Innovating approaches for scientific education and research in environmental and marine sciences

[EN] Citizen-science can give a valid help to scientific investigation, and this is especially true for environment monitoring programs. However, motivate and enable volunteers in a long-term commitment to a scientific problem represents an essential problem. The presented project is an example on how this long-term commitment can be guaranteed trough an educational path that involves students, not only in data collection but also in problem definition and data analysis. We tried to identify and harmonizing the existing educational plans for improving STEM teaching and learning (STEM is a curriculum for educate students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics in an interdisciplinary and applied approach, integrating the four disciplines into a cohesive learning path based on real-world applications), prioritizing hands-on learning to increase student interest and engagement. In particular, we describe an example of how two different approaches for educate students on marine sciences can interact in the context of environmental monitoring, applied to problems such as biodiversity, pollution from marine litters, and the the impact of this problem on the marine environmentMioni, E.; Merlino, S. (2015). Innovating approaches for scientific education and research in environmental and marine sciences. En 1ST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON HIGHER EDUCATION ADVANCES (HEAD' 15). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 401-408. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAd15.2015.29240140

Alien Travel Companies: The Case of Two Sea Slugs and One Bryozoan in the Mediterranean Sea

Mediterranean marine fauna is constantly changing due to the entry of non-indigenous (NI) species and the loss of endemic biodiversity. In this framework, it is very important to monitor this constant change and investigate possible new pathways of dispersion. Marinas and ports are considered key stations to detect and study some important ecological aspects, such as NI and invasive species, the effects of climate change, and pollution. Here, we reported the case of a group of NI species that presumably reached the Mediterranean Sea together, each of them being ecologically associated with one another. The bryozoan Amathia verticillate and the sea slugs Favorinus ghanensis and Polycerella emertoni were found in the shallow waters of Fezzano’s marina in the gulf of La Spezia (Ligurian Sea, Mediterranean Sea). Molecular analyses were carried out to exclude cryptic diversity and to investigate the phylogenetic relationships occurring between closely related taxa. The spreading of these two NI sea slugs into the Mediterranean Sea was confirmed and the first record of P. emertoni from the Ligurian Sea reported. These findings shed some light on the poorly known ecology of these species that could be useful for future monitoring and conservation strategies

First Record Of Aplysia Dactylomela Rang, 1828 (Heterobranchia, Aplysiidae) from Pianosa Island (northern Tyrrhenian Sea)

The non-indigenous spotted sea hare Aplysia dactylomela Rang, 1828, entered the Mediterranean Sea from the Atlantic, is recorded for the first time from shallow coastal waters of Pianosa Island in 2015. This record can be considered the first occurrence in the northern Tyrrhenian Sea. One specimen of A. dactylomela was photographed while was feeding on a rock bottom mainly covered with red algae

Citizen science: a successful tool for monitoring biodiversity in Marine Protected Areas

In the last few decades, anthopogenic activities, introduction of Non-Indigenous Species (NIS, i.e. organisms introduced outside of their natural range), and climate changes, have significantly affected Mediterranean marine biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (Coll et al., 2010). All that is also true for Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), whose major aim is biodiversity conservation. Therefore, monitoring and surveillance plans are strongly needed, and the creation of public awareness campaigns might be effective tool to plan effective management and conservation strategies in MPAs. Since intensive monitoring programs could be very expensive, citizen science, the involvement of citizens in science (including conservation, natural resource and environment), could be a useful tool for gathering data in monitoring plan that would otherwise be impossible to collect because of limitations on time and resources (Tulloch et al., 2013). Therefore, citizen science may have management, awareness, education and scientific implications. We report the experience of two citizen science projects carried out in MPAs. Precisely, the project “Blue Paths” and the project “Caulerpa cylindracea – Egadi Islands”. “Blue Paths”, promoted and ideated by the Unified School District ISA 2 “2 Giugno” of La Spezia, with the partnership of Marine Parks and Research Centers (CNR-ISMAR and DLTM) aimed at: 1) monitoring the coastal flora and fauna in selected MPAs within the Ligurian and Tyrrhenian Sea, and 2) promoting a scientific literacy in marine science through the direct involvement of citizens. Researchers, teachers and volunteers worked together to help school students in the identification of the organisms collected during visual census activities. In addition to the high educational value (Mioni et al., 2016), the project had significant scientific fallouts. In particular, a 5 years campaign (May 2014-May 2018) carried out at Pianosa Island, in the National Park of Tuscan Archipelago, allowed to record both time series of data and the presence of the NIS Aplysia dactylomela, a yellowish-brownish opistobranch with black rings that make it easily identifiable (Mioni et al., 2018). The project “Caulerpa cylindracea – Egadi Islands”, sponsored by the STEBICEF Department of the University of Palermo and by the Egadi Islands MPA, aimed at monitoring the spread dynamics of the “sea grape” C. cylindracea within the Egadi Islands MPA. The project, registering 156 sightings, allowed to gather information on the behaviour strategies of this alga but also on other NIS (Mannino, Balistreri, 2018). It also allowed to highlight as the presence of C. cylindracea, favoured the settlement of another NIS, the tube-building sabellid Branchiomma bairdi. In June 2017, another citizen science project “Aliens in the sea”, also sponsored by the STEBICEF Department and aiming at collecting data on 19 marine NIS (vegetal and animal) along the Sicilian coasts, was launched. Citizen science is a rigorous process, indistinguishable from conventional science apart from the participation of volunteers. When properly designed, carried out, and evaluated, citizen science can efficiently generate high-quality data, and help solve problems

Towards a Greater Integration of Marine Science into School Curricula: Shortening the Distance between Students and Ocean Challenges

Recently, there has been an increasing interest in marine science partly due to modern technologies, which allow for reaching unexplored areas and experimenting with new scientific approaches. This has resulted in a new perspective and new knowledge and interest in sciences, such as biology, chemistry, oceanography, etc. In Europe, the increasing interest and diffusion of ocean literacy confirms this, but the European Marine Science Educators Association (EMSEA) has noted that this has not been accompanied by a consequent enrichment of the scholastic programs with arguments taken from the different aspects of the marine sciences. The reasons? School programs are already too overcrowded. The intrinsic interdisciplinary nature of the marine sciences, which involves preparation in various scientific fields, are often not supported by previous teacher knowledge. Finally, there is difficulty in providing a facilitated approach to these topics for students residing away from the sea, which represents a great portion of the population. Result: While the knowledge in this sector is greatly increasing, the new generations do not seem particularly interested in following fields of study that move them in this direction. Possible solution: The new technological tools can provide help not only in investigation, but also in teaching, acting as resources to facilitate the transfer of knowledge from the field of research to that of education, and so overcoming the problem of distance of many schools from the seaside. New interactive methods for approaching marine science teaching and learning can be ones that consider the involvement of students in activities related to the research itself with, as much as possible, researchers’ support. This will help address the possible shortcomings of the teachers’ knowledge and experience. Further being connected with important environmental, social, and cultural values will trigger emotions in the learners. We call these interactive methods the “Blue School.”Published43-562TM. Divulgazione ScientificaN/A or not JC

Best- Practices in Marine Science Literacy: a Report of sample activities in a Long School-Training

“Blue Paths” is a Pilot Project of “Best Practices” in Marine Science Literacy, carried out by a Science Teacher of a Unified School District in La Spezia, ISA 2 “2 Giugno”, aimed for teaching the monitoring techniques of coastal flora and fauna in Ligurian and Tyrrhenian Sea. Thanks to a Partnership between Schools (ISA6) Marine Parks, local authorities (Life on the Sea ONLUS); Research Centers, the project promotes the scientific literacy in an incremental and continuous School-Training period, from the Kindergarten to the Secondary School, in order to enrich the students curricula and to create an innovative awareness in School Community for belonging to a Global Citizenship that involves the engagement of students, parents and volunteers to raise awareness for the safeguard of coastal environment. “Blue Paths” is a Vertical Curriculum in Marine Science and involves students with a key role as Educators for the peers groups and as Researchers in data collection Surveys. The project promotes a gradual scientific literacy through stimulating a conscious attitude towards environmental issues and the growth of scientific skills up to the Higher School and University levels, encouraging the creation of motivated “Team” of students . This paper highlights the results of a slow and vertical literacy scholar process reached through the gradual learning in recognition techniques of beached and submerged benthic species carried out with: hands-on activities on the beach with the support of a Child-friendly BIO-Guide (student of 5-6 years); International School Meetings (Erasmus+) or local events, Orienting activities in Robotic field (student of 13-17 years) ; “Young -Monitoring Campaigns” (students of 9-13 years) ; Direct and Indirect Visual Census activities in Snorkeling (student in age 11-13 years) or with a Remote Operated Vehicle .PublishedMalta2TM. Divulgazione Scientific