Tourists Help Scientists Study Sharks in Danger

Tourist divers in Okinawa, Japan, are becoming ocean scientists to help save endangered sharks and rays. A new program called the Shark & Ray Conservation Specialty Course teaches regular vacationers how to collect important data about these sea creatures. The program started because sharks and rays around the world are disappearing fast due to fishing and climate change. Scientists need more information about where these animals live and how many are left.

The waters around Okinawa have a special blue color that comes from clear water and limestone on the ocean floor. From high cliffs, visitors can see many different shades of blue in the sea. But underneath this beautiful surface, the coral reefs are in trouble because of warming oceans and human activities.

The new diving program is run by PADI, a company that teaches people how to scuba dive safely. Divers who take the two-day course learn to take photos of sharks and rays they see underwater. They also record information like the date, time, and location of each sighting. All this data gets uploaded to a special app that scientists can use to track these animals.

Climate change has made the situation worse for Okinawa's marine life. In 1998, rising water temperatures caused coral bleaching that killed 90% of the coral reefs in the area. Local fishermen and divers worked together to collect surviving coral and grow it in underwater gardens. This teamwork helped bring marine life back to the reefs.