In and out of the lab: introducing REEForest to high school students!
On December 9th and 10th, the Shoreline team participated in the 13th Exhibition of Professions and Skills organised by the Chamber of Commerce of Trieste and Gorizia at the Generali Convention Center in Porto Vecchio – Porto Vivo in Trieste. Almost two thousand students from 19 schools participated in the orientation activities.
We were hosted together with colleagues from the Marine Protected Area of Miramare at the stand of GALPA, a local action group for fishing and aquaculture, of the Chamber of Commerce. Different roles are needed to work for the sea, thus we embodied different types of professional figures.
We had the opportunity to tell high school students what Cystoseira is and what our researchers do.
Many young people were intrigued by our stand. We brought some of our equipment: a dummy dressed as a diver, a tape measure, an underwater drill and a photo square. Most students mistook the underwater drill for a fishing tool. Their curiosity allowed us to talk about the different aspects of scientific research: not only in the lab, but also directly on field!
We talked about the various stages of the project, from the initial monitoring at the donor site, to the steps in the laboratories, to the reef transplantation. It is not easy to imagine the life of researchers and of those involved in LIFE projects. We described what we do and the various professionals involved in marine restoration.
We hope we have lit a few sparks in the students who came to talk to us!
