BLUE PATHS

“Percorsi nel Blu” is a vertical project of integrated ocean literacy (OL) and marine citizen science (MCS) in school curricula promoted since 2011 by a secondary school teacher of the “ISA2 School Institute”, an institute composed of schools of different levels.
The project involves 4 kindergarten, 5 primary schools and 2 secondary schools that are all part of the “ISA2 School Institute”, but the project related to secondary schools is the leading one that shall be registered for this application.

Objectives:implementing a long-lasting literacy in marine biodiversity safeguard and coastal monitoring; setting up a network among schools, institutions, and researchers for citizen science activities within coastal sites in the Ligurian and Tyrrhenian seas; encouraging students to disseminate experiences and support the change towards a sustainable environment;creating an early-warning system for alien species’ invasions;scheduling operative surveillance plans.
Activities:survey on the field for monitoring marine litter, fouling community at marinas, and marine dead specimens on the beach;survey by snorkelling for monitoring the distribution of indigenous and alien species on rocky seabed; experimental laboratories at school;Citizen Science “BioBlitz” events;research campaigns (Pianosa Island, San Rossore);local, national, and European disseminating events;academic publications.
Vertical approach:Kindergarten for 5-year-old children (introduction to OL): free exploration of marine specimens on the beach; ludic and sensorial analysis; drawing and modelling activities; Primary school for 6 to 11-year-old pupils (OL schooling and introduction to MCS): exploration on the beach while introducing the scientific method; microscopic analysis; reports for editing kid-friendly bio-guides; Secondary school for 11 to 14 -year-old students (gradual development of OL and MCS): survey on the field with digitals tools; data recording by snorkelling or at the beach and marinas; microscopic analysis, statistic data processing and report; disseminating events; data validation with the cooperation of researchers during international congresses.