Global Underwater Explorers is expanding efforts to conserve the underwater environments we explore by refining support tools for a diverse set of community-led projects. This initiative intends to inspire community members to develop a broad range of projects using a standardized set of project planning tools. Our vision is to establish a GUE presence in every form of sub-aquatic exploration, documentation, or conservation project across the planet. GUE is inspiring the next generation of divers with passionate global communities guided by excellence in exploration, conservation, and education. We are building dreams one diver at a time, and this is embedded in all GUE Projects.
Our Project Portal is designed to leverage the capacity of GUE projects across multiple disciplines, environmental objectives, and global communities using our DREAM initiative.
This initiative supports the organization and promotion of projects by helping divers:
Define the project objective
Research properties that illuminate your objective
Explore your environment and record relevant observations
Analyze and assemble observations in a publicly accessible manner
Motivate divers and laypersons in support of the underwater environment
Explore the Project Portal and get started building your own project or joining another!
GUE Projects
A GUE Project is a goal-oriented scientific, educational, explorational, and/or conservational endeavor. Projects require a team of divers and support personnel who use advanced planning techniques, unique diving skills, and appropriate technology to realize their objectives. These activities may be recreational or focus on technical and/or cave skill sets.
GUE Project goals are specific, measurable, relevant, and produce well-structured deliverables. Goals should be defined within one or more of the following categories:
Exploration
Projects related to scouting and searching dives, with outputs such as reports and the discovery of new unexplored areas in underwater systems.
Documentation
Projects related to photography and videography, with outputs such as survey materials, photogrammetry models, and mini documentaries.
Sample Collection
Projects related to scientific surveys, data collection and sample collections under permits, with outputs such as academic publications, reports for marine management, and evidence of species discovery.
Conservation
Projects related to activities to protect the environment such as beach cleanups, ghost net removals, and seagrass planting, with outputs of educational outreach, ecosystem restoration, and preservation of delicate aquatic areas.
Before organizing your project in full, it is important to develop the ideas and goals of the projects, conduct a preliminary planning phase (including a budget and permit considerations), and then register your Project with GUE HQ. The resources below will help you to do that.
Step 1: Develop
The GOALS of the project
The TYPE of project (recreational, technical or mixed)
The VALUE it will bring to the community and to GUE
Who will be the PROJECT MANAGER
Step 2: Plan
What is your BUDGET (paid or unpaid for participants?)
If your project is FUNDED or not (and are you receiving grants)
OVERALL TIMELINE (Gantt charts)
Any PERMITS needed (including environmental impact assessments)
Step 3: Register
Once you have developed and planned your project, click the 'Register my Project' button to send the project to the events calendar. Then click the 'Projects Database' button to submit the project to the GUE database for tracking.
Do not worry if all aspects of the project are not determined yet; Feel free to reach out to jenn@gue.com if there is a section in the registration process that requires personalized assistance.
Once your GUE Project is approved, you will receive access to a series of guidelines that will facilitate the project process: from logistics and travel ideas, to dive plans and report templates. In addition, you will receive other ideas concerning funding, grants, licenses, presentations, and other media.
Project Guidelines: Continuing the step-by-step process
Team recruitment
Admin for all (including medical and liability forms)
Health / SOP guidelines (including Crisis Response and Risk Management plans)
Logistics / travel
Project timelines (including examples and templates)
Diving plans / gear
Data management
Media / outreach
Reports / delivery (including templates and checklists)
Project Resources
Project-specific resources designed for your needs
Ideas for funding and grants
GUE.tv – project playlist for information
Useful licenses and software to gain
Our Project Portal Commitment To You
Proving building tools that makes it easier and less intimidating for divers to develop projects.
Providing knowledge and support in the form of explorers and scientists. These individuals will be available to assist project managers in establishing credible projects.
Helping augment team resources by getting managers in touch with the right people.
Providing institutional support. Using GUE's credibility and the success of our project activities to gain access to otherwise difficult-to-access locations. Writing letters to lend official credibility for approved projects.
Providing writing, editing, and marketing resources in support of project reports, publicity, and scientific papers.
Join a Project
If you are looking to join a project as a participant, there are a number of ways to do this:
Search our project reports for active projects to join
Volunteer with Project Baseline
Find other projects divers using the NextGen Legacy Project community
