Guardians of the Blue
Guardians of the Blue is an environmental NGO based in Byblos, Lebanon. It was founded in 2020 out of passion and urgency, mostly from the absence of local marine protection, and the lack thereof at the national level.
The diversity of our local marine ecosystems is still poorly known. Yet, they are dangerously threatened by pollution, climate change, unsustainable fishing practices, and invasive species.
Guardians of the Blue’s Mission
Exploration, education, and conservation through lionfish invasion control, underwater cleanups, and developing local ocean literacy.
What would you change in the world?
We would reignite the ancient bond between humans and the ocean. This emotional, cultural, historical, biological, collaborative, nourishing, and spiritual connection is fundamental to create a sustainable future.
Guardians of the Blue’s Inspiration
We hope to provide accessible scientific information on the sea in Lebanon and the life it fosters. We also hope to create powerful and emotional visuals and documentaries about it, so that everyone can see the beauty that lies below the surface and the need to protect it. We hope to inspire a generation of sea protectors who will continue working on local exploration, education, and conservation in Lebanon and the Middle East.
How was Guardians of the Blue founded?
“Guardians of the Blue was created by my fiancé Samer and I in late 2020, after I finished my Masters degree. We have both always been passionate and very connected to the sea, and we couldn't imagine ourselves doing anything else than working for its protection.
Samer was already a professional scuba diver, and my degree in development economics and project management helped us to create our NGO.
Today, we are so happy to see that we can create a change and inspire others to take action for their sea. Seeing that we can have a positive impact locally pushes us to keep evolving and learning to continue doing what needs to be done for our sea.”
Laura Khatib (Co-Founder of Guardians of the Blue)
current projects
Lionfish
Guardians of the Blue work on mitigating the impacts of the lionfish invasion in Lebanon through daily hunting. They sell the fish to local customers and restaurants and raise awareness of the benefits of its consumption for health and for the protection of local marine life.
They also provide lionfish hunting training to experienced scuba divers.
Ocean Literacy
Guardians of the Blue work on raising awareness and ocean literacy in the country through their social media pages, their website, and soon through the documentary series they are creating.
Underwater Cleanups
Guardians of the Blue incorporate underwater cleanups in our daily dives and regularly organise cleanup events with volunteer scuba divers. They organise underwater cleanup events and regularly pick up marine debris during our dives. So far, Guardians of the Blue havee collected 3,600 kg of waste from Byblos' seafloor and involved more than 20 volunteer divers.
Support guardians of the blue
WEBSITE: https://weareguardiansoftheblue.org
INSTAGRAM: @guardiansoftheblue
