Founded in 1998, The Urban Divers Marine Conservation/Scientific Diving Inc. is a non-profit environmental organization committed to active participation in the restoration, conservation, and protection of our rivers , oceans, and marine wildlife, with a particular concern for the restoration and revitalization of New York City's waterways.

Our goals and projects reflects the concerns of all members of our local community as well as our global environmental community. UD's mission is focused particularly in communities of Hudson River Estuary and its tributaries, in the Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Long Island and coastal parts of NJ Harbor. Our mission is to help improve, and maintain the living features in these vital and dynamic eco-systems.

The Urban Divers uses a multi-faceted approach to reach our goals: scientific and historical research, educating the public through our marine ecology field trips and workshops program, eco-cruises, marine environment awareness events, waterway stewardship and monitoring. The Urban Divers also utilizes art, science and technology to educate the public about the need to protect our fragile aquatic environments.

The Urban Divers is the organizer of the Gowanus/ Newtown Creek Monitor Project. Members and community volunteers cruise along these waterways; monitor marine wildlife, conduct systematic water quality sampling ,monitor and document sources of pollution.

Our scientific divers volunteer on various conservation projects for private and state environmental institutions. Our divers support our conservation efforts with underwater visual surveys underwater video documentation, collection and recovery.

Our members are educators, scientists, media professionals, artists, environmental advocates, waterway stewards, divers and other concerned members of the community.

You can support The Urban Divers Marine Conservation efforts by becoming a member volunteer or by making a tax deductible contribution. DIVERS and NON-DIVERS ARE WELCOMED.

....TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Volunteer diver members must be certified and 18 yrs of age, and have personal divers insurance. Non-Diver volunteer members under 18 must have parental consent, volunteers under 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian on monitoring projects.

Our basic annual membership is only $20/yr for member volunteers ( some volunteer hrs required) and $40 for general support members.

Contact: urbandivers@planetmail.com, udgowanusmonitors@yahoo.com