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Description
This Project deals with the perception of the ocean and the coast over several generations, formal and non-formal education and ocean literacy. The proposed Project aims to evaluate the different perception of the community, about the knowledge of the Ocean and the coast, starting with the youngest generation to their grandparents. Natural resources, hazards and vulnerability will increase the Ocean and coast knowledge it will awaken a more conscious attitude in the daily practices of the population and the relationship with the Ocean and the coast, promoting better sustainability.
The diagnosis will show (i) the importance and the balance between formal and non-formal education on the Ocean and the coast, based on different perception of students, parents and grandparents, and teachers, (ii) how to use free easy tools; (iii) how to improve appealing teaching, and (iv) how to improve the Ocean and the coast literacy. The perception of Ocean literacy is linked with three main topics: (i) the essential principles and fundamental concepts, (ii) the communication about the ocean in a meaningful way, and (iii) the ability to make informed and responsible decisions regarding the ocean and its resources.
Portugal, with circa 900km of sea-land interface, has most of its population fixed on the coast where they develop their activities, in correlation or not with the Ocean. The Project will be developed in Peniche. The main activities in the municipality of Peniche are fisheries, tourism, leisure (is one of the most important area of surf), and agriculture. It is a diversified coast with two tombolos, embayment and exposed beaches, and large dune fields. Most of the beaches and foredunes were submitted to conservation programs after strong erosion and overwash in correlation with heavy storms. Peniche has a high Blue School.
Summary of project results
To access at a local level the Ocean and the coast knowledge and to prepare informed and responsible students and community.
Activities are described on the site of the project and on Facebook. 8 posters are displayed in the BSP and at the Promotor. Activities were important to motivate the students and the community:
✔ Involvement of the Blue Scholl of Peniche (BSP)
✔ Selection of the student’s sample to apply the inquiries (scientific and professional courses)
✔ Two inquires (the preliminary to characterize students’ profile, and the general inquiry to all community), in google form
✔ Guide to the global inquiry
✔ 8 zoom and presential meetings to clarify doubts
✔ Statistical analysis of the general inquiry results (157 answers)
✔ Analysis of scholar programs
✔ 2 presentations in a scientific meeting (one international) and a Master thesis.
The results: ● Basic concepts about the Ocean are known by the surveyed population which recognize its importance on a global and local scale, in a municipality with economic activities directly and indirectly linked to it ● Ocean and Coastal Resources and Uses: ✔ fish is the most valued resource by all age groups, especially the elderly population while other economic activities are valued by the others ✔ young people value leisure sites ✔ pollution followed by the disfigurement of the landscape are the aspect most mentioned ✔ the least valued aspect is the human pressure ● Climate Change and Extreme Phenomena: the surveyed population is concerned with Climate Change and SLR ● Peniche''s economic activities related to the sea: ✔ fishing is undoubtedly very important, and it will suffer with Climate Change ✔ tourism is the second most important activity.✔ 82.8% of the sample consider surfing, together with the previous ones, an important activity in the economy of the municipality ✔ College of Tourism and Technology of the Sea is valued by most of the sample. Considerations: ✔ Despite considering the importance of SLR and the sea flooding, and, the disfigurement of the landscape, the human pressure destroying the natural buffer (the dunes) is not understand by local community; however, it is recognized by the municipality authorities, which promoted coastal management (network of paths) and, by the national coastal authority (program of dunes reforestation) ✔ Pollution in the sea and on the coast being valued have not change the daily practices of the Peniche’s community ✔ No difference recognized in the responses of inhabitants with different formal and non-formal education ✔ Teaching about the ocean and the coast is spread over several disciplines and scholar years, such as physics (waves), geology and geography (coastal morphology, evolution processes), which geography adds ocean and coastal management. This wide dispersion does not allow a student understanding of the complexity and interaction between the Ocean and the coast.