Not even the pandemic stopped the “Marine Garbage Action!” project! to exceed «all expectations» in 2021 and to mobilize «more than 4700 participants» in awareness-raising and mitigation actions «the proliferation of marine litter in Portugal and on the planet».
This project led by the Centro Ciência Viva de Tavira and which brings together, among other entities, the CCVs of Lagos and Faro and the University of Algarve, took «the problem of marine litter to multiple audiences in mainland Portugal and in the Autonomous Regions, in order to encourage the conservation of the Ocean and the prevention of pollution in the sea and coastal areas».
Throughout 2021, the partners of “Ação Lixo Marinho!”, not only raised awareness of the proliferation of marine litter, “but also encouraged reflection on its impacts on the ocean, the economy and local communities, with the objective of favoring a progressive change in consumption behavior and waste management as a way of mitigating the problem and its effects», according to the CCV of Tavira.
The project coordinators highlight the “citizen science aspect, which constitutes the core of this project”, which is just a few months away from its official conclusion.
«In addition to contributing data to the study of marine litter in Portugal, these actions lead participants to understand the real dimension of the marine litter problem at the local level. Thus, in 2021, 37 seasonal marine litter monitoring campaigns were carried out on 16 beaches in mainland Portugal and the Autonomous Regions, in which 12 of these campaigns were specifically aimed at the observation and identification of microplastics in the sand», they reveal.
In addition to the regular citizen science activities, the project also included several awareness-raising actions adapted to different audiences and age groups.
«These range from storytelling hours and shadow theaters for the preschool community, to creative workshops for the recovery and reuse of waste, and the exploration of technical-scientific topics, such as the physical-chemical properties of plastic and the observation and identification of microplastics in the environment, for primary and secondary school students, including the installation of exhibitions and spaces dedicated to education on marine litter and waste management», according to the CCV of Tavira.
In addition to school communities and the younger strata of society, the partners of the project “Ação Lixo Marinho!” also organized events aimed at the general public, «at local markets, fairs and beaches, with activities to disseminate information on sustainable lifestyles and responsible consumption», as well as «the already traditional beach cleanings, accounting for more than 90 activities aimed at for the school and general public”.
Eight meetings were also held, where "the problem of marine litter from various angles" was addressed and an attempt was made to "promote dialogue between different stakeholders (such as fishermen's associations, for example), local decision-makers (administrative and governance bodies), researchers and the general public'.
The recording of some of these gatherings are available online.
The Marine Waste Action project! is part of the theme of Ocean Literacy and is present throughout the national territory thanks to the consortium led by the Centro Ciência Viva de Tavira and which includes 11 more Portuguese entities linked to the dissemination of science (Centro Ciência Viva do Algarve, Centro Ciência Viva de Tavira, Viva de Lagos, Centro Ciência Viva do Lousal, Centro Ciência Viva de Vila do Conde and Expolab – Centro Ciência Viva), research (ARDITI – Regional Agency for the Development of Research, Technology and Innovation, the Portuguese Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere, and the University of Algarve) and environmental management (Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente and Cascais Ambiente) and environmental protection (Marmeu – Associação de Defesa do Ambiente).
This project is co-financed by the Fundo Azul, a financial incentive mechanism of the Directorate-General for the Policy of the Sea aimed at sponsoring activities related to the domain of the sea, including those that promote the protection and monitoring of the marine environment.
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