Diving to (re)discover the marine ecosystem with OSES
DAN Europe has been helping and protecting divers for over 40 years, while undertaking research to make diving a safer, more accessible and more sustainable activity for everyone. This organisation is heavily involved in education, so it was natural for it to join the European OSES project (Ocean Sustainability through Education and Sports) in 2023. This was the context for the event organised by DAN Europe in Malta in June, when pupils from the region enjoyed a day of study and tool testing.
The OSES project aims to raise the environmental awareness of young people from the earliest age by using sport, and to educate them about eco-responsible activities, with particular emphasis on the seas and oceans. Four of the project partners, Dan Europe, Sport and Citizenship, Surfrider España and EMSEA, met on 5 June in Malta for a day of awareness-raising, study and experimentation.
Understanding the changes in the Mediterranean Sea
Developing an environmental conscience, particularly among young people, is a key issue for OSES. Everything points to the urgency of preserving the seas and oceans.
“July 2023 registered the highest average temperature for the last forty years in the Mediterranean: 28.17°C[1]”, says Francisco Pastor, meteorologist at the Mediterranean Centre for Environmental Studies.
Around Malta, “surface sea temperatures measured at Delimara show temperatures increasing constantly at an average/high rhythm of nearly +0.05°C per year over the past forty years”.
This rise in temperature is fast modifying the identity of Mediterranean flora and fauna. Fish are one of the best indicators for monitoring this phenomenon. The warming of the sea and of the air have a direct influence on biodiversity. This evolution has an impact on the local marine ecosystem, with the appearance of new fish species, partly due to the arrival of exotic species from the Red Sea.
“We are diving instructors, we come from the sea, we cannot destroy what we have, we must take care of it. Children must be made aware of these issues and taught respect for the environment in which they pursue their sport. If we begin when they are very young, their parents will also be involved and mindsets can be changed. These young people need to realise what we have in the water”, according to Vania Sessa, head of ISDSM operations with DAN Europe.
Julian Jappert, Director General of Sport and Citizenship, takes the same line: “Sport is a valuable vector for making young people aware of the need for respect for the environment and it can play a major role in changing behaviour”.
Teaching resources tested in real conditions
The partners of OSES – ocean specialists, water sports clubs, or organisations committed to the environment – complement each other and work together with the aim of making teaching resources available to water sports federations and local sports stakeholders, and of making the sports movement a key actor in educating young people about protecting the planet and its natural resources.
The aim of the one-day event was to reach a better understanding of the marine ecosystem and the impact of climate change on the one hand, and on the other, to test different tools used by DAN Europe, including a diving methodology, in order to assess how easy they are to use and their effectiveness.
Two classes from the Junior College of Malta and their biology teachers took part in the exercise by means of different activities.
By snorkelling (diving with a mask and tube to observe the marine fauna), the young people discovered the different fish present around Malta. They had an information sheet to help them find and identify the species in the water. It is when they see the effects that children realise how important it is to protect these waters and the planet.
After this activity, various tests (pH, phosphate, nitrites/nitrates…) enabled them to check the quality of the water, so that they could understand the challenges currently facing the Mediterranean. The young people helped to add this information to the Sea Watchers platform, used to collect data on marine areas.
“These data can be used by professionals in future. It is citizen science[2]”, points out Vania.
“By collecting these data with the help of these tools, those taking part will learn that “citizen science” can make a difference in ocean conservation” explains Idoia Fuertes, head of sport and water quality projects at Surfrider España.
Enthusiastic feedback
The event attracted a lot of positive feedback from the pupils, the teachers and the partners.
“These activities have made me more aware. I saw some new species when I was snorkelling. It is an experience that everyone ought to try once”, according to Vesica, a pupil at the Junior College of Malta.
“I wanted my pupils to look at environmental questions from another angle. It was interesting for them. These activities made us more conscious of the impact of our actions on the Mediterranean, because even everyday decisions can have an effect on the environment. It is up to us”, said one of the biology teachers.
“Throughout the activity we could see that the methodology and the tools were easy to use by those taking part. The objective is to use several of them in different water sports so that we can evaluate the ones that are adapted to each sport. They are grouped together in the OSES kit for ocean conservation in water sports. Simple methods in order to see the health of the seas and oceans. Sports clubs and federations could use this document as a guide for setting up activities”, as SurfriderEspaña, a project partner, emphasised.
Conserving the seas and oceans where water sports take place is more important than ever. OSES will be continuing to raise awareness and to test the kit with young people in Cherbourg in July. Stay tuned!
[1] Dans les eaux de la mer Méditerranée et de l’océan Atlantique, la température monte (courrierinternational.com)
[2] By definition, “these are projects collecting data and information on the ground which involve citizens”.