The Marine Museum of the Great Lakes at Kingston, in partnership with Neptune & Salacia Diving, Swim Drink Fish, Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre and Turtles Kingston, are proud to host a PADI Aware Dive Against Debris® weekend celebrating the protection and preservation of the Great Lakes marine environment. This two-part event features the community action dive and shoreline clean-up at Gord Downie Memorial Pier on June 18th followed by an education and awareness event at the Marine Museum on June 19th, this event aims to bring the community together to celebrate our waterways and engage in their preservation.

On Saturday June 18th, divers and non-divers alike will be working together to remove marine debris from below and above water. Scuba divers and snorkelers are invited to join and help remove as much underwater debris as possible. If you are not a diver, you can help by providing shore support to divers at the Gord Downie Memorial Pier or by joining on the shoreline cleanup team of Breakwater Park. The PADI Aware Foundation’s mission is to drive local action for marine conservation, with both a ‘fins on’ and ‘fins off’ approach, starting with proactively working to tackle key ocean threats like habitat destruction, climate change, over-fishing, and land-based pollution. Dive Against Debris® is a true ‘fins on event’, where certified divers volunteer their time to remove marine debris while collecting critical survey data that can be used by marine researchers and policymakers for conservation efforts.

On Sunday June 19th, the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes will welcome community groups offering demonstrations and programming to educate visitors on the importance of our Great Lakes freshwater ecosystem and celebrate this incredible resource. From underwater ecosystems and maritime heritage to the threats they face by human activity, this is a day to come together to celebrate our connections with the Great Lakes and the work being done to protect our waters. This event offers youth, families and visitors within the community an opportunity to have fun and connect with others while learning about the environment and preservation of the Great Lakes.

For anyone interested in participating, here's how you can get involved:

· On-shore: the Museum and its partners invite members of the public to volunteer their time to help with the clean-up on-shore. Sign up by filling out this form.

· In the water: certified scuba divers and snorkeler are required. To find out if you can participate as a diver, contact Guillaume Courcy at info@neptunesalacia.com.

For more information, please contact Michelle Clarabut, Programs and Communications Manager at Marine Museum of the Great Lakes at Kingston. 613-542-2261 / education@marmuseum.ca.