Servicio y Compromiso Medioambiental Náutico

Let’s talk under the sea

Valencia, Spain

2nd FUNDING CALL

TAUTS project aims to promote oceanic culture and raise awareness about underwater noise pollution by studying how marine species communicate and how anthropogenic actions interfere with this process. The project integrates dynamic and practical activities inside and outside the classroom, targeting the entire educational community.

Key Objectives and Activities:

1. Understanding Underwater Noise: Students will use hydrophones to explore underwater and surface sound differences, measuring distances to the source.
2. Marine Mammal Echolocation: Teaching marine mammals’ auditory structure and echolocation techniques through interactive activities.
3. Sonar Functionality: Visiting a Spanish Coast Guard ship to understand sonar operations.
4. Maritime Traffic and Marine Life: Investigating maritime traffic routes and their impact on marine mammals with a ferry route exploration.
5. Legislation on Maritime Traffic: Study current maritime laws and propose concepts like underwater highways to reduce noise pollution.
6. Visualizing Noise: Using sound baffles to show sound wavelengths and relate them to marine mammal strandings.
7. Environmental Noise Pollution: Underwater acoustic recorders are placed in different environments to analyze the recordings and create songs based on them.
8. Educational Gamification: Using digital games to evaluate the increase in oceanic culture knowledge among the school community.
9. Blue School Certification: Aiming to obtain the NEBS Blue School certification.
10. Project Replicability: Facilitating the project’s replication in other schools.

Project Phases:

• Pre-Initial Phase (1 month): Contacting different centres to propose participation and develop teacher-focused didactic materials.
• Initial Phase (3 months): Training teachers and staff, compiling necessary materials.
• Development Phase (6 months): Training students in acoustics, conducting activities, and producing editable didactic manuals in multiple languages.
• Dissemination and Discussion (2 months): Analyzing recordings, creating dissemination videos, and making educational materials available for replication.

Outputs:

• Didactic videos on marine acoustics.
• Informative brochures on marine mammal auditory structures and echolocation in multiple languages.
• Catalogue of training workshops and didactic units.
• Digital game for knowledge reinforcement.
• Marine traffic map.
• The new network of contacts for future sustainable initiatives.
• Study results of underwater sounds, promoting legislative changes.
• Videos documenting the project’s development and call for replicability.
• Increased use of new technologies in classrooms.
• Enhanced environmental awareness among the school community and participating centres.

The TAUTS project aims to transform passive learners into active citizen scientists, fostering a deeper understanding of underwater acoustics and marine conservation. The project will promote equal opportunities and a comprehensive understanding of oceanic culture and underwater noise pollution through collaborations with various stakeholders, including maritime services, ferry companies, and scientists.