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The project promotes school participation in microplastic research along the Menorcan coastline

The 2023-2024 school year marks the fourth consecutive year of the “Observadors del Mar” [Sea Observers] project, coordinated by the Environmental Education and Marine Environment areas of GOB Menorca. This initiative focuses on sampling and analyzing beach sand to detect the presence of meso and microplastics, complementing these activities with educational content about coastal ecosystems.

The schools CEIP Verge del Carme in Maó, IES Biel Martí in Ferreries, and CEIP Margalida Florit in Ciutadella have been the main participants in this project throughout the school year. Monthly, students from various grades have collected sand samples from the beaches of Son Bou and Algaiarens, thus contributing to continuous and sustainable research.

The “Observadors del Mar” activities not only promote scientific methodology through observation and experimentation but also adapt to the seasons, educational stages, and specific curricula of each school. This approach has allowed students to repeatedly participate in outings, resulting in a progressive improvement in the quality of student interventions and long-term observations.

Both educators and participating schools have highly valued the project, highlighting its content, impact, collaboration, and the learning experiences it has provided. Thanks to the support of the Sa Nostra Caixa de Balears Foundation and Bankia, through their Environmental and Sustainable Development call, as well as the collaboration of GOB Menorca and Eivissa, the continuity of this citizen science initiative is expected in the coming years.

This text is an adaptation from an automated translation of the original publication in Catalan on the GOB Menorca website.