The outreach actions of BlueRemediomics link in with the popular TREC expedition (TRaversing European Coastlines), which started in April 2023 and will last until the end of July 2024.

The European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) spearheads the TREC expedition, focused on studying the interface between land and sea in their natural context with an expedition across the entire European Coastline. The scientists on board of the Tara research vessel, a key component of TREC, collect water samples while scientists from EMBL conduct soil analyses on land. This comparative approach sheds light on the interconnections between these samples with the aim of understanding how human-induced challenges such as climate change and pollution impact these ecosystems. 

The expedition, which is linked to the latest research carried out in BlueRemediomics, is expecting to reach thousands of young people at its stopovers and through associated global online activities. As part of this, Tara Ocean focuses on engaging with society in general and young people in particular, including students, in both coastal and inland communities. Stopovers at eight European coastal cities from Greece to Denmark will take place presenting the BlueRemediomics project and research between 2023 and 2024.

The outreach initiatives aim to create direct engagement with various communities and raise awareness about the project’s goals and scientific results. We believe in the power of collaboration and community involvement, which is why we are dedicated to reaching out to wider communities through social media campaigns.

Unique Outreach Tools and Activities

Based on the project’s scientific results, FTO will produce a set of unique outreach tools and activities. These resources and initiatives will be developed in collaboration with all partners of BlueRemediomics. Outreach activities will include:

• Stopovers at eight selected cities around European coasts with direct engagement with local communities
• An exhibit on plankton microbiology with 16 panels for the public
• A special BlueRemediomics Booklet in different languages explaining the project’s research aspects
• A set of videos and social media content for each Port call
• Secondary school activities with lecture and practical material from EMBL on ‘Introducing your microbiome’
• Protein structure activities for schools by the University of Aberdeen