BlueRemediomics partner Fondation Tara Ocean spent a week sampling around Bilbao, Spain from the 11th to the 18th of October, as part of the TRaversing European Coastlines (TREC) expedition. The Tara schooner was welcomed by traditional Basque dancing and music upon their arrival.
As part of this TREC super stop, several public outreach activities were organised by BlueRemediomics partners EMBL and Fondation Tara Ocean in Bilbao, promoting the TREC expedition to the wider public, including:
- 11th of October: An event was held at Bilbao’s maritime museum – the Itsasmuseum – on the 11th of October featuring scientific talks from EMBL, CNRS, EMBRC, and Plentzia Marine Station.
- 12th-17th of October: Visits to the Tara boat and Tara workshops for schools at the Itsasmuseum
- 14th-15th of October: Visits to the Tara boat for citizens and Tara workshops.
- 17th of October: Scientific talks by Tara on the afternoon prior to their departure at the UPV Auditorium, Bilbao.
At the Tara Oceans event on Tuesday, October 17th, four distinguished scientists from BlueRemediomics partner institutions EMBL, CNRS and Fondation Tara Ocean shared their experiences of TREC, spanning the pre-expedition phase to post-expedition analysis. They provided a rare glimpse into the intricate workings of the scientific TREC expedition that BlueRemediomics is also part of. Attended by 35 individuals, the session offered insights into the planning and execution involved in the expedition and illuminated some of the challenges faced during the expedition, such as sample preservation, and equipment maintenance.
Find out more about the upcoming TREC expedition stopovers and public outreach activities through the link below!
