I have always been drawn to the ocean. From the crashing of the waves, to the undulating jellyfish that exist below the surface. But our oceans are in danger, currently there are 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic debris in the ocean, very soon it is thought that the amount of debris will outnumber the amount of fish.

It is a sad reality that the oceans are suffering, and therefore, so is the life that thrives within it. We have all heard about the issues and dangers that plastic pollution is causing, but there are so many other battles that the ocean is fighting. Pollution, overfishing, trawling, oil spills, climate change, shark finning and so many more.

As a scuba diver, I get to play witness to a world that many people never will, and with this, I get to see the difference that is being made to the local environment. I started scuba diving just over two years ago, and ever since I started my love for the ocean has grown and so has my dedication to help it. Every dive that I do is a Project Aware Dive Against Debris, this means that I take a mesh bag underwater with me to put any litter in that I may find.  I also partake in regular beach and water way clean ups, to try and tackle the issue before it reaches the ocean.

On a recent beach clean at Newbiggin with Sea Shepherd UK, 15 full black bags were filled with debris. Two of these bags were discarded fishing gear. Fishing line, rope, weights and even hooks were all found in the space of two hours. The recurring theme on every clean up though is still plastic, whether it is large items such as drinks bottles or tiny items like nurdles, all of which can be detrimental to marine life. Another clean up along the River Blyth for the Surfers Against Sewage Million Mile Beach Clean produced 9 refuse bags filled with rubbish. We even found the casing of an old television along with copious cans of alcohol, looked like somebody had a party!

There are loads of things that people can do that will have an impact on ocean health. Get involved with local clean ups or organise your own. Support ocean conservation charities, if purchasing sea food products ensure that they are sustainably sourced and dolphin friendly, a great resource to learn about seafood is the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) website. You can buy coral reef friendly sunscreen. Or even just watching one of the many documentaries or movies about ocean health and conservation.

A good starting point for documentaries and movies are:

• Mission Blue
• A Plastic Ocean
• Chasing Coral

If you would like to get involved and help our oceans, there are plenty of ways to do so. You could join local Facebook groups such as North East Beach Clean – a great way to find clean ups near you. Support the charities that are involved in ocean and wildlife conservation: Surfers Against Sewage, Planet Patrol, Project Aware, Sea Shepherd, The Ocean Agency, World Wildlife Fund, Northumberland Wildlife Trust, Bite Back and so many more. If you have a smart phone, download the Clean Swell or Planet Patrol apps, this is a great way to log any litter you may have found (Planet Patrol even offer prizes for litter found).  Reduce the use of plastic in your day to day life; carry reusable bags, use a refillable water bottle, try using shampoo and conditioner bars (they’re great) and most importantly have fun while doing it!

If we all band together and each do something small, then our oceans and seas will thank us!

Katarina Martin (@katiediddiscover)