WP2 - Communication
The results obtained in the frame of the communication activities (WP2) of the SP6 (Training and dissemination) have contributed to the spread of the "sea culture" both by raising awareness of the general public and "maritime" stakeholders and the training through the development of participatory school programs. The spread of the "seaculture" has taken advantage of the use of the social media.
Specifically, under the AZ1 "The sciences of the Sea in the School", various activities have been launched to promote the knowledge and the protection of the sea in the primary and secondary schools. In particular, lectures, workshops and visits to some marine protected areas have been organized. A training course for teachers: Science Teaching European Network for Creativity and Innovation in Learning was held in Bologna on 20 November 2013 at the Research Area of CNR-INAF. In addition to the classroom and "field" activities, two e-books have been written: "Guidelines for Teaching and Learning Science in creative ways" (http://www.stencilscience.eu/documents/guidelines/STENCIL_Guidelines.pdf) and "Representing the territory" (http://www.ismar.cnr.it/divulgazione/scuole/e-book-interattivo-cartografia). Finally, the exhibition "Marine organisms Yesterday and Today" on biodiversity and paleo-biodiversity of the Mediterranean benthic marine organisms was set up at the Museum of Earth Sciences (Dep. Sc. Bio.-Geo.-Amb., University of Catania).
Within the AZ2 "The science of the citizens and ‘citizen and science'", and in relation to the "Occhio alla medusa" initiative, a thematic calendar 2014 and posters were produced. In the calendar (in Italian and English versions), twelve themes (one for each month) describing the consequences of the over-fishing in the seas were proposed. In addition, posters of jellyfish were distributed in many Italian universities, and beach resorts. Moreover, brochures reporting information on fish whom catch respects the rules of sustainability, from their catching or breeding, processing until the final sale, have been written. These brochures were distributed also in the catering schools. All these activities have had extensive media coverage: newspapers and broadcasts on local and national channels.
The AZ3 "Project workshops for stakeholders", which concerned the organization of workshops for stakeholders, planned a series of events involving research institutions, industries, private companies and public bodies as well as ordinary citizens on issues of common interest. Meetings on a hypothesis of reinstatement of a centuries-old tradition of cultivation (clam culture) and Aquaculture were planned to publicize good practices for national development of aquaculture. Other meetings aimed at identifying partners "specific", to build a working prototype of "observational network integrated" in Italian seas, which can complement the various existing and future observational systems in Europe and worldwide were organized, too.
Communication (AZ4 "Strategies for the use of social media") carried out by using social media (especially Facebook) was characterised by an increase in visitor numbers over time. Not only there was a growing interaction of Facebook with citizens, but also with researchers from other WPs and SPs (e.g. SP3 and SP7) of the RITMARE project. Moreover, in addition to the diffusion of information about the activities and events of the project, Facebook was also used for the dissemination of research results, which took place within the network of Italian and European long-term ecological research (LTER- Italy, LTER-Europe) and the infrastructure on biodiversity Lifewatch. In this regard, all'EXPO2015 (Milan July 28, 2015) was presented Mesothalassia, a bike trail to spread the sea knowledge and protection, organized and coordinated by the Anton Dohrn Zoological Station in Naples, and sponsored by the National Research Council (CNR) and the RITMARE project.
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