BSAC’s Marine Champions initiative has reached its one year milestone, with over 80 club members signing up to help champion the marine environment over the last 12 months. To mark the occasion the team now aim to get to at least 100 Marine Champions by the end of the year.
Launched on 7 August 2025, the initiative was designed to establish a volunteer network of Marine Champions around the BSAC regions. Each Marine Champion was tasked to work within their own BSAC clubs to coordinate a range of grassroots environmental initiatives and raise awareness of the need to restore and project our marine environment.
From coastal projects to rivers and inland waterways, the growing Marine Champion network has since stepped up to the mark. And the range of Marine Champion activities has been inspiring. Over the past year there have been seagrass, oyster and marine surveys, invasive species clear ups, habitat restoration projects, beach cleans, underwater litter picks, ghost fishing retrieval, community events and much more.
Summer 2026 saw a coordinated focus on Marine Champion Action Days and Weekends, supported by Sea-Changers. The wider project has also attracted other partners, including The Shark Trust and The Wildlife Trusts. Many Marine Champions have also devised their own conservation projects, such as Cayman Islands Divers’ coral reef survey and Nautical Archaeology Society SAC’s Portunus Project recording marine life habitats in the harbours of Chichester.
The first year of the Marine Champions initiative, said BSAC Environment Chair, Katherine Knight, had exceeded expectations:
The response to the project has been fantastic, with all our Marine Champions bringing ideas, commitment and a real passion for protecting our previous marine environment. It has been inspiring to work alongside this wonderful network of Marine Champions and see the impact their citizen science and grassroot projects are already starting to make.
And this is only the start. With new marine partners coming on board and the number of Marine Champions steadily growing, I am excited to see the initiative grow and develop over the next 12 months!
Interested in becoming the Marine Champion? Join us today!
Marine Champions Mel, Matt and Samantha explain exactly what joining the initiative has meant to them:
Being a Marine Champion position has added so much more depth to my diving experience. I have connected with so many extraordinary people across the UK, collaborated with other BSAC Clubs, marine and environmental agencies, learning as I go. To me, Marine Champion is a small title for a big role that makes a huge difference. - Mel Hough - Flintshire SAC
When I first started diving it was to get involved in marine conservation activities. The Marine Champion initiative has provided a great platform to help get clubs involved with conservation activities and to raise awareness and make dives purposeful. Matt Walters – Newbury SAC
I became a Marine Champion because I have a deep love for the ocean and the incredible ecosystems it supports. It is heartbreaking to see the impact that human activity is having on our marine environment, and I wanted to be part of the solution rather than simply watch it deteriorate. Samantha Cooper – Cayman Islands Divers
Help us to get to 100!
To become a BSAC Marine Champion, you need to be aged 18 or over and a member of a BSAC club. For more information on becoming a Marine Champion and to register go to bsac.com/marinechampions
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