Conservation initiatives

GUE initiatives range from simple Beach Cleanup initiatives to elaborate multi-disciplinary research with foreign governments. For example, as early as 1995 GUE founders established a Karst Dive Project supporting a rigorous review of potential ground water contamination in Southern Turkey.

GUE collaborations with the Italian Ministry of Culture provided insight into an ancient wreck site off the cost of Pantelleria. The GUE team of divers, located, documented and created a three dimensional survey of this wreck site before retrieving an ancient amphorae for museum display.

GUE principles and founders including GUE Project Ocean Discovery have dedicated approximately two decades to the location and documentation of wreck sites throughout the Baltic and Mediterranean Seas. For example, GUE's 1998 Britannic Project provided careful documentation of damage to Titanic’s sister ship while delivering video to the Greek Ministry and supporting UK historical evaluation.

Meanwhile GUE efforts to assist local governments in evaluating precious natural and cultural resources include support of the Narvik War Museum work during GUE Project Narvik, exploration and environmental sensitivity estimates for fragile caves within Papua New Guinea and a recent project to liaise with the Chinese government while exploring, evaluating and documenting the diversity and vulnerability of local underwater caves.

In recent years GUE has began seeking ways to leverage its infrastructure to support novel conservation programs. For example, ongoing collaborations with the Non-Profit Reef Check, developing collaborations with BayKeepers and other international conservation projects promise to expand GUE's ability to realize one of its core missions – a desire to embolden passionate advocates to make a global difference while acting within their local communities.

Friends of Wakulla Springs - Friends of Wakulla Springs State Park is a local nonprofit Florida corporation; these dedicated volunteers work closely with park management to safeguard Wakulla Springs. GUE’s long standing support of conservation measures at Wakulla Springs include support for independent groups working toward a common cause. These groups represent the useful stratification of efforts that are required to positively affect long-term conservation measures. Government organizations sometimes provide extensive resources. Yet, long term, sustainable conservation measures inevitably require the engagement of concerned citizens – a vital part of the GUE advocacy program.

Hydrologic Consortium- GUE is a proud to support this multi-disciplinary collection of government and non-government groups organized to solve far-reaching and complex issues associated with ground water contamination. The formation of this group is a reflection of the principles required to create significant environmental change. Meanwhile the success of their efforts is a testament to the feasibility of broad-based collaboration.