Clad in their scuba diving gears, the CEOs - Raja Gopal Iyer (UdayaSamudra Group of Hotels), Hema Menon (UST Global), Dinesh P Thampi (TCS), Dr Shyam Kumar (Neologix) and Rony Thomas (Avon Mobility Solutions), dived into the water some 50 metres off the Groove Beach in Kovalam to reach the U-shaped table set on the ocean bed for their brief conference.

The focus, however, was on the pledge they took, before ending the 20 minutes conference to resurface. Of course, that was the very aim of 'Ocean Love', the underwater CEO conference, - to create awareness among public about the consequences of marine pollution and global warming.

"Through this unique event, we also wanted to bring the attention of international and national policy makers on the increased risks and consequences of global warming and marine pollution on the mother planet," said Jackson Peter, the managing director of Bond Safari, Kovalam, which gave all the technical support for the event. Raising resources to fight against marine pollution and global warming is another objective, he added.

Formation of a club to be christened Beach and Marine Environment Protection Club (BMEPC) is the next step in the action plan, according to the 'Ocean Love' campaign organisers. "Through this club, hotels and resorts located on the coastal belt of south India will formulate an agenda to reduce marine debris by constant routine beach and underwater cleaning, in association with agencies and experts in underwater diving and marine studies, having a close watch on keeping the marine life safe from debris and pollution," they said. The plan is to launch the club on World Ocean Day which falls on June 8.