Stimulating students’ curiosity, understanding and participation in protecting the marine environment and biodiversity was one of the aims of ‘Sea Marvel’, a recently-concluded three-year project coordinated by the universities of Malta and Catania respectively and supported by the Interreg Italia-Malta programme.

Throughout the past three years, the Sea Marvel teams from both universities have worked to safeguard marine biodiversity in the central Mediterranean through scientific research and the active engagement of important stakeholders of the seas in the region, including fishermen, sailors and schools.

Students attending one of the Sea Marvel events.

By working with the education authorities and schools, the scientific researchers were able to increase awareness and undertake sustainable actions among youths – one of the communities central to the aims of the Sea Marvel project.

University of Malta project team leader and conservation biologist Adriana Vella.

The University of Malta project team, led by conservation biologist Adriana Vella, organised educational sessions on biodiversity conservation in schools across Malta and Gozo. The final such event was hosted by De La Salle College, Vittoriosa, in September, during which educational videos and textbooks focusing on regional marine biodiversity conservation, specifically prepared for primary and secondary schools, were launched and distributed as educational resources for years to come.

The educational sessions held in schools over the past three years have been enriched using a unique roving photographic exhibition displaying the vast variety of local biodiversity, including vulnerable apex predators in Maltese waters.

During the sessions, the negative, ever-growing human impacts on marine Natura 2000 sites, such as plastic pollution, were also highlighted and resources were provided. Since the project’s launch, the exhibition has been set up in various primary and secondary educational institutions, thereby reaching thousands of students while furthering their appreciation towards local marine biodiversity and urgent conservation needs.

Vella said: “The sea is a complex system that we still need to fully comprehend through research while valuing its life-supporting dynamics for this planet and its anthropogenic socio-economic well-being.”

During the project, secondary school students were engaged in various activities that enabled them to express their desire to save, enhance and admire marine life. One such activity was a school challenge, which was won by teams from De La Salle College and St Martin’s College respectively. Their reward was a trip to Sicily to learn about the island’s marine Natura 2000 sites, which included a tour around the Cyclopean Isles in a glass-bottomed boat.

The final school event in Vittoriosa was also attended by the teams of students from the Sicilian schools that won their respective school challenge. They were awarded a trip to Malta during which they toured various marine Natura 2000 sites, including Għar Lapsi in Malta and Ramla Bay in Gozo. These tours enabled the Maltese and Sicilian school challenge winners to experience conservation best practices to appreciate and safeguard the marine natural resources of this region.

Environment Minister Miriam Dalli addressing the concluding event.

During the final event, keynote speeches were delivered by Environment Minister Miriam Dalli, Vella, Francesco Debono from the education ministry, and Stephen Cachia, the De La Salle College director of educational mission.

Marine-decorated reusable bottles were distributed to complement the awareness campaigns and continued efforts by the ‘Plastic Free Schools’, and schools that agreed to take up plastic-free protocols were awarded Sea Marvel Plastic Free School plaques.

Minister Dalli complemented the Sea Marvel teams and participating schools and students, describing them as “the real superheroes needed to save our marine environment”. She gave out the plaques and school challenge winning certificates to the De La Salle college representative Audrey Gauci and winner students Elias Aquilina, Alexander Conrad, Joachim Dalli, Jerome Falzon and Kryan Gerada.

The Maltese and Sicilian winners of the school challenge photographed with Adriana Vella (first from left), Environment Minister Miriam Dalli (front row, third from left) and other members of both universities’ project teams.

Vella praised the students who took part in the Sea Marvel school activities and thanked the education ministry, both project partners and the hosting school for assisting and supporting the project initiatives and events. She said increasing professional opportunities were provided through the blue economy and maritime advancements alongside new marine discoveries.

Vella added that the Sea Marvel message may be further spread out to the students’ relatives, friends and other Maltese citizens, highlighting that everyone has the “heroic ability” to protect our versatile and essential marine environment through conscious and sustainable decisions taken in everyday life.