The ProBleu project took part in the II Citizen Science Congress, held at the Barcelona Biomedical Research Park (PRBB) on 17-18 Novembre 2025. The event brought together researchers, educators, public institutions and citizen science practitioners to explore how participatory approaches can drive social and environmental change.
During the programme, Meritxell Turó (ICM-CSIC), leader of ProBleu’s Work Package 6 on dissemination and communication, delivered a talk on communication strategies for boosting citizen science initiatives in schools and local communities. The presentation highlighted how ProBleu is developing tools, narratives and visual materials to help students and teachers engage meaningfully in marine citizen science and to create stronger connections between classrooms and their local coastal environments.
EMBIMOS ICM-CSIC team during the Congress
ProBleu was also present in the poster session, where the team showcased the use of the MINKA citizen science platform in school communities. The poster detailed the co-creation process carried out with teachers in Catalonia, illustrating how locally relevant content, data collection activities and pedagogical resources have been shaped together with the educational community.
According to Elisabet Bonfill, technical coordinator of the project, “ProBleu is helping schools understand that they can play an active role in marine conservation. And citizen science projects help developing the sense of ownership for local water bodies. This is exactly the kind of engagement we want to promote across the Network of European Blue Schools.”
ProBleu’s participation in the congress strengthened the project’s connection with the Barcelona citizen science ecosystem and reinforced its commitment to supporting educators and young people in building a deeper understanding of the ocean. The event also provided the opportunity to exchange experiences with other projects and to inspire new collaborations for advancing ocean literacy across Europe.
Funded by the European Union