When applied marine conservation meets science, we get excited! And luckily, excitement is contagious.
Together, Newcastle University and Healthy Seas developed a marine outreach and education programme called “Sustainable Sea: Forging Paths to Ocean Conservation”. The pilot was tailored to marine-interested year 12 students who signed up for the university’s Science Week.
After an interactive presentation about the ocean, its ecosystem services and the threats of ghost gear, climate change and pollution, the students were invited to think about creative ideas for start-ups that help mitigate ghost fishing and the marine plastic problem. The development of their product/company ideas greatly inspired them to think about various aspects of sustainable and circular company designs. One student said: “This exercise really showed me how complex it is to think about all the ways a company influences the environment and how to minimise all negative impacts to make a positive change”. Another one added: “It was a fun activity that really showed me how tricky but rewarding it can be to create a truly sustainable product”.
After a well-deserved lunch break, everyone joined an engaging plankton session with Research Assistant Hannah Lloyd-Hartley. As the Dove Marine Laboratory is located directly at the beach, sampling the plankton themselves was an exciting experience for the students. Following an introduction to the diverse realm of plankton, the collected samples were inspected under lab microscopes. First-time encounters with life under the microscope are often a breath-taking experience: tiny lifeforms that still look like proper animals; some are alien-like, and others look like snowflakes. Among the microscopic wonders, the students made a sobering discovery – microplastics. This first-hand encounter with plastic pollution underscored the immediate need for conservation efforts.
The pilot was a big success as all of the participants gave it a 5-star rating! Moreover, even those who first said that they would like to help the ocean but didn’t know what they could do now feel empowered to have a positive impact.
According to the Newcastle University Outreach Manager, “‘Sustainable Sea: Forging Paths to Ocean Conservation’ was a fantastic joint event between Healthy Seas and Newcastle University, held at the Dove Marine Laboratory in Newcastle. It was wonderful to see the students inspired by Ramona’s (Healthy Seas’ education coordinator) talk; working together to design their own product to help the ocean, with a focus on circular economy. The work that Healthy Seas does to educate people on the ghost fishing phenomenon is incredibly worthwhile.”
Healthy Seas and Newcastle University are looking forward to continuing the new partnership and inspiring even more students in the future. Together we can nurture a deeper understanding of ocean conservation and inspire collective action to preserve our planet’s most vital ecosystems for generations to come.
We would like to thank everyone at the Dove Marine Laboratory who made this joint programme possible with special thanks to Dr. Heather Sudgen, Laura Jones and Hannah Lloyd-Hartley.
