This essay will be examining and assessing the detrimental environmental effects of the touristic sport of scuba diving. In order to evaluate the full extent of the negative impacts that this leisure activity has, in particular with regard to coral reefs

The first 200 words of this essay...

This essay will be examining and assessing the detrimental environmental effects of the touristic sport of scuba diving. In order to evaluate the full extent of the negative impacts that this leisure activity has, in particular with regard to coral reefs, this study will look at various pieces of research that have been carried out at popular diving locations across the globe. The sources of the damage will be investigated, paying specific attention to the role of the local governments, the dive operators, and the tourists in these areas. This will be followed by a reflection on the different sustainable approaches available that involve both economically and environmentally viable conservational techniques. Finally, the conclusions drawn from this analysis of the scuba-diving tourism industry will be examined within the wider setting of sustainable tourism.

With approximately 1 million additional divers being trained every year, SCUBA is one of the quickest growing pastimes on the planet (Davenport & Davenport, 2006). This upsurge of interest is partly due to the attractiveness of the wide variety of biodiversity available at diving sites (especially coral reefs), but also due to the development of the transportation industry and increases in levels of disposable income, permitting