La DIRM (Interregional Directorate of the Mediterranean Sea) and the OFB (French Biodiversity Office) have partnered to offer posters and explanatory brochures as well as awareness videos aimed at divers. This action in the diving world is part of a broader marine environment protection plan.
The goal of this initiative? Launching awareness and environmental education actions aimed at divers. Brochures and videos describe the eco-responsible actions everyone must adopt before, during, and after their dives to protect marine species and the Mediterranean environment. The visuals, in the form of explanatory and playful comic strips, were created by the artist Franck Girelli, whose style you can find in each issue of the magazine.
Deliver a clear and fun message
The strategy for sustainable management of diving sites in the Mediterranean, available on the DIRM website, has defined priority actions: improving environmental knowledge, eliminating identified negative impacts, raising awareness, and fostering innovation. The consultation conducted with representatives from the diving world confirmed the need to enhance awareness. The posters and waterproof brochures have been distributed to harbormasters and professional and associative diving centers on the French Mediterranean coast and are also available in video format. They deliver key messages: getting informed during the briefing, properly equipping oneself, mastering buoyancy and kicks, keeping a distance from species, not overusing camera flashes, not taking anything from the sea, paying attention during the debriefing, and conserving water…
The messages delivered by these posters.
A necessary link between marine protected areas and the diving world
In addition to these messages, the posters and brochures are territorialized, meaning they are customized for each of the ten major diving areas on the Mediterranean coast (Gulf of Lion, Port-Cros, Côte Bleue, Corsica…) with a description of the region, its strengths, and especially an emphasis on the marine protected areas they include (marine park, national park, Natura 2000 zone…). They also provide presentations of the habitats and species encountered during dives in this area.
A poster hung in a diving center in Corsica. © Nicolas Barraqué
Actions to share
While many divers already follow some of these actions, these posters serve as reminders for seasoned divers, they clearly inform occasional divers, those discovering the region, and new practitioners. In addition to basic actions to master (buoyancy, controlled kicks, not taking anything…), these materials also share more current messages such as the proper use of a camera, fish well-being, conserving water when rinsing…