Emirates Diving Association

21/09/2026

We are please to announce the new Board of Directors of the Emirates Diving Association, with a dedicated executive team committed to advancing our mission, strengthening our community, and supporting the sustainable future of our oceans.

24/06/2026

24/06/2026

Congratulations to our 9 newly certified EcoDivers for passing their Reef Check Fish, Invertebrates, and Substrates exams on Saturday at 3 Rocks in Dibba, Fujairah!

They are now able to join any organised Indo-Pacific Reef Check surveys. We will be announcing our next survey dive soon enough.

Everyone stayed on for a second fun dive at Dibba Rock with a few of the team doing a rubbish sweep – filling up a mesh bag with all sorts of plastics (snorkel and mask set packaging included).

As we made it over the patch of soft corals, a Porcupinefish swayed into view but kept its distance, and just as we turned around, a curious Hawksbill Turtle swooped in and gave Hamid a heart to heart hello.

A big shout out to RSM for another successful Reef check, and to Divers Down UAE for a fun day!

12/06/2026

Here is all the information we shared at our EDA Movie Screening:

RESCUES (following Cutting the Line)
This raised the discussion of who to call in the UAE for marine animal rescues, or sightings.
1. UAE Dolphin Project for dolphin and whale sightings (dead or alive) and Yas SeaWorld Research & Rescue Yas Island, Abu Dhabi Hotline
2. Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Project if you find sick or injured sea turtles and FEA’s what to do info during sea turtles nesting season

PLASTICS (following Out of Plastic)
We discussed EDA’s own Cleanup Arabia campaign; the Dubai Voluntary Diving Team’s Stuck Threads initiative on how to call them to report ghost nets; and we shared an article published in Divers for the Environment by Mohamed Almusallami et al. on the research of ingestion of marine debris in juvenile sea turtles in Abu Dhabi.
3. Cleanup Arabia 2004-2026 (East Coast, Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai)
4. CUA weight since 1995
5. Dubaivoluntary Divingteam’s Stuck Threads Initiative
6. Mohamad Abdulla AlMusallami et al. article

CORAL (following From the Mountain to the Sea)
Here, we shared information on those who can provide coral citizen science projects, educational courses, and volunteerism within the UAE.
7. Reef Check with EDA and CoralWatch
8. Project REEFrame | Coral Reef Restoration by Freestyle Divers
9. Archireef coral reef education
10. Coralife volunteering options
11. Introducing Ecocoast’s new Ecoreef project

MANGROVES (following Return of the Mangroves)
We shared the mangrove national parks of the UAE with educational options, kayaking tours and mangrove planting options.
12. Abu Dhabi
13. Ajman
14. Umm Al Quwain
15. Mangroves Matter with Goumbook

TRAVEL
One last short film by Ally Landes was shown on how to find specialised trips with research/education, and/or a focus on photography at the forefront; as well as connecting like minded divers in the UAE looking to travel as a group to find new worldwide adventures through The Big Blue.
17. Sundive Byron Bay 🤿🪼🦈 bucket list expeditions and research adventures and Marine Megafauna Foundation dives to support Marine Research
18. Andy Murch focus on photographing big animals & Immersiv Expeditions for off-the-beaten path locations
19. The Big Blue | Scuba Diving Travel Agency based in Dubai for worldwide group adventures

10/06/2026

Ecoreef is the latest addition to Ecocoast’s well-established Advanced Mooring Systems portfolio and has already undergone successful trial deployments in the UAE since August 2025. Unlike conventional mooring blocks, which typically cause ecological harm, Ecoreef incorporates engineered complex habitat and settlement surfaces designed to support marine life throughout multiple development stages.

Particular focus has been placed on creating refuge for juvenile fish, helping increase survivorship rates in early development. During initial underwater monitoring in the UAE, the team also witnessed juvenile Snappers and Groupers (hammour) on the deployed Ecoreefs, indicating that they could help produce commercially important fish, with potential to contribute to local fisheries.

Coral settlement is also encouraged by the Ecoreef design, contributing to the gradual development of marine ecosystems around operational infrastructure. Trials have discovered that these structures also benefit a wider range of biodiversity, including cryptic species, filter feeders that have impact on water clarity, and commercially important fish species – both adult and juvenile.

01/06/2026

This inspiring summer issue of Divers for the Environment is dedicated to everyone across the ocean and coastlines as we celebrate World Ocean Month this June!

Check out the results from this year’s award-winning photographers and videographers following another very successful Digital Online 2026 Awards and Exhibition Night at Deep Dive Dubai. It was great to catch up with everyone, see older members return to the competition after a hiatus, and meet some new faces.

We want to highlight some incredibly interesting articles to read up on from the Sharjah Marine Science Research Centre, the UAE Dolphin Project, and an adaptation of the latest scientific report on the data gathered from the crown-of-thorns sea star outbreak we had back in May 2024. These are insightful stories from our waters here in the UAE, shared by some of the top researchers in the field of Oceanography.

Underwater photographers share stories capturing a look behind their lenses, and divers in the educational field share stories of coral reef restoration for youths, shark speciality experiences, and making ocean tourism accessible to everyone.

You’ll find the link to the June magazine issue in our profile. Happy reading!

26/05/2026

We send you and your families all our best wishes for good health, peace, and prosperity on the occasion of Eid al-Adha. Be kind to our ocean, waste not, eat well, choose wisely – make the changes to becoming more sustainable while continuing to protect our marine environment. May this Eid fill our hearts with gratitude.

Photo by – Second Place (Highly Commended) Macro entry to Digital Online 2026.

~ This beautiful nudibranch was found in Lembeh Strait, Indonesia during a muck dive.~

Eid Mubarak,

The EDA Team

25/05/2026

The .voluntary.diving Team (DVDT) organised a second underwater clean-up with (ENBD) in collaboration with @3.fils and the Dubai Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation at Jumeirah Fishing Harbour 1 on the 23rd of May. At 9am, 13 DVDT divers with 6 surface volunteers, and 13 ENBD divers with 5 surface volunteers (the majority of both teams are also EDA members) cleared the designated section of the harbour in their one-hour dive. 3Fils’ team also actively volunteered throughout the event and helped count and pack up all the rubbish.

, a strong supporter of local underwater clean-ups, were there to provide the dive equipment logistics. brought the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) forms to collect all the data needed. In the end, a total of 190kg of marine debris was recorded and removed from the underwater environment.

arrived on site to safely remove all the items at the end of the event. Amongst everything that had been listed and counted, the most stand out items were 35 e-cigarettes/vapes, 5 pairs of sunglasses, 2 mobile phones, a pump, and a kids scooter.

Thank you to 3Fils who catered a wholesome breakfast, and to ENBD who had lunch packs delivered for everyone at the end. EDA supplied the mesh bags, gloves and sacks, the shade, scale and shower rack. DVDT provided their dive boat with winch, lift bags, kayaks, and the underwater scooter.

It was a very successful event pulled together with everyone involved. Team work at its best!

22/05/2026

A final recap of the 2026 Digital Online Awards and Exhibition Night.