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Exploring the sea environment of the Gulf of Patras
Summary
Researchers conducted an educational project with secondary school students to study microplastic pollution in the Gulf of Patras, Greece, collecting seawater samples from shore, offshore, and river-mouth locations to document contamination patterns as part of an EU Erasmus environmental awareness program.
The study of the sea environment is very important for an awareness of environmental issues. With this as a goal, we accomplished an educational project concerning the study of seawater and the pollution from microplastics in the Gulf of Patras in Greece. This study was carried out to the Experimental Junior High School of Patras University in 2021 in the context of the Erasmus Program “Save Water- Save Life”.The activity was divided into two parts. At the first part our students collected sea water samples from four different sea regions (shore, 30m from the shore, river-mouth, 30m from the river-mouth). The sampling was actualized in four different time periods (autumn, winter, spring and summer) and the students analyzed the samples at the laboratories of Patras University’s departments with the help of stuff members. At the second part our students began with a literature survey for microplastics and the consequences to the sea environment and proceeded with field activity concerning collecting plastic litter at the seaside of the Gulf of Patras. At the end the students classified the collected plastics according to their type at Patras University’s laboratories and learned more about this topic from university stuff members.With the above program students obtain knowledge by exploring, analyzing and collaborating but mainly they acquired environmental awareness.
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