ABOT Receives US$50,000 Grant from the UN for Underwater Cleanups
In June, ABOT received their first instalment of funds for a US$50,000 grant from the United Nations Small Grants Programme. Our “ABOT Dive Cleanup Project” has enabled us to do an extensive amount of cleaning around our coastline. Thanks to the UN and to our amazing volunteers, we have been able to remove over 1183 pounds of debris and approximately 4.67 miles of fishing line so far.
Our First Ten Youth EcoDivers Graduate!
We are happy to announce that in October, ten young Antiguans graduated from our first two EcoDiver programs. These students all received their PADI Advanced Open Water diver certificates and learned about a wide range of marine conservation issues. They have all become our newest Volunteer Dive team members. Thanks to our two generous sponsors, we have two more programs scheduled for 2026.
Remote Coastal Cleanups
Our 85 members of our Wild Coast Cleaners group have been doing a great job in not only conducting initial cleans, but also of maintaining several remote areas on a regular basis. So far, they have removed over 5644 cubic feet of debris from areas such as Sandy Island, Willoughby Bay coastline, and remote beaches inside of St John’s Harbour. While we recycle some of the debris, if possible, ABOT is currently in discussions with international partners regarding ways we can better upcycle our Abandoned, Lost, Discarded Fishing Gear (ALDFG) and our endless number of locally distributed single-use water bottles.
2025 At-A-Glance
Did you know that ABOT is a 100% Volunteer-based nonprofit?
We rely entirely on our passionate volunteers to help with every aspect of our organization. Signing up is easy on our website.
Join our team and help preserve our marine environment for future generations.
ABOT Volunteer Dive Team
ABOT has been fortunate to have established a wonderful group of over 65 volunteer divers who give up their time to help us clean the reefs around our coastline. So far, they have cumulatively spent over 353 hours underwater this year as they gently remove miles and miles of entangled fishing line, discarded fishing gear and other debris that washes up on our reefs. Our team members range from very experienced Dive Instructors and Dive Masters to newly certified divers from our youth EcoDiver program. Our days on the water can be challenging at times, but our wonderful team members always make it very fun, while making a difference.
Safe Sunscreen
After three years of highlighting the negative effects of toxic sunscreens on our marine environment and on ourselves, the government of Antigua and Barbuda recently created a group of government officials and NGOs to implement a plan to ban these toxic chemicals as we advance. ABOT has been invited to take part in these discussions and has offered to assist in any planned community education initiatives. We are continuing to broaden our reach with updated posters and communications with hotels, tour operators, dive/watersports shops, and retailers. The government is hoping to have these bans in place by mid-2026. We will be looking for numerous volunteers to help with this initiative once the government finalizes its plans.
Did you know?
Just because a sunscreen says it is "Reef-Safe" does not mean that it really is? Be sure to only use sunscreens with Non-Nano Zinc Oxide as the only active ingredient.
ABOT Movie Nights
Due to the popularity of our first few movie nights, we are planning on making these events a more regular occurrence in 2026. We were fortunate to have received permission from the film makers to show “Ocean with David Attenborough” shortly after its release date. We are also in discussions with several film companies to show other marine conservation and ocean-themed films. A big thank you to Dina and Andrew for the use of their wonderful venue at Bodicharya!
IWC70 Meeting
The next International Whaling Commission meeting (IWC70) is scheduled to take place in September, 2026 in Hobart, Australia. During the last IWC meeting in 2024, Antigua and Barbuda submitted a resolution that would ultimately lift the decades-old moratorium on commercial whaling, which did not end up passing. ABOT is currently in discussions with other NGOs and individuals to encourage our government to change its position on this resolution.
