By Dr. Jere J. Hallenbeck – 1990
1. The Coral Reefs are very beautiful but fragile! Do not touch or stand on Coral. Be careful not to break it in any way. Holding onto or brushing against the Coral will kill the living polyps. Scuba divers must maintain neutral buoyancy at all times. Watch that your instrument console is not dragging over the reef or delicate plants.
2. Do not drop an anchor on the reef or allow the anchor chain to rub against the reef.
3. Refrain from kicking up the bottom with your funs. The sediment created can suffocate the living animals that make up the coral colony.
4. Avoid chemical, gasoline, oil or bilge spills in the water and on the shoreline. A reef is only as healthy as the water around it.
5. Please do not litter. Plastic bags and six-pack rings entrap fish. Flip tops from cans are ingested by fist and kill them. Pick up trash when you see it if at all possible. Organize trash clean-up dives.
6. Do not remove anything from the sea. Seemingly dead coral and shells are often the home of smaller critters. If you must take a dead shell, first make sure nothing is living inside. Sea fans make lousy souvenirs anyways. They bleach when they dry and stink badly in the process. Picking up shells on the beach does no harm.
7. If you are a boater, be very careful not to hit the reef. Always watch for snorkelers and divers in the water when boating. Learn to recognize the red and white divers flag that means divers are below.
8. Support local and international efforts to preserve the marine environment.
