Six weeks, diving every day, and the vast majority of the sharks the team saw were rotting on fishing boats that had sailed all the way from Sri Lanka. International Year of the Reef '97 is a desperately needed catalyst for action. It is a chance for everyone to do something positive for coral reefs. Well over 50 organisations worldwide are involved in this global effort to promote the sustainable management of reefs and launch a programme of education and research. But IYOR is also a grass roots effort and relies on individuals to achieve its aims.
Divers have a vital role to play.
Turn to page 22 to find out how you can get involved. Even if you remember just to take only pictures, and leave only ripples, the reefs of the world have got a chance. The music builds to a crescendo, and then it happens. The water foams, we hear the heart-stopping sound of a human body being ripped apart and the screams of the girl before she disappears amid gurgling noises into the depths. Jaws, which first appeared on the world's cinema screens 16 years ago, did nothing to popularise the shark.