- The programme, promoted by the MITECO Biodiversity Foundation, has been developed in coastal towns of Girona and Barcelona, where the project coordinated by the Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC) operates
- The students have shown a high level of involvement both in the classroom activities and in the visits to the brotherhoods participating in the project, where aquariums are located with species of corals, gorgonians, sponges and bryozoans used in the restoration of the seabed
- The project aims to restore nearly 30,000 hectares of deep marine habitats in Catalonia, with the active participation of the fishing sector
A total of 452 secondary school students and middle and upper primary school students from Girona and Barcelona have participated in the environmental education programme of the LIFE ECOREST project aimed at raising awareness among the educational community about the natural values of deep marine habitats and the importance of marine restoration. This programme, which began in October, is promoted by the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Democratic Challenge (MITECO) in coordination with the rest of the project partners, which is coordinated by the Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC). The 8 centers that have carried out the activities are located in the coastal towns of Figueres, Llançà, Castelló d’Empúries, Cadaqués, Roses Vilanova i la Geltrú, Barcelona and Premià de Mar. The educational programme has included a training guide for teachers and students, as well as activities, games and other resources that have accompanied the development and implementation of the contents of the guide. Both students and teachers have shown a high interest in the topics addressed, focused on the actions that the LIFE ECOREST project develops in these areas, and also on the benefits of marine restoration, as well as the importance of deep marine habitats, especially sessile organisms, such as corals, gorgonians, sponges and bryozoans. The role of the fishing sector in the project and marine restoration has also been highlighted, while the active participation of students in classroom activities where they have demonstrated a high degree of involvement has been enhanced. In addition, thanks to the collaboration of the fishermen’s guilds, the students have been able to visit the aquariums installed in the brotherhoods of Port de la Selva, Arenys de Mar, Llançà, Vilanova i la Geltrú and Roses, where the accidentally caught organisms are recovered for their subsequent return to the sea. The last visit took place today at the brotherhood of Arenys de Mar, in Barcelona. The educational programme will continue in 2025 with the aim of continuing to train and raise awareness among teachers, schoolchildren and citizens in the provinces of Girona and Barcelona. The educational resources and materials are available on the LIFE ECOREST project website for all interested schools. RESTORATION OF DEEP HABITATS
The LIFE ECOREST project is moving forward with the aim of restoring nearly 30,000 hectares of deep marine habitats in Catalonia with the active participation of the fishing sector.
In addition to research and conservation actions, we are also promoting the participatory management of fishermen who are part of the project, strengthening governance mechanisms and raising public awareness of the importance of conserving deep-sea habitats.
This initiative, which is coordinated by the Institute of Sea Sciences (ICM-CSIC) until 2026, has as partners the Territorial Federation of Fishermen’s Guilds of Girona, the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, the University of Barcelona and WWF Spain, as well as the financial contribution of the LIFE Programme of the European Union. The brotherhoods of Llançà, Port de la Selva, Cadaqués, Roses, Palamós, Sant Feliu de Guíxols, Blanes, Arenys de Mar and Vilanova i la Geltrú collaborate in the project.
