Martina Gaglioti

Title : Geo Education exploratory learning sessions on field and underwater

Abstract:

Our Planet is facing multiple challenges and to address them a multiperspective attitude is needed. On this perspective, the environmental education is a mission, which cannot be accomplished without getting your hands dirty, directly on field. This contribution is an overview of educational and field-based activities performed in the last few years (2021-2023) at the interface between freshwater and marine ecosystems, across the Italian peninsula and beyond. Considering how after the pandemic break a vibrant environment developed around Ocean Literacy and Man and Biosphere relationships all over the world, is particularly important to keep going on participative processes to address better informed decision-making procedures even in the near future. Protected areas are the privileged tool to make happen these kind of learning experiences, but a strong experience and a solid scientific background is needed to succeed in cutting-edge learning experiences. There are several connection points between landward and seaward environments, trying to understand them make possible a wider sight to enable restoration and recovery interventions where needed beside aware daily natural resources management where relevant natural heritage is present and need to be preserved even for future generations.
 

Audience Take Away:

• Marine and environmental sciences can dialogue in daily conservation practices. An integrated approach allow learner to gain experiences in a wider vision resembling the complexity of ecological systems.
• Some practical insights from different kind of protected areas will be shared, with reference to specific actions developed accordingly to the extant conservation measures of the intercepted areas.
• Some insights can be useful to develop further transboundary and transdisciplinary collaboration, as properly conceived environmental sciences practices should require.
• Is this research that other faculty could use to expand their research or teaching? The provided examples could represent interesting tips to develop other educational plans and to engage different stakeholders in the near future.
• The practical experienced shared in this contribution represent even some success case studies which enabled the recognition of subsequent research programs and field-based interventions.
• Some examples related to the herein shared experiences ameliorated the extant situation in some of the intercepted areas where some knowledge gaps were present, through an evidence-based educational approach.

Biography:

Dr. Martina Gaglioti is a marine ecologist, but even well-before she’s a diver. She started officially to dive when she was 9 and then on her passion for nature and sea, she developed her academic and professional career. She graduated in Marine Biology in 2015 and specialized in Geospatial Analysis in 2017 and Project Management through a Master in European Studies in 2023. She served as individual consultant and expert for UNESCO and worked for research institutions such as Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, CMCC.  After several collaborations in the academic and research field she decided to focus more on the outreach and educational dimension of the scientific research, paying attention both to formal and informal education to reach as people as possible in what she considers “her educational mission”. She’s also an AIOSS scientific diver and a certified SCUBA Instructor. She conducted research all over the world in Protected Areas, UNESCO Biosphere Reserves and interacted directly with some of the main experts of marine biology, diving and environmental education fields. Currently, her daily work is at the interface between marine and freshwater environments She’s really attracted by children curiosity and observation spirit. She likes arts and in particular drawings techniques to support whenever is applicable her scientific activities and research findings descriptions. She believes in transboundary collaborations and in the power of the sea to link people with different cultures and backgrounds. She published more then 200 research items, contributing even in local newspapers articles, social media information campaigns and public engagement sessions collaborating with NGOs, associations and local authorities even in foreign countries. She’s a reviewer of peer-revieved journals (JMSE, Remote Sensing, Land, Water, Sensors), she co-supervised a MSc thesis and advised some international team works in hackathon competitions (Open Sea Lab 3.0, WeKEO Hackathon).