Adopt the Blue offers a vast and growing network of underwater sites to establish marine protected areas. Operated by the PADI AWARE Foundation, this open-source platform provides real-time data to guide local policy and protection efforts, helping countries achieve their Sustainable Development Goals.​

Barbados has committed to help protect up to 30 percent of its marine ecosystems. With the support of our founding partner Blancpain, PADI AWARE is able to collaborate with government officials and local dive centers to provide real-time data to inform policy and protection measures in critical marine areas. The next generation of divers and swimmers are best positioned to monitor and restore the marine parks. Physically experiencing the marine environment at a young age is the first critical step to marine protection. To address this need in Barbados, we worked with local communities to identify future ocean guardians and help train the next generation of divers.

Together with the community, we have:

• Taught 325 children to swim
• Trained six teens in conservation diving
• Led workshops with government, dive centers and community leaders to determine marine conservation needs and solutions
• Adopted 37 sites and tracked marine debris, coral bleaching and habitat loss
• Assisted the dive sector to identify commercial fish critical habitats in order to assess the potential for Fish Recovery Zone (FRZ) MPAs to be designated in coastal waters.

PADI is proud to partner with Blancpain to significantly increase the number of marine protected areas (MPAs) worldwide. Through our multi-year collaboration, we will work with local communities to accelerate the establishment of MPAs. Central to this effort is our flagship citizen science program, Adopt the Blue™, which will mobilize 6,600 PADI dive centers and resorts to create the world's largest network of MPAs, empowering millions of divers to actively participate in marine conservation.​