November 24, 2023
News
SEA MARVEL project on board Siremar ships: activities involving crew and passengers to protect the marine environment
The SEA MARVEL project has brought with great success the theme of environmental protection and marine monitoring on board the ships of Siremar, the ferry operator belonging to the Caronte & Tourist group. This initiative, aimed at raising environmental awareness and dissemination, actively involved both the crew and the passengers who travelled during the various journeys.
In particular, on 21 July, the SEA MARVEL team from the University of Catania boarded the ship Cossyra, on the Porto Empedocle-Lampedusa route, warmly welcomed by the purser and the commander, Francesco Giacomarro, to meet the entire crew during a workshop held in a room onboard the ship. Dr. Clara Monaco introduced the team and presented the objectives of the project, highlighting the importance of involving seafarers in environmental protection initiatives.
Dr. Enrico Giarrusso then led an interesting session on the identification of vulnerable species in the Mediterranean, with a focus on cetaceans and sea turtles, involving the crew in a lively debate enriched by their experiences at sea. Finally, Dr. Alessandra Raffa provided practical guidelines on waste management and the importance of preventing marine pollution, encouraging the crew to report sightings and pollution through the dedicated platform of the SEA MARVEL project.
During the long journey to the Pelagie Islands, the team carried out the regular scientific monitoring from the command bridge and, at some moments, interacted with both the passengers and the crew, raising considerable interest especially among crew members, eager to delve deeper into environmental issues and actively participate in research.
On 24 July, on the return journey to Porto Empedocle, on board the Galaxy ship, attention was focused on the numerous passengers who showed a strong interest in learning and participating in the activities of the Sentinels of the Sea, as proposed by the SEA MARVEL project. The experts shared information on the initiatives, the importance of the marine ecosystem and the active participation of passengers in future reporting. Topics such as responsible consumption of fish and waste management in the Mediterranean have generated engaging debates.
Each crew member and each passenger received the Sentinels kit of the SEA MARVEL project, and all those most interested in the protection of vulnerable species received dedicated posters on the species at risk, such as avifauna, cetaceans, elasmobranchs and sea turtles.
The SEA MARVEL initiative on board the Caronte & Tourist ships proves to be successful in educating and involving both crews and passengers in the importance of protecting the Mediterranean marine ecosystem. The fight for the conservation of our seas has now a precious ally thanks to the collaboration with Siremar, Caronte & Tourist group, operating in the maritime sector in Sicily.
