FROM THE EDITOR

Pieces of our human worlds lost and then found beneath the ocean waves remind us that we are an intrinsic part of a historical continuum. The splendid remains of advanced civilisations that disintegrated thousands of years ago speak to us of the cyclical rise and fall of empires and systems.

They remind us that we are a part of the ongoing human drama, and that our actions have lasting effects. These effects may be beautiful, as illustrated by underwater art installations, or violent, as we are reminded by the skeletal remains of the ships that fought WWII.

Diving is an opportunity to lose yourself in this fantastic world of water, life, and history. But our activities mean that we, in turn, are losing this very world we love.

As individuals, our daily choices are killing life in the ocean. We don’t have time to sit back and wait for world leaders to develop the political will to protect life on our planet. It is only by each of us making small changes in our everyday lives that we will be able to ensure the future health of one of our most vital life support systems.

What will the seas eventually reveal about our civilisation, in a distant future, when our detritus is discovered? Would we be proud of our legacy, I wonder?