I ♥ My Beach & Reef ～沖縄O.C.E.A.N.ブログ

NPO Okinawa O.C.E.A.N.'s "My Beach/My Reef Project" is the first Ryukyu Islands Adopt-a-Beach Program in Japan. This is an information portal site for people who want to actively participate in sustainable marine environmental conservation in Ryukyu Islands

People have a tendency to protect what they love. Through this innovative “My Beach/My Reef Project,” NPO Okinawa O.C.E.A.N. promotes adopting a favorite beach/reef spot in Ryukyu Islands and effectively supports new and existing efforts to beautify and to monitor coastal environment by providing user-friendly online tools.

Each adopted beach/reef spot has a designated beach/reef captain who uploads the latest pictures and any related information of the beach/reef spot to the project's HP（http://mybeachproject.net） via a mobile phone or e-mail. Obtaining real-time information of your favorite beach/reef spot is no easier than this!!

【Purpose of the Project】
NPO Okinawa O.C.E.A.N. started this project in October 2006. This project is not an ordinary beach clean-up project. The purpose of the project is to promote an “adopt-a-beach” concept in order to provide more effective support to the new or existing beautifying efforts for marine environment and an easy-to-use sustainable online monitoring system of coastal lines and marine debris.

【How Does It Work??】
Each adopted beach/reef spot has a designated beach/reef captain who regularly monitors the site.

NPO Okinawa O.C.E.A.N. is aiming for placing beach/reef captains at as many beaches /reef spots as possible in Ryukyu Islands in order to support the new and existing beach/under-water clean-up efforts.

【Requirements of a Beach Captain】
◆　To take and send pictures from a mobile phone, or send pictures via e-mail.
◆　To do at least 2~3 beach clean-ups a year, one of which has to be done between September-November, and take data of marine debris of the site. (NPO Okinawa O.C.E.A.N. provides a support if needed.)

【Requirement a Reef Captain 】
◆　To do at least one underwater clean-up a year, if possible between September-November, and take data of marine debris of the site. (NPO Okinawa O.C.E.A.N. provides a support if needed.)


【My Beach/My Reef Photo Navi】
If you are too busy to do a beach/reef clean-up but like to take pictures and want to join this project, becoming “a My Beach/My Reef Photo Navi” is the way to go!! All you have to do is to regularly upload some latest pictures of your favorite beach/reef spot. Your pictures may encourage others to become a beach/reef captain on behalf of you.

【How the Collected Data of Marine Debris Are Used?】
NPO Okinawa O.C.E.A.N. collects year-round marine debris data from our partner organizations in Ryukyu Islands, especially during our “Okinawa Cleanup Yuimaru-ICC (International Coastal Cleanup)” scheduled from September to November every year, and organizes and submits the data to some leading domestic/international organizations such as JEAN (Japan Environmental Action Network) and the Ocean Conservancy (U.S.), and Cleanup the World (Australia)for global coastal management. Data collected from under-water cleanups are also provided to PADI PROJECT A.W.A.R.E. and The Ocean Conservancy.

These data has been used for a development of a legal system for coastal environmental protection and for an assessment in coastal development. They are also used to monitor the trend of marine debris every year.
These data will also be shown in Okianwa O.C.E.A.N.’s HP and the My Beach/My Reef Project’s HP. In 2007 Okinawa O.C.E.A.N. tested the My Beach/My Reef Project in 15 beaches in Ryukyu Islands.


【My Beach/My Reef Project Official Sponsor】
Nikko-Citi Holdings, Inc.

【My Beach/My Reef Project Official Partners】
au Okinawa Cellular Telephone Company, The Japan Foundation

【Main Online Features of “My Beach/My Reef Project”】
1. Providing Real-Time Information of a Beach/Reef Spot
The latest pictures of and any related information of each adopted beach/reef spot are uploaded by a designated beach/reef captain via a mobile phone or e-mail. Obtaining information of your favorite beach/reef spot is no easier than this!!

2. User-Friendly Database of the Latest Adopted Beach/Reef Spot Information
Each adopted beach/reef spot has a dedicated page in the project’s HP that shows the profile of the beach/reef spot, the latest pictures of its coastal line, and beach/under-water clean-up information. This feature makes it easier for online users to communicate with he beach/reef captains of their favorite beaches/reef spots as well as to provide physical and financial support to them.

3. A Unique Health Carte of the Adopted Beach/Reef Spot
“A health carte” of each adopted beach/reef spot shows not only the detailed information on marine debris of the site but also the history of the coastal lines for better coastal management.

4. Contributing to Activate Local Industry
In the project’s HP each adopted beach/reef spot has a dedicated page, which can be used to promote local information such as cultural activities cultural activities, sightseeing information, and much more!

5. Contributing to CSR Activities
“My Beach/My Reef Project” helps your company’s CSR activities. A company that provides a financial support to the project will be introduced as the project’s official sponsor in the project’s HP and our various events, which will promote companies’ public images. Currently Nikko Citi Holdings, Inc is our official sponsor. A project’s official partner status will be given to a company that provides non-monetary supports to the project. The current project’s official partners are the Nippon Foundation and au Okinawa Cellular Telephone Company.

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（2006年の MO'ASHIBIのパンフレット）