Students from IIS Leonardo Da Vinci of Civitanova Marche involved in beach clean-up and Bioblitz in the Sentina Nature Reserve

More than 40 students from classes 3M and 2L of IIS Leonardo Da Vinci of Civitanova Marche took part in a beach clean-up and in a coastal species monitoring activity in the Sentina Nature Reserve on Tuesday morning, April 15^th.

The activity was supervised by their teachers, including Prof. David Fiacchini, and by two marine biologists from FanoUniMar, Gianfranco Rossi and Sara Cerri. The students explored the coastline, learning about local biodiversity and removing waste left on the shore.

A Shoreline Drowning in Polystyrene

In just two hours, around 130 kg of waste were collected, highlighting the significant impact human activity has on the environment today. Among all types of materials found on the shore, approximately 60% of the total waste consisted of polystyrene fragments. A large number of them were found both on the surface and buried under the sand, mixed in with the natural elements of the coastal habitat.

Where does all this polystyrene come from?

Single-use expanded polystyrene (EPS) boxes are widely used by fishermen to transport fish, because of their hygienic properties and ability to preserve freshness. However, this material is highly fragile, as it breaks apart easily and consequently pollutes beaches and seas. In Italy alone, around 50 million of these boxes are used each year, causing the release of over 14,000 tons of polystyrene into the environment.

What damage does it cause?

Since these boxes break down easily, polystyrene fragments can be mistaken for food by coastal animals, causing serious threats to their health. Researches from the Polytechnic University of Marche have shown that polystyrene absorbs heavy metals, causing risks for ecosystems and endangering human health. Over time, these fragments can disintegrate into microplastics, and as the organisms that ingest them are part of the food web, humans are also frequently contaminated.

What’s the solution?

The BlueFishers campaign promoted by Marevivo enabled fishermen in Viareggio to use 2,300 reusable polypropylene boxes. This initiative avoided the production of over 35,000 single-use boxes, helping to reduce the environmental impact.

Also in San Benedetto del Tronto concrete solutions are being considered: biodegradable boxes and compactors that reduce the volume of polystyrene are some ideas which could help prevent the spreading of impacting materials. Polystyrene boxes can also be compacted and resold to suppliers, contributing to a more sustainable circular economy. Despite these initiatives, polystyrene is still widespread on beaches, that’s why the situation remains critical: ideas must be turned into actions, and we need to act now in order to protect our seas.

CleanSwell: a scientific clean-up

In addition to polystyrene, students found fishing nets, shoes, bath sponge fragments, plastic, and metal. In order to catalog the collected materials, students used the CleanSwell app, which allows users to classify waste and upload data to Ocean Conservancy’s database. This helps track global coastal pollution and allows institutions to plan specific actions to solve these kind of problems.

Few signs of life among all kind of waste

Local biodiversity was also monitored during the activity, following iNaturalist and MAC-E protocols (Reef Check Italy). Apart from ray and gastropod eggs, some Anadara transversa shells and a cuttlebone, few species were observed. The limited presence of marine life, even after recent storms, highlights the rapid loss of biodiversity in the Adriatic Sea, making conservation efforts very urgent.

From data collection to science

The collected data will be analyzed by students and then presented during a conference organized by Adriatic Conservancy and Sub Tridente Pesaro, which will be held on May 24^th at Sub Tridente headquarter (Strada tra i due porti, Pesaro). The event will involve students, University professors and researchers who will share experiences, thoughts and scientific researches about marine pollution and coastal environment.

In fact, the students will share their views, highlighting the urgent need to apply real solutions against coastal pollution and to collaborate with institutions for the well-being of marine and terrestrial ecosystems.