okinawa Prefecture but we hope that it will be useful for raising awareness and taking actions to protect corals and the sea in other areas as well.”

A representative from CDWS said: “The Egyptian Red Sea is blessed with a pristine underwater world with crystal clear visibility, warm waters and a thriving aquatic ecosystem. The CDWS aims to protect and preserve the unique marine life and dedicates a lot of effort to spread awareness and education in the sector. It has been a year since we launched Green Fins Egypt. We are thrilled that these colourful, informative and fun awareness materials are now available in Arabic. There is a need for educational material in our language and those offered by Green Fins cover all aspects of the dive and snorkeling industry and their environmental challenges. We hope they will be used by the dive operators as a means to raise awareness.”

Green Fins is a UN Environment Programme initiative which aims to protect and conserve coral reefs through environmentally friendly guidelines to promote a sustainable diving and snorkelling tourism industry. It provides the only internationally recognised environmental standards for the diving and snorkelling industry and has a robust assessment system to measure compliance. Green Fins was launched in Egypt in 2019 and is available to dive and snorkel operators nationwide. The programme’s intended launch in Japan has been postponed from June 2020 due to the pandemic and will be officially launched in the country when travel restrictions allow. 

Green Fins members are evaluated annually based on a 15-point code of conduct, which measures the company’s impact on coral reefs: of a possible score of 330, the lower the score, the lower its impact. The assessment then enables Green Fins assessors to offer practical alternatives to the most pressing threats posed by that business.

Please click here to find the Arabic and Japanese materials. For more information, please visit www.reef-world.org or www.greenfins.net.

The Reef-World Foundation – international coordinator of the UN Environment Programme’s Green Fins initiative – and Reef Check Dominican Republic have adapted to the new situations caused by the pandemic in order to reach even more dive and snorkel operators with their conservation messaging. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused major disruption for the global travel industry and resulted in environmental concerns; for example, through the increased use of single-use plastic items such as gloves and masks. However, for the Green Fins initiative in the Dominican Republic, the pandemic has also brought some positive conservation effects, such as coastal water quality improvements due to the drastic reduction on human activities.

Green Fins Dominican Republic receives a surge of interest

At the onset of the outbreak in March 2020, tourism activities came to an abrupt halt which meant all Green Fins activities and assessments had to be put on hold. Despite this, there was a surge in interest from dive centres in the Dominican Republic wanting to join Green Fins. Plans are underway to conduct training and assessments of these businesses once they are fully operational again. Tourism businesses have been operating at around 30% capacity since July; however, with plans for many of the hotels and resorts to open even further for high season in November 2020, Green Fins assessments could be underway again by the end of the year. Moving the programme’s environmental awareness raising sessions from in-person to online has helped significantly increase the number of people reached: from dozens to hundreds. 

Government of Dominican Republic shows ongoing programme support 

In August 2020, a new President (Mr. Luis Abinader) was elected and came into office and a new Minister of Environment and Natural Resources (Mr Orlando Jorge Mera) was appointed. There has been overwhelming support for the Green Fins initiative and the Youth Ambassador programme from the new officials. In addition, a new law in the Dominican Republic mandates the inclusion of environmental education in all levels of the national education curriculum; making the Green Fins content even more relevant. 

TUI Junior Academy determined to continue providing conservation education for children 

In January 2020, Reef-World and the TUI Care Foundation launched a new TUI Junior Academy to support environmental training and inspire a generation of Youth Ambassadors for coral reef conservation. A state of emergency was declared in Dominican Republic just months later (16 March 2020) with measures such as curfews, border closures and school cancellations being enforced for several weeks. As a result of these measures, planned delivery of the Youth Ambassador curriculum (including marine conservation lectures and field activities) for the Youth Ambassadors were put on hold immediately. 

The Green Fins team has worked hard to adapt to the current situation and reach the children. Due to restrictions on large gatherings, in-person solutions – such as reaching the children through community groups and local churches – are no longer possible. Instead, projects that the children can be involved with in an independent manner – such as home plastic detective projects and making reusable masks and environmentally friendly soap – will replace the beach cleanups, workshops and community art projects that were originally due to take place. 

In collaboration with the Direction of Education within the Ministry of Environment, the team started to deliver educational marine conservation content to children using digital platforms. However, many children currently do not have access to a computer, tablet or the internet which makes this solution challenging at present. The new government has pledged to help install internet access and provide children with access via computers and tablets which will help resolve this challenge and reach an even greater public. 

The Education Department within the Ministry of Environment is keen to continue education for all school aged children in the Dominican Republic. As part of this, they have requested Reef Check and Reef-World partner with them to deliver the Green Fins curriculum to children across the country via webcam. Five daily 40-minute lessons about the marine environment are now being delivered for approximately 500 children.

Ruben E. Torres, Ph.D., Reef Check Dominican Republic, said: “Being forced to go online with our activities has helped us reach out to many more people than planned. We recently reached over 150 people in a single afternoon using Zoom® compared to a few dozen over a couple of weeks when we ran in person training sessions some months ago.”

JJ Harvey, Director at The Reef-World Foundation, said: “It’s great to see interest in Green Fins is stronger than ever in the Dominican Republic. It’s unknown exactly why we’ve seen such a surge in interest recently. However, with sustainability key to the travel industry bouncing back, we believe marine tourism operators are looking to gain a competitive edge by obtaining Green Fins environmental certification. Reef-World has noticed this trend globally – not just in the Dominican Republic – as businesses look to improve their chances of surviving a potential financial shortfall in the coming months and years. We’re delighted to see the programme continuing to have a tangible conservation impact despite current disruptions and we welcome enquiries from other interested dive and snorkel operators.” 

Orlando Jorge Mera, Minister of Environment and Natural Resources of the Dominican Republic, said: “Addressing the environmental issues such as the climate change and the pollution of our oceans, this administration’s agenda has environmental education as a priority. We want to imprint a legacy by educating future generations. We need to raise awareness as a society. It is not just about who occupies the Ministry of the Environment, it is a legal and moral commitment, this is everyone’s job. We thank the REEF World Foundation, Reef Check Dominican Republic, TUI Care Foundation and TUI Junior Academy for promoting environmentally friendly initiatives in favor of the Dominican Republic. Education can’t stop. Count on us!”

Green Fins Dominican Republic was established in June 2018 with support from the Regional Activity Centre for the Protocol on Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (SPAW-RAC). The initiative is overseen and managed in the country by Reef Check Dominican Republic in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources and the Auxiliary Navy. Further expansion is being supported through the TUI Care Foundation.

For more information, please visit www.greenfins.net

New guidelines for conducting environmentally friendly beach and underwater cleanups

The Reef-World Foundation – the international coordinator of the UN Environment Programme’s Green Fins initiative – has launched new Green Fins cleanup guidelines to help dive and snorkel operators organise and host environmentally friendly coastal cleanups. 

The guidelines guide dive professionals step-by-step through everything they’ll need to consider before, during and after beach and underwater cleanups. The guidance includes: how to choose a suitable location; promoting your event; briefing and educating participants; documentation of the event; best practice for underwater trash collection; tips for promoting your event; and data collection methods and reporting to initiatives that can use this information to shape global policy.

Samantha Craven, Programmes Manager at Reef-World, said: “Trash in our oceans is a serious problem that threatens the marine environment and dependent livelihoods. Around 80% of marine trash comes from land-based sources and, although it is an entirely man-made problem, it is also entirely preventable. As well as refusing single-use items, reducing your waste, reusing items and recycling trash, you can become part of the solution by taking part in, or running, beach and underwater cleanup events and recording your data to influence long-term solutions and decision making.

“We’ve been so impressed to see so many Green Fins members organising cleanups as soon as they were able to resume activities. Every event will make a difference, however big or small! Our new guidelines have been created to help marine tourism operators who are conducting beach and underwater cleanups do so in an environmentally friendly way while providing education on marine debris issues during the event. This guidance – which includes key things to consider before, during and after the cleanup – will help ensure no further damage is caused to marine ecosystems while teams are removing marine debris.”

The Green Fins cleanup guidelines are available free of charge for Green Fins members and non-members alike. They can be downloaded here.

For more information, please visit www.reef-world.org or www.greenfins.net.

Dive and snorkel operators interested in signing up to Green Fins can find the membership application form at: https://www.greenfins.net/how-to-join.

IDB support to enable Green Fins Global Hub development and launch of Green Fins Costa Rica

The Reef-World Foundation – the international coordinator of the UN Environment Programme’s Green Fins initiative – is thrilled to announce its Green Fins Global Hub proposal has been selected for project design under IDB Lab’s Beyond Tourism Challenge. This funding enables Reef-World to begin full development of the much-anticipated Green Fins Global Hub. 

The Green Fins Global Hub is a first-of-its-kind online platform which will empower marine tourism businesses to measurably improve their sustainability efforts. The Hub will house an online support system to raise operator awareness of the potential threats their business practices pose to the environment and offer practical, proven solutions to address these. In this way, the digital global solution will encourage compliance with internationally recognised environmental standards, safeguard biodiversity and stimulate green tourism; ultimately, resulting in better protection of fragile coral reefs globally. 

The Beyond Tourism project support enables Reef-World to begin the development of the Hub, which will initially be piloted by marine tourism operators in the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica. As an already established Green Fins country, the Dominican Republic team will share successes and learnings with Costa Rica, which will launch Green Fins as a result of this project support. By digitising the support it provides to reef-dependent businesses through the Hub, Reef-World will overcome traditional capacity and time constraints, reach previously inaccessible operators and upscale the overall conservation impact of its Green Fins initiative. 

Chloe Harvey, Director of The Reef-World Foundation, said: “The Green Fins Global Hub has been generating excitement among dive centres around the world for some time so we’re delighted that IDB Lab has recognised the huge conservation impact it will have and selected it for project design. By the end of the two-year project, we expect to have fully autonomous Green Fins assessor teams in both Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic as well as a global digital platform with the potential to reach 30,000 marine tourism operators across 100 countries and upskill around 48,000 staff. Empowering the industry to collaborate for improved sustainability is essential in influencing the consumer choices of the 171 million travellers visiting reef hotspots annually and will have a significant conservation impact. We can’t wait to get started!”

This project creates a tipping point for sustainable reef tourism globally by helping the industry identify pressing environmental threats and providing proven solutions. By improving sustainability across the marine tourism industry, the Hub will protect coral reefs and related ecosystems from local stressors. Minimising local threats enables these vital ecosystems to become more resilient to global stressors, such as those associated with climate change. It also protects the local communities who rely on these precious natural resources for food stability, coastal protection, livelihoods and tourism returns. 

The Beyond Tourism Challenge identified innovations in two categories: development of the tourism workforce for post-COVID recovery; and environmental sustainability. The Challenge attracted 214 applications from public and private sector candidates in 28 countries around the world with proposals ranging from waste management and safety protocols to preservation of natural capital and eco-tourism. Evaluation was conducted by IDB Group specialists – with technical expertise provided by the UNWTO – and criteria included the degree of innovation, the degree of social and environmental impact, its scalability potential, financial sustainability and viability of execution.  

Reef-World’s proposal was one of eight selected from Barbados, Belize, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Haiti, Guyana, Panama and Trinidad and Tobago. These selected applicants will become part of IDB Group’s network of global innovators working in the region to reinvent the tourism industry and support its recovery efforts. The selected proposals were:  

• Barbados – “Better Batteries” an energy-as-a-service model to accelerate the hotel industry´s access to renewable energy. Applicant: Aceleron
• Belize – “Belizing Tourism Innovation Lab” a virtual marketplace to enhance workforce development. Applicant: Lets Go Belizing Ltd.
• Costa Rica – “INTO Experiential Camps & Lodges” a platform to bring together social ecotourism with land and marine conservation. Applicant: INTO Hospitality S.A.
• Dominican Republic – “Green Fins Hub – Digital scaling for sustainable marine tourism”. Applicants: The Reef-World Foundation and Reef Check Dominican Republic.
• Guyana – “Safe Lodges Equal Safe Guests”, a mobile tracing and tracking system and upskilling of tourism operators to allow for a safe reopening of ecotourism in Guyana’s Northern Rupununi region. Applicants: DAI Global LLC, Guyana Tourism Authority and Wilderness Explorers
• Haiti – “Caribbean Tourism Career Accelerator” a virtual programme to fast-track tourism workforce career development. Applicants: Global Startup Foundation and Cocread
• Panama – “Digital Transformation of Indigenous-Led Ecotourism and Conservation” a model to foster a safe and sustainable return to eco-tourism operations by local communities. Applicants: Keteka, Global Brigades and Native Future
• Trinidad and Tobago – “Creating a community-driven, sustainable cluster and brand to transform ecotourism in Nariva Swamp” using citizen science to develop Nariva as an eco-tourism attraction. Applicant: Caribbean Natural Resources Institute

The Beyond Tourism Innovation Challenge was run by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), through its innovation laboratory, IDB Lab, and in collaboration with the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

For more information, please visit www.greenfins.net or https://convocatorias.iadb.org/en/beyondtourism

Reef-World’s annual report reveals tangible conservation impact despite COVID-19 disruptions

New figures out today reveal that The Reef-World Foundation – international coordinator of the UN Environment Programme’s Green Fins initiative – certified more dive shops and reached more travellers with its conservation messaging than the previous year, despite disruptions to fieldwork caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Reef-World’s annual report, released today, revealed the charity reached 115,000+ travellers with its information on environmental best practice through its Green Fins initiative during its 2019–20 reporting period; up from the 110,000 travellers reached during 2018–19. With 115 dive centres assessed in 31 diving hotspots across 11 countries (compared to 98 operators in 10 countries the previous year), the number of active members increased 42% from 118 to 168. 

As well as attracting new members, the programme continues to demonstrate its success in helping marine tourism operators reduce their direct, local impact on coral reefs; with data showing an average 20% reduction in environmental impact among members. 

While implementation work was unable to take place during three months of the year, due to the global pandemic, the reduction in the number of dive staff trained in person was just 6.5% (1,870+ in 2019–20 compared to 2,000+ in 2018–19). However, digital innovations have enabled the charity to continue educating dive professionals around the world, no matter their location. Over 1,140 dive professionals signed up to the Green Fins Dive Guide e-Course: a unique online course which enables individual dive professionals to become Green Fins certified. 

Key projects included: the launch of the Dive Guide e-Course Scholarship Fund to help scuba diving guides receive vital environmental certification; the nationwide rollout of Green Fins Egypt in partnership with the Chamber of Diving & Watersports (CDWS); a new initiative to help protect coral reefs in the Dominican Republic in partnership with the TUI Care Foundation; and creating new resources to support marine tourism operators around the world in their efforts to prioritise sustainability despite the COVID-19 pandemic. What’s more, the charity also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), which shall remain in effect until December 2025, to strengthen the framework of cooperation between the two organisations for their  joint international coordination of the Green Fins initiative.Anne Paranjoti, Founder of The Reef-World Foundation, said: “When UNEP asked me to create a framework for Green Fins back in the 1990s, I wanted to create something that would be open to all and provide a role for anyone that wanted to do something to protect the natural world around us. Today, the Green Fins tools and resources are still free for all wishing to join and provide a framework for anyone that would like to contribute and be part of a wider active community of conservators. The model underpinning Green Fins is one that allows us all to have a role –  no matter how small – in protecting the natural environment and demonstrate actions that truly promote core values and reach beyond a limited view of sustainability. The outcome is, thus, enriched lives for all and sustainability of our beautiful natural resources.”  

JJ Harvey, Director at The Reef-World Foundation, said: “Like many other charities and businesses across the travel industry, Reef-World has faced a tough time this year. Not only has the pandemic impacted our ability to conduct our environmental fieldwork but we also lost a valued mentor in the passing of our Trustee Andrea Leeman. Andy was as determined and strong-willed as the toughest out there and she would have been so proud of the conservation impact we’ve achieved despite COVID setbacks. As we move into a new normal, we’re determined to ensure sustainability remains a priority across the marine tourism industry. There are challenges ahead but we’re absolutely dedicated to protecting our precious marine ecosystems for the benefit of the local community, potential visitors, visitors and future generations.”

Chloe Harvey, Director at The Reef-World Foundation, added: “What a year it’s been – and we couldn’t have done it without you all! The generous donations and support from our partners and the general public have inspired us to continue the battle to protect our coral reefs around the world. We’d like to thank everyone for their efforts over the past year and are excited to work with you to forge a stronger path for sustainable tourism in the future. There’s much more to be done and the future is uncertain but, together, we can make sustainable diving the social norm.”  

With 33 government and NGO staff trained to run the network at a national level, Green Fins now has 82 active assessors; one quarter (26%) of whom are female. The Green Fins national teams are looking forward to resuming training and assessments as soon as it is possible and safe to do so. In addition, plans for Green Fins’ expansion into Guam, Timor-Leste, Japan, Costa Rica and Colombia are in place for when travel opens up again.

Reef-World would also like to thank its partners whose vital support has resulted in significant tangible benefits for the ocean:PADI; 1% for the Planet; Explorer Ventures; the Blue O Two / Worldwide Dive and Sail alliance; Fourth Element; Caudalie; Professional SCUBA Schools International (PSS); ZuBlu; PATA; Paralenz; EXO Foundation; World Nomads and The Footprints Network; GSTC; MyDivePro; and Dive O’Clock. 

The full 2019–20 Annual Report can be found here: https://reef-world.org/reefworld-annual-reports

Learn more about Reef-World at: https://www.reef-world.org

The Green Fins Award recognises the world’s most environmentally friendly dive centres

The Reef-World Foundation – the international coordinator of the UN Environment Programme’s Green Fins initiative – is delighted to announce the winners of the coveted 2020 Green Fins Award are: 

• Bubbles Dive Centre, Pulau Perhentian, Malaysia,
• Flora Bay Divers, Pulau Perhentian, Malaysia
• And Tioman Dive Centre, Pulau Tioman, Malaysia

The prestigious annual award recognises the Green Fins member with the lowest environmental impact. This year, competition was so tight there was not one, but three winners all tied in first place. What’s more, all three of the winners and seven of the global top 10 centres are based in Malaysia! 

The winning dive operators were chosen from the 600-strong network of Green Fins members by a rigorous assessment of business practices. To be eligible for the award, the operator must have had its latest assessment conducted within the last 18 months. In 2019, the proud winner was Tioman Dive Centre: a PADI dive centre which has been a Green Fins member since 2009 and had managed to hold onto the title again in 2020.

As 2020’s Green Fins Award winners, Bubbles Dive Centre, Flora Bay Divers and Tioman Dive Centre are recognised as the world’s most sustainable dive or snorkel operator, as verified by the globally-recognised Green Fins environmental assessment. Their steps to improve sustainability practices, which have resulted in this recognition as the most environmentally friendly Green Fins dive centres in the world, have included: 

Switching to eco-friendly products and improving waste management practices: 

Kelvin Lim, Flora Bay Divers, said: “We switched from normal detergents to eco-friendly detergents, we are encouraging divers to bring their own water bottles to reduce plastic and came up with a general waste bin and a bin for plastic bottles in front of our dive centre. This helps tourists and locals to place thrash that’s been found on the beach easily and conveniently since there are no proper bins along the beach.”

Training staff in why environmental practices are important: 

Peisee Hwang, Bubbles Dive Centre, said: “Green Fins has helped my crew understand more about the importance of looking after the environment. Less educated members of staff would throw cigarette butts in the sea without thinking but they are now keeping their trash to dispose in the bin when they are back.”

Upgrading boat engines: 

Rosie Cotton, Tioman Dive Centre, said: “At the beginning of 2020, we upgraded our last remaining boat engine and now we run 100% with 4-stroke models. The benefits are not only to the environment but also a huge reduction in petrol usage. It’s a Win Win situation!”

Alvin Chelliah, Green Fins Assessor Trainer from Reef Check Malaysia, said: ”Most dive centre managers and owners that I have come across in Malaysia care and want to do what they can to help protect coral reefs. I think Green Fins has been the right tool to guide them towards practical actions they can take. Over the years, we have seen these dive centres put in a lot of effort and work hard at following the guidelines and they have improved steadily as a result. We hope others will follow their example.”

Peisee Hwang, Bubbles Dive Centre, said: “We are thrilled to know that we have won and we are glad that our effort is being recognised. We hope that more operators aspire to join us in pledging for the environment.”

Kelvin Lim, Flora Bay Divers, said: “We are proud to be acknowledged for our efforts to inspire sustainable diving. Our focus remains on cultivating informed and conscious divers with good diving skills and habits..”

Rosie Cotton, Tioman Dive Centre, said: “Receiving the news that we have made the top spot of Green Fins members is a fantastic feeling. Thank you so much to the Green Fins team for your ongoing support! This year has obviously been slightly different to previous years. I hope that something we can all take away from this year is that changes in our daily habits can create shockwaves of positive change around the world in a relatively short period of time. From TDC, we hope you are all safe and well at this time and are able to find some positives despite these difficult circumstances.”

Chloe Harvey, Director at The Reef-World Foundation, said: “We’re thrilled to recognise Bubbles Dive Centre, Flora Bay Divers and Tioman Dive Centre as joint winners of the 2020 Green Fins Award. Competition between the Top 10 is always tight but the fact that there are three winners this year, when usually one centre takes the title, shows how much sustainability is being put at the forefront of the agenda across the dive industry. So, we’d like to say a big well done to Bubbles Dive Centre, Flora Bay Divers and Tioman Dive Centre. This win is testament to their hard work and ongoing sustainability efforts and they should be very proud. It’s an incredibly tight race to be named the best of the best!”

The Green Fins Top 10 list is comprised of the world’s most sustainable dive operators, as determined by the Green Fins assessment process. In 2020 they are: 

1.      Tioman Dive Centre, Flora Bay Divers and Bubbles Dive Centre (all in Malaysia)

4.      Ceningan Divers (Indonesia)

5.      Scuba Junkie Mabul (Malaysia)

6.      Sea Voice Divers (Malaysia)

7.      Evolution (Philippines)

8.      Orca Nation Rawa (Malaysia)

9.      Equation (Philippines)

10.   The Barat Perhentian Beach Resort (Malaysia)

In Malaysia, Green Fins is run by Reef Check Malaysia in partnership with the Department of Marine Parks Malaysia (DMPM) on the Peninsula and Sabah Parks in Sabah. Membership is not yet available in Sarawak.

For more information, please visit www.reef-world.org and www.greenfins.net.

If you’re interested in supporting The Reef-World Foundation in its work to protect coral reefs around the world through the Green Fins initiative, consider donating now. To keep up with our latest news and developments, please follow Reef-World on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. 

Dive and snorkel operators interested in signing up to Green Fins can find the membership application form at: https://www.greenfins.net/how-to-join.

Join Reef-World and a panel of industry experts at the first ever Scuba.Digital for an open discussion on green tourism and how this might be shaped by a post-corona world.

The Reef-World Foundation – the international coordinator of the UN Environment Programme’s Green Fins initiative – is pleased to invite its supporters to its Sustainable Diving event on the main stage of Scuba.Digital 2020 (3pm BST on Friday 23 October 2020). At this virtual Q&A, members of the public will hear from industry leaders about the steps they’re taking towards sustainability, particularly in light of the current pandemic. 

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed plans and caused uncertainty across the dive industry: not least when it comes to sustainability. It has also led to a surge in the volume of plastic waste – particularly from single-use and hard-to-recycle products – with masks and gloves being found washed up on beaches. So, what now for green tourism? In this session, attendees will discover the unexpected environmental challenges that have been caused by the pandemic, how sustainability leaders are overcoming those obstacles and the simple changes YOU can make to protect coral reefs for future generations. 

Reef-World and the United Nations Environment Programme will host a lively virtual discussion with PADI, Explorer Ventures Liveaboard Fleet, Scuba.Digital, Paralenz, ZuBlu and Bubbles Dive Centre. Together, they will talk about how the sustainability of the diving industry has been impacted by Covid-19 and predictions for the future of green tourism. Attendees will learn: 

• Why is coral so important and how they can be protected through sustainable diving practices 
• What sustainability leaders across the industry are doing to protect coral reefs
• And how they’ve adjusted their plans in light of the current pandemic 
• What the future of sustainable tourism might look like, according to the expert panel 
• & the simple changes YOU can make to protect coral reefs for future generations.

The panel discussion will be available to watch on the Scuba.Digital main stage at 3-3.30pm and 4-4.30pm BST (with a short break in between the two sessions) on Friday 23 October 2020. Attendees will be able to submit their own questions to the panel too. 

Chloe Harvey, Director at The Reef-World Foundation, said: “Reef-World’s sustainable diving events have been gaining momentum in previous years so we’re delighted to be able to host this exciting panel event despite current travel restrictions. While the pandemic is causing challenges across the industry, it also offers the opportunity for us to pause, regroup and plan to build back better with a more sustainable tourism industry. We must act now to protect our coral reefs – the very asset upon which our industry depends – and we must work together. So, we’re thrilled to be shining a light on the future of sustainability and help both recreational and professional divers around the world understand how they can support the cause.”

Natalie Harms, Marine Litter Focal Point, COBSEA Secretariat, UNEP – who will be chairing the event – said: “This crisis is hitting marine tourism and the people who depend on it hard. It has showed us once more that our health and the health of our ecosystems are inextricably linked. There is no silver lining for nature – now more than ever the diving community can lead by example and join hands for a sound environmental response to the crisis.”

The 2020 panel represent a range of companies who are innovating when it comes to sustainability: 

• Reef-World – the leader in marine tourism sustainability – aims to make sustainable diving and snorkelling the social norm.
• The UN Environment Programme – the leading authority setting the global environmental agenda, which provides technical advice, support and funding for Reef-World’s Green Fins programme 
• Scuba.Digital – run by the team at ScubaClick Ltd – was created to help the diving industry network, collaborate and innovate in a way that won’t be affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. 
• PADI – The world’s largest diving organisation made a proclamation for the planet in 2019: shifting its brand tagline to “Seek Adventure. Save the Ocean” in order to expand its mission to include a deeper commitment to taking action to protect people and planet.
• Explorer Ventures Liveaboard Fleet – is enhancing environmental operations through a customised management strategy, starting with its Caribbean vessels. It is also helping The Reef-World Foundation establish targeted liveaboard protocols as part of the Green Fins initiative with the hope of improving dive operator and liveaboard policies worldwide.
• ZuBlu – is a travel platform helping scuba divers and marine enthusiasts discover and book their next underwater adventure in Asia
• Paralenz – has developed a camera that enable divers to capture and share the state and life of the Ocean as a seamless part of the dive
• Bubbles Dive Centre – in Pulau Perhentian, Malaysia, is one of the global Top 10 Green Fins members. 

This online panel event is relevant to representatives from all segments of the diving industry: recreational divers, dive professionals, dive operators, liveaboards, resorts, travel providers, diver training organisations, manufacturers, photographers, the media and more.

Jason Haiselden, Marketing & Sales Director at ScubaClick Ltd and Scuba.Digital, said: “It is great that Reef-World has grabbed the opportunity that Scuba.Digital presents to tell the industry and the diving and snorkelling public how they can make what we do more sustainable. Covid is forcing change upon us so why not take the opportunity to make sustainable changes.”

Scuba.Digital 2020 is the new global online dive show that will take place from 23^rd to 26^thOctober 2020, featuring exhibitors and speakers from around the globe. With many traditional scuba diving shows around the world cancelled or postponed, Scuba.Digital will bring diving liveaboard operators, resorts, dive shops and clubs together online. Exhibitors and speakers will provide an extensive series of live presentations, discussions, demonstrations, lectures and classes for the general public to delve into. Scuba Digital Dive Show 2020 is the place for you to experience traditional dive shows without leaving your home. All you need is a laptop and a wi-fi to attend this new standard in dive show. This online Dive Show offers workshops in small groups, 1:1 meeting, keynotes on the main stage and exhibits from the worldwide dive industry.

For more information, please visit www.reef-world.org / www.greenfins.net or come and meet The Reef-World Foundation team at Scuba.Digital.

To buy your tickets, visit https://hopin.to/events/scuba-digital?ref=55275ff33b6d.

Reef-World has been shortlisted as a finalist in 2020’s Con X Tech Prize to help develop this digital sustainability solution

The Reef-World Foundation – the international coordinator of Green Fins in partnership with the UN Environment Programme – is delighted to announce it has officially been shortlisted as a finalist in the 2020 Con X Tech Prize. 

The Con X Tech Prize provides opportunities for seed funding to anyone, anywhere to turn their bold new ideas for conservation into reality. The current round of the Con X Tech Prize attracted 167 submissions from around the world – including Uganda, Malaysia, Cameroon, the Philippines, Brazil, & more – and Reef-World has been named as one of the 20 finalists with the potential for exponential conservation impact. The Grand Prize Winner will be announced by Conservation X Labs after finalists complete a 12-week prototyping period

Reef-World’s entry is the development of The Green Fins Global Hub: a digital global solution to help dive professionals protect fragile coral reefs. This first-of-its-kind online support system will motivate marine tourism operators to improve their everyday environmental practices. This product will leverage innovation to meet increasing consumer demand for sustainable tourism practices by empowering tourism organisations to minimise environmental impacts associated with their business and protect their natural assets.

Harnessing Reef-World’s 20+ years’ grassroots experience in environmental behaviour change, the Hub allows Reef-World to upscale its conservation impact by moving the proven Green Fins tools online. This will significantly boost knowledge and capacity for improved sustainability worldwide. This project has immediate potential to upscale globally: digitising Green Fins’ offering overcomes traditional capacity and time constraints. In this way, it allows Reef-World to reach previously inaccessible operators and help them take the first steps on their sustainability journey. Going digital in this way opens up an opportunity to reach 30,000 dive and snorkel operators across 100 coral reef countries. This means Reef-World can educate and empower over 48,000 guides and building sustainability into the trips of the 171 million tourists who visit coral reef sites each year. The potential cumulative impact of this on global coral reef health is significant. 

This project creates a tipping point for sustainable reef tourism by helping the industry identify pressing environmental threats and providing proven solutions, such as responsible waste management measures. Complementing Green Fins’ proven conservation approach, the Hub will boost reef resilience by empowering people in biodiversity hotspots worldwide to alleviate local threats.

Tourism operators’ owners, managers, staff and crew will directly engage with the Hub for access to robust, evidence-based sustainability practices. Following online registration and self-evaluation, they will receive proven solutions for their highest environmental threats, continued access to implementation action plans, tools and resources and user forums for support and encouragement. Data captured from self-evaluations, access to solutions, tools to address threats and on-site verification assessments will also inform where strengthened policy and regulation can have the greatest impact.

The resultant measurable reduction of local threats to coral gives reefs a better chance of surviving mounting global threats. Reef resilience is a growing marine ecosystems conservation approach focusing on alleviating local threats, allowing them to be healthier, more robust & resilient to climate change impacts. Green Fins is a proven conservation approach that works in line with resilience-based management by reducing coastal ecosystems threats posed by marine tourism. It is traditionally implemented by trained government teams conducting on site environmental assessments and training. Already active in 11 countries, demand for Green Fins participation globally greatly exceeds current capacity & complementing on-the-ground activity with a novel, digital approach is required to achieve conservation impact scale. 

Reef-World has already completed in-depth market research and prepared a business plan, product requirement document and sustainable finance model. By the end of the 12-week prototyping period, the charity will have: drafted a design specification document; mapped out the evaluation and onboarding processes for members; developed wireframes for the onboarding process and key sections of the system; designed a visual mock-up of the user interface; and begun collaborating with software development agencies to ensure all outputs are realistic and achievable. 

James Greenhalgh, Digital Strategy Manager at The Reef-World Foundation, said: “We’re proud to have been shortlisted alongside these impressive conservation innovations. There is no other product like the Global Hubon the market and our market research shows strong industry demand for a service providing this type of solution. The Hub will enable operators to train and empower their staff to adopt better environmental behaviours and collaborate with other businesses. We’re excited about the project’s potential to benefit reefs globally!”

Tom Quigley, Community Manager at Conservation X Labs, said: “The Con X Tech Prize is meant for opportunities just like this – where some funding and support through a prototyping sprint can help a product like Green Fins make a transformative leap in the scale of their impact. We’re excited to see what Reef-World builds over the prototyping period!”

Each of the 20 shortlisted teams have received $3,500 to turn their idea into a prototype over 12-weeks. At the end of the prototyping period, one project will be awarded the $20,000 grand prize to support the future of their project.

Reef-World has already secured funding for this project from the United Nations Environment Programme, The Matthew Good Foundation, and G-Research and is continuing to fundraise to cover the remaining development costs.

The Reef-World Foundation is a registered UK charity which delivers practical solutions for marine conservation around the world. Its flagship initiative, Green Fins, is implemented in partnership with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). This proven, established approach focuses on driving environmentally friendly scuba diving and snorkelling practices across the industry globally. By driving compliance to marine tourism environmental standards, Green Fins helps to reduce local threats to coral reefs in popular tourism destinations. It unites tourism organisations, governments and operators to preserve natural resources by implementing proven sustainability measures. 

To see the full list of 20 finalists please visit https://conservationxlabs.com/cxtp3-announcement

Learn more about Reef-World at: https://reef-world.org

Learn more about Green Fins at: https://www.greenfins.net