Effect Essay: Scuba Diving

Divers take their toll on the environment Scuba diving is an interesting and rewarding pastime. PADI, the Professional Association of Dive Instructors, estimates that every month the world welcomes 10,000 scuba divers each month. This is a lot of divers. With numbers increasing as they are, many people have begun to show concern for the effects of diving on the environment. This essay will discuss the effects that scuba diving has on the environment. There is clear and convincing evidence that scuba divers harm the coral reefs. Firstly, many scuba divers, because they are not trained properly, kick their fins low to the ground where the corals are located. As a result of this improper diving style, valuable and beautiful corals are knocked down, rendering the coral useless. Another serious effect is that many divers think it is acceptable to take corals as souvenirs to place in their home. This not only undermines the beauty of the reef but it also makes it so the fish have no place to hide from predators. As a result of having no place to hide, the fish are killed quicker than under normal circumstances. Damaging the reef is not the only way the divers harm the environment. Scuba divers also affect the delicate marine life, which is an important aspect of the environment. Firstly, although divers probably mean no harm to marine life, they often do things that scare them. A case in point is what happens when a group of exuberant divers encounter a sea turtle, known for its sensitive nature. Divers, especially in today’s camera-laden world, often circle the turtle and take numerous pictures; the turtle sits terrified and unable to escape: This could cause it to have a heart attack and die. In addition to the benign desire to take pictures, divers often do more malicious things to marine life. In some cultures, it is common to see a moray eel, for example, and kill it with their knife – for no reason at all. Others, however, might kill the marine life for food, which is not as bad morally, but the result is the same: death for the innocent creature. In the end, it is important to note that scuba diving can be done in a safe and environmentally friendly way. It is clear that local governments must advocate for the oceans and implement new regulations so that divers are accountable for their actions and the environment remains safe. Thesis statement:______________________________________________________________ Topic sentence 1___________________________________________ Support 1___________________________________________________ Support 2___________________________________________________ Topic sentence 2_______________________________________________ Support 1_______________________________________________________ Support 2______________________________________________________ In today’s world many people enjoy scuba diving. However, it is advocated that this scuba diving actually has serious impacts on the environment. Discuss the effects of scuba diving on the local environment.