Indonesia Pledges to Reduce Plastic Waste

Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs, Luhat Binsar Pandjaitan, has announced a pledge of up to $1 billion USD to reduce Indonesia’s plastic waste by 70 percent over the next eight years. He made the announcement at the 2017 World Oceans Summit in Nusa Dua, Bali. Luhat confirmed that Indonesia will be focusing on plastic alternatives and education initiatives to achieve their goal. Their plan is part of the global U.N. Clean Seas campaign to reduce major marine waste sources by 2022.Read more here: http://seasia.thescubanews.com/2017/03/29/indonesia-pledges-1-billion-to-reduce-plastic-waste/

Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed by Conservationist Rob Stewart’s Family

The family of Rob Stewart, a Canadian filmmaker and shark conservationist, filed a wrongful death lawsuit on 28th March 2017 at Broward County, Florida. The lawsuit has been filed following the death of Rob Stewart during a dive off the Florida Keys in January 2017 and seeks unspecified damages.Rob Stewart died whilst filming for Sharkwater Extinction at the Queen of Nassau wreck, 9.7 kilometres off the coast of Islamorada. According to the lawsuit, Stewart dived to a depth of 70m with dive organizer Peter Sotis and came into difficulties during the third dive of the day.Read more here: http://ca.thescubanews.com/2017/03/29/wrongful-death-lawsuit-filed-by-conservationist-rob-stewarts-family/

Top Shark Diving Tips

Diving with sharks is at the top of many, if not all, divers’ bucket lists. Here are 10 tips to help you have a safe, and fun, encounter with the ocean’s apex predator.http://scubadiverlife.com/top-shark-diving-tips/

Calling All Writers & Ocean Fans

CALLING ALL WRITERS & OCEAN FANS!I'm looking for new/experienced writers to write about their scuba adventures, marine life profiles, kit reviews, diving tips and ocean conservation initiatives for The Scuba News. With our growing network of regional editions around the globe, this is a great time to get involved and gain some online exposure.If you're interested in sharing your stories* and/or being pitched ideas to help improve your writing skills and share your passion for the oceans, get in touch! 

Kathryn@thescubanews.com*Just like this awesome little nudibranch, no story is too small for consideration.

Mangroves: The Roots of the Ocean

Mangroves may not be as sexy as coral reefs but they’re just as important to the overall health of the ocean. Read on to find out why.http://scubadiverlife.com/mangroves-roots-ocean/ 

Sharks - Caretakers of the Oceans

A very proud day seeing my shark conservation article for Forest and Bird New Zealand in print. With over 70,000 members/readers, this will go some way to spreading the shark conservation message.Full article here: Caretakers of the Oceans

First Criminal Charges for Shark Finning in Costa Rica

A Costa Rican court has, for the first time, served criminal charges for shark finning and sentenced a Taiwanese business owner to prison. This is a great step forward for shark conservation.http://scubadiverlife.com/first-criminal-charges-shark-finning-costa-rica/

Is Zealandia a New Underwater Continent?

A submerged continent called Zealandia has been discovered just east of Queensland, Australia in the Pacific Ocean.A new continent may be about to join the seven we recognize today. In a recent paper published in the Geological Society of America’s Journal (GSA), scientists have determined that almost entirely submerged Zealandia meets the criteria.http://scubadiverlife.com/zealandia-new-underwater-continent/

Top Yoga Diving Trips

The ancient practice of yoga has many benefits for divers that contribute to better, safer dives and good buoyancy control. You can even now combine a diving trip with discovering yoga in various beautiful places around the globe.http://seasia.thescubanews.com/2016/11/24/top-yoga-diving-trips/

Top 5 Places for Holiday Season Diving

The festive season is fast-approaching and, for some of us, that means a chance to travel and explore new destinations with family and friends. I really enjoyed researching top dive destinations for The Scuba News Australia but now all I want to do is check out the awesome diving on offer in Mexico, The Bahamas, Indonesia....http://au.thescubanews.com/2016/11/24/top-5-places-for-holiday-season-diving/