The second edition of the Ocean&Climate Village was hosted by the Municipality of Venice, in the context of the “Città in Festa” program, at the Arsenale Nord (Tesa 99), in the week from March 28 to April 3, 2022. On this occasion, the exhibition was enriched with new content thanks to the contribution of partners such as Ismar-CNR, Ca’ Foscari University and IUAV.
The exhibition was welcomed with great enthusiasm by more than 1,500 visitors who visited the exhibition area, participated in the workshops and followed the debates.
Laboratories
During the week of the Ocean&Climate Village in Venice, guided tours and activities were organized for different age groups. At the end of the visits, students were able to test their knowledge by participating in interactive workshops.
Workshop “In every drop of water there is life”
The water that often seems lifeless is actually composed of thousands of organisms with the most varied and fundamental forms for life on Earth.
Marta Musso, the young marine biologist from Lerici who won the 2022 Woman of the Sea competition with her Possea project, participated in the Ocean&Climate Village with a workshop born from the idea of bringing young people closer to marine sciences. Students and children were able to actively participate in the sampling, analysis and observation through a microscope of the plankton of the Venice lagoon, asking questions and understanding more about the importance of these microscopic organisms.
Marta Musso, alias Possea,continues its mission of scientific dissemination and research around the Italian beaches, organizing traveling laboratories capable of involving and intriguing adults and children.
Shell Recognition Workshop with National Geographic Explorers Arianna Mancuso and Giovanni Chimienti
Marine biologists and National Geographic Explorers Arianna Mancuso and Giovanni Chimienti proposed an immersive workshop to about fifty high school students. The activity included an initial explanation of their respective fields and research projects: deep habitats for Giovanni and ecological impact of the acidification process for Arianna, followed by an educational-scientific workshop.
Through the use of dichotomous cards and the answer to some simple questions, the students participated in a friendly competition to recognize shells of various species of the Adriatic Sea.
Game simulation of Maritime Space Management
High school students were able to learn what it means to manage and plan maritime space thanks to a playful simulation, developed by researchers from the Planning Climate Change LAB of IUAV together with Ismar-CNR.
The simulation provides a simplified example of the strategic utility of careful and collaborative planning to manage uses and resources of the sea: it helps reduce conflicts, thus ensuring sustainable management of marine space.
Underwater Noise Pollution Lab
Primary school children were introduced to the invisible but highly impactful problem of underwater noise pollution.
Thanks to an immersive laboratory created by Ismar-CNR of Venice, students were able to distinguish the natural sounds of animals and the sea from noises of anthropogenic origin such as those of boat engines, sonar and mining activities.
This experience, then told through drawings and stories, allowed children to understand how much anthropogenic noise can damage underwater life.
UpSea Down
The interactive installation dedicated to the rising sea level was also present in the Venice stage of the Ocean&Climate Village. The installation was accompanied by materials developed by Ismar-CNR relating to the tides characteristic of the Adriatic Sea and which annually affect the city of Venice.
Debates and outdoor activities in contact with the local ecosystem
Biowalk and beach cleanup in collaboration with National Geographic, WeRoad and VeniceCalls
Guided tour of the Arsenale with Caterina Sopradassi, tour of the Ocean&Climate Village and biowalk at the Lido di Venezia.
In collaboration with WeRoad, Venice Calls and the Italian National Geographic Explorers Arianna Mancuso and Giovanni Chimienti, an activity suitable for adults and children was proposed to learn about and appreciate the biodiversity of the Upper Adriatic: participants were encouraged to identify the different species of endemic molluscs, recognizing their taxonomy through observation and analysis of the shells found on the beach.
Venice Calls joined the initiative as an association created to safeguard the lagoon ecosystem and local society. Participants were invited to carry out a beach cleaning activity during the biowalk, taking an active part both at an educational and operational level.
Blue snack and sung theatrical performance of the first Blue Fairytale
Boys and girls spent an afternoon full of fun thanks to the reading, singing and acting of the first Blue Fairytale “Il Natale di Eu Sou”. A show created in collaboration with the artist Alessandra Arcangeli, the marine biologist and protagonist of the fable Giovanni Chimienti and the contribution of Style Piccoli, the family magazine of RCS MediaGroup directed by Chiara Bidoli.
The reading of the Fable “Il Natale Blu di Eu Sou”, based on the true story of the discovery of a new species by Giovanni Chimienti and his research team, was followed by a question and answer session between the children and the researcher, so as to reveal the secrets and the most curious facets of the underwater world of deep-sea corals and the discovery of new species. At the end, the children were honored with a Merenda Blu, a healthy and sustainable snack.
