The Festival features lectures, dolphin and algae observation, workshops, diving, and a craft and gastronomy fair.
The University of Algarve (UAlg), the Centre for Marine Sciences (CCMAR), and the Municipality of Vila do Bispo are collaborating to host the second edition of the “Marine Forest Festival” between May 7 and 11 at Porto da Baleeira in Sagres.
The festival aims to engage the local community and students in Sagres by combining science, conservation, and education to highlight the significance of Marine Forests’ biodiversity.
Featuring lectures, observing dolphins and algae, workshops, diving, and a craft and gastronomy fair/exhibition, the Festival seeks to raise awareness about the marine diversity in Sagres, specifically the algae and corals, and emphasize the overall importance of these organisms in aquatic ecosystems and their conservation.
For the Mayor of Vila do Bispo, Rute Silva, “the Municipality is now fully aware of the importance of its Natural and Cultural Heritage”.
Over the past decade, the Municipality has been working on various projects to identify, list, assess, research, preserve, oversee, and improve its heritage resources. This includes focusing on Geology, Paleontology, Archaeology, Underwater Archaeology, History, Ethnology, and Biodiversity, both on land and in the sea.
Last year, the Festival received a good response from the local community, namely from children and young people who were integrated into school groups, individuals and families, and members of local associations linked to the arts, surfing, tourism, the environment, and sustainability.
This year, in its second edition and with a broader range of activities, Rute Silva anticipates a rise in interest and participation from the local community, especially from the school public, focusing on activities for third-cycle students.
Therefore, she summarises, “By bridging the gap between the general public and the local community with scientific knowledge on Marine Forests, awareness is raised about the urgent need to conserve and restore these crucial ecosystems for the sustainability of Sagres’s waters.”
Alexandra Teodósio, vice-rector of UAlg for Internationalisation and Sustainable Development and researcher, thinks that UAlg students have an excellent opportunity to discover the marine forests, a distinctive ecosystem in the coastal area of Sagres, by taking part in the citizen science Festival with researchers and teachers from UAlg and CCMAR.
For the researcher, the Festival will also offer an opportunity to teach using the “problem-based learning” approach, focusing on marine sciences within a real context and benefiting from the deep understanding gained from the local communities in the region.
Like terrestrial forests, marine forests are crucial in primary food production. They also help combat climate change by absorbing a significant amount of CO2.
“Submerged forests are not easily reachable and are often unfamiliar to the public. Since we tend to cherish and safeguard only what we are familiar with, engaging in activities to explore the various aspects of the marine environment significantly aids society in contributing towards sustaining conservation efforts in these areas,” Alexandra Teodósio concludes.
The complete programme can be viewed here.
