Secondary School Students Explore the Secrets of the Northern Adriatic through the Blue-connect 3.0 Project

At the end of September, two secondary schools in Istria became true centres of scientific exploration. Educational sessions and expert lectures were held on 21 September at the Italian Secondary School – Scuola media superiore italiana “Dante Alighieri” in Pula, and on 30 September at the Italian Secondary School – Scuola media superiore italiana “Antonio Borme” in Rovinj.

The engaging lectures were designed and delivered by Assoc. Prof. Gioconda Millotti, PhD, and Assoc. Prof. Paolo Paliaga, PhD, who used an interactive approach to introduce students to complex marine processes and encourage them to reflect on the blue economy and environmental conservation through two key topics:

• What lies behind marine mucilage events? The professors provided a detailed analysis of the mechanisms behind the formation of mucilaginous accumulations of organic matter, a phenomenon that has been particularly relevant in the Northern Adriatic this year. Students learned how this phenomenon develops and about its ecological and economic impacts on the marine ecosystem.
• Adriatic algae as a resource for the future: The second part of the lecture focused on sustainable development and innovation. Particular attention was given to the vast and still largely untapped potential of native Adriatic algae, especially their applications in the modern food industry and in the production of natural cosmetics.

We would like to thank the schools for their continued and successful cooperation, as well as the students for their excellent engagement and the environmental awareness they demonstrated.