Dolphin team to protect the Reef
MEMBERS of the Australian Dolphins Swim Team will swap the pool for the coral covered ocean on a Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef expedition next Saturday.
It will include members of the 33-strong team selected for the upcoming Pan Pacific Championships in Tokyo, including Olympic and Commonwealth Games goldmedallists like Cate Campbell, Mitch Larkin, Emma McKeon, Emily Seebohm, Kyle Chalmers and Ariarne Titmus.
They’ll be arriving in Cairns this weekend to train for the expedition and raise awareness of the health of the Great Barrier Reef.
Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef founder Andy Ridley said they hoped the Dolphins would be inspired by what they see on the expedition.
“The Great Barrier Reef is the barometer for the health of the planet, and plastic waste has become a symbol of our wasteful society,” he said.
“To tackle climate change, the greatest threat to the Reef, we must change the way we do things.”
The world of sport swimming is not immune to the problem of plastic pollution, with the increasing presence of marine pollution in the waterways athletes compete in.
Last month the International Olympic Committee announced plans to eradicate single-use plastics from the orVeterinarian ganisation as part of the UN Environment Clean Seas campaign.
Swimming Australia CEO Leigh Russell said the Dolphins would make ideal reef ambassadors.
“I know our Dolphins are excited to be part of this Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef expedition and we look forward to the team being able to play its part in increasing awareness all over the world of the everyday products and actions that can spoil one of the great wonders of the world,” she said.
“As a sport that revolves around water, the conservation and protection of our oceans and their assets like the Reef and marine life is a cause close to our hearts.”
THE GREAT BARRIER REEF IS THE BAROMETER FOR THE HEALTH OF THE PLANET
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