LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR

This year was one of great transition and strategic growth for the PADI AWARE Foundation. The organization added new evergreen programs, strengthened our mission, advanced ground-breaking marine research and drove successful advocacy campaigns.

On Earth Day, we announced our official name change from Project AWARE to PADI AWARE, fundamentally shifting and expanding our conservation strategy. Two key elements emerged from that announcement:

1. Our new mission, driving local action for global ocean conservation, and;

2. The PADI Blueprint for Ocean Action, a clear plan to advance specific ocean conservation targets by 2030.

Two strategies remained at the heart of our work: policy and citizen science. Since 1992, PADI AWARE Foundation has advanced protections for over 46 shark and ray species. In July, we successfully added one more to our list - Mako Sharks – after a multi-year campaign effort. Both further deepened our commitment to scaling our program reach and bolstering community efforts at the ground level.

In September, we released our second scientific paper from our flagship citizen science program, Dive Against Debris. This study was the first of its kind to use on-the-ground data collected in real-time to analyze the global problem of marine debris, and highlights the critical role that divers play in ocean conservation. This program will serve as the template for future citizen science programs in the coming years spanning across all conservation issues in the Blueprint for Ocean Action.

In November, we launched the PADI AWARE Community Grant Program, a cornerstone initiative to provide direct financial resources to community-led efforts that address climate change, marine debris, marine habitat loss and vulnerable species protection. For 20212022 grantees, the Foundation has dedicated 24% of its public funds directly to the program. In our first grant cycle, we funded over 17 grantees across conservation issues and geographies.

We are so proud of our successes this year, further building upon our rich history in ocean conservation for almost thirty years. Beyond these key benchmarks, the Foundation continued to educate, engage and advocate for ocean conservation at both the local and international level. We know that none of this is possible without our donors, supporters, PADI dive centers and divers, PADI partner and sponsors. We thank you for another great year fighting for our beautiful blue planet.