Diving force: experts join forces to save the world's coral reefs

Specialist diving group teams up with British conservation charity to lower impact of scuba tourism on threatened reefs

The threat posed to coral reefs by scuba diving in Egypt and Thailand is so serious that officials have banned certain operators or suspended the sport altogether, but now moves are afoot to make diving tourism more sustainable.

A partnership between the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (Padi), the world's largest training group, and the UN-backed Reef-World Foundation, a British conservation charity, will encourage the industry to sign up to the Green Fins scheme, which helps dive centres to reduce their environmental impact and mitigate the damage the burgeoning sport causes to coral reefs worldwide.