When Marine Science Becomes a Unique Journey for Young Researchers and a Beacon for Our Coastal Habitats – A Focus on Urgent Challenges
On May 24, 2025, the city of Pesaro hosted the third edition of the conference “Adriatic Conservancy: Education and Citizen Science for the Protection of Coastal Habitats.” The event transformed the Sub Tridente headquarters into a lively hub of scientific discussion, highlighting the crucial importance of Citizen Science and environmental education in safeguarding the Adriatic Sea.
The true added value of this edition was the active involvement of students, who embarked on a complete and engaging journey into the world of scientific research. They didn’t just study theory in the classroom but tackled real-world issues.
A Field Research Journey: From Identifying Problems to Communicating Data
The students’ journey began with learning about the challenges facing Adriatic coastal ecosystems, such as plastic pollution and the spread of invasive alien species. After theoretical sessions with experts, where they became familiar with monitoring protocols and specific apps such as Clean Swell, iNaturalist, and MAC-Emerso, they moved on to the operational phase: collecting data in the field.
Before presenting the activities of the students from the G. Marconi Scientific High School in Pesaro, Professor Filippo Bargnesi announced a significant achievement: winning a national competition organized by the Giffoni Festival for a screenplay on Blue Economy and marine protection, which will lead to the creation of a medium-length film. The film will be screened and awarded at the festival from July 17 to 26.
The participation of the G. Marconi students in the project is not an isolated event, but part of an ongoing journey, as shown by data collected in 2023, 2024, and 2025, demonstrating continuous monitoring over time and space.
At the heart of this involvement are the students enrolled in the school’s marine biology elective, an opportunity offered from the second to fourth year to explore marine topics and raise awareness about environmental threats. This group carried out concrete Citizen Science and environmental monitoring activities in the Fiorenzuola di Focara area.
Among the activities presented were plastic pollution monitoring using the Clean Swell app, beach health assessments with the MAC-Emerso protocol, and biodiversity cataloging through iNaturalist.
Students from IIS “da Vinci” in Civitanova Marche focused on the Porto d’Ascoli coast, within the Sentina Regional Nature Reserve, a protected area of significant ecological value. There, they monitored biodiversity using MAC-Emerso and iNaturalist, identifying various native species as well as the alarming presence of invasive alien species such as Rapana venosa.
Present in the Adriatic since the 1970s, this species poses a threat to both the marine ecosystem and the fishing economy — a clear example of how ecological imbalances have tangible consequences.In addition to biodiversity, the students actively addressed the waste problem. In the Sentina Reserve, 45 students collected 413 pieces of trash in just two hours, weighing over 21 kg — more than 65% of which was polystyrene. The data, recorded with the Clean Swell app, was uploaded to the Ocean Conservancy website.
Students from the Savoia-Benincasa Institute in Ancona also took part in the Adriatic Conservancy event, focusing on waste pollution in the scenic Portonovo area, within the Conero Park. Using Clean Swell, they monitored a 220-meter stretch of coast, cataloging various types of litter. Among their findings were 18 mesh bags and an especially high number — 72 — of rubber stoppers (“gommine”), often linked to fishing activities. Their presence points to a unique form of pollution in this area and highlights the “Need for Specific Management Measures” to address it.
A particularly meaningful focus on plastic pollution — especially mussel containment socks and fishing nets — emerged from the work of students at ITA “A. Cecchi” in Pesaro, conducted in San Bartolo Park. Though their primary focus was on persistent plastic “blue bullets,” their reflection expanded to the necessity of addressing the issue at its source. They also explored and presented innovative and sustainable solutions, such as compostable bioplastic nets made from wood cellulose, citing the LIFE MUSCLES project — demonstrating an active search for tangible alternatives.
This underlines how the widespread issue of abandoned or lost fishing nets in the Adriatic is still unresolved, with severe consequences for the marine environment, as evidenced by waste collection data and awareness of the need to stop their usage.
The Guardians of the Waters protocol
A key moment of the conference was the presentation of the “Guardians of the Waters” protocol by Sara Cerri (Fano UniMar odv) and students from ISP “Polo 3” in Fano, in the Water Management and Environmental Remediation program.
This Citizen Science project aims to monitor water quality (chemical and physical parameters, microplastics), actively involve the community, raise awareness about environmental resources and pollution, and provide data for scientific research and environmental policy. The Polo 3 students demonstrated their sampling methods for the Metauro River, its mouth, and the sea, analyzing parameters like turbidity, temperature, pH, nitrates, phosphates, and salinity — both in the field and in the lab. Based on this year’s samples, they concluded that the analyzed waters were in good health, with no significant data variability. The “Guardians of the Waters” protocol exemplifies excellent integration between researchers and schools, enabled by a successful collaboration between science, chemistry, informatics departments, and FanoUnimar odv.
Valuing Coastal Environments and Iconic Species: A Holistic Approach and Urgent Threats
The conference reaffirmed the vital importance of protecting the natural coastal environments of the Adriatic. From the Sentina Reserve, with its unique ecological features and native species like the Black-winged Stilt — a symbol of the protected area — to the Conero and San Bartolo Parks, each coastal ecosystem is a treasure to be preserved.
Presentations highlighted various species that serve as important indicators. The invasive Rapana venosa is a powerful example of the threats disrupting ecological balance and emphasizes the need to promote native species. Studies of the seabeds off San Bartolo Park painted a detailed picture of underwater biodiversity, critical for effective conservation. The discussion of emerging contaminants and the link between effluents and sea quality revealed pervasive threats, such as pharmaceuticals and plastics, that demand urgent monitoring and protection efforts.
The presence of seagrasses in the studied areas and the discovery of stranded turtles and dolphins directly tied to this project provide essential tools for understanding threats and taking meaningful action to protect biodiversity as a whole. The challenges presented — from widespread pollution (polystyrene, fishing nets) to emerging chemical contaminants — emphasize the ongoing pressures making the Adriatic’s coastal environments particularly vulnerable, requiring urgent and coordinated action.
The Conference: A Unique Platform for Scientific Communication and Dialogue
Adriatic Conservancy represented the culmination of this educational journey for the students — the opportunity to present the results of their research before a qualified audience. Presenting collected data, analyses, and conclusions in an open congress was a unique opportunity to introduce them to applied science and stimulate direct exchange with leading university researchers. This dialogue — featuring experts such as Prof. Francesco Regoli, Dr. Camilla Roveta, Torquato Pulido, and Federico Girolametti, moderated by Prof. Carlo Cerrano — was invaluable for their growth and validated the significance of their contributions.
In conclusion, the Adriatic Conservancy 2025 conference fully demonstrated how Citizen Science can offer young people a complete research pathway — from raising awareness and understanding challenges to rigorous data collection, analysis, and scientific communication in a qualified setting. It underscored the urgent need to value and protect the fragile Adriatic coastal environments, drawing attention to specific species and issues that act as crucial indicators for the health of the entire ecosystem. The students’ commitment and the collaboration between institutions, universities, and associations are key to tackling today’s challenges and building a more sustainable future for our precious sea.
We once again thank all participants, scientific speakers, and above all, the students for their exceptional work and for showing that the future of marine research and conservation is also in their hands.
@oceanconservancy, @EMD European Maritime Day in My Country 2025, @InterregASPEHproject,
