IbizaPreservation promotes the role of women in the marine sector with educational activities

The IbizaPreservation Blue Crime Classroom at UJI will hold its first activity in Ibiza’s educational centers on February 11 as part of the commemoration of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.

“This activity highlights the importance of creating female role models in marine research across various areas of knowledge,” explains Esteban Morelle-Hungría, professor in the Department of Public Law at UJI and director of the Classroom, who emphasizes that “it is essential to make visible that the study of underwater life encompasses multiple disciplines and has significant participation from female researchers, with the aim of spreading awareness of their work and the importance of research.” To this end, renowned researchers will share their knowledge with students, offering “a multidisciplinary perspective on the protection of aquatic ecosystems.”

This project stems from the agreement recently signed between IbizaPreservation and the Universitat Jaume I de Castelló (UJI) for the creation of the IbizaPreservation Blue Crime Classroom, a space dedicated to the study, research, and dissemination of ecological damage in aquatic ecosystems and the legal tools for their protection.

Four educational centers on the island are participating in this first edition, covering three educational levels: primary, secondary, and vocational training. The participating schools are IES Quartó de Portmany (Sant Antoni de Portmany), IES Isidor Macabich (Eivissa), IES Xarc (Santa Eulària des Riu), and CEIP Santa Gertrudis (Santa Eulària des Riu). Five top-level female researchers will serve as scientific mentors in these centers from their respective areas of expertise: humanities, social and legal sciences, marine biology, and marine ecology. In this way, Eva Fonfría, a postdoctoral researcher at the Ramón Margalef Multidisciplinary Environmental Institute at the University of Alicante, an expert in jellyfish, will introduce young students to the importance of marine biodiversity, focusing on jellyfish and invasive species. Likewise, Inma Varó, PhD in biology and senior scientist at CSIC at the Torre de la Sal Aquaculture Institute (IATS), will address the impact of pollutants on marine organisms, a key area within ecotoxicology.

For her part, Teresa Alcoverro, PhD in biology and senior scientist at CSIC at the Center for Advanced Studies of Blanes, will delve into the dynamics of aquatic ecosystems and their conservation. Additionally, from a legal perspective, Susana Borràs, associate professor at the Universitat Rovira i Virgili and representative of the World Commission on Environmental Law in the Spanish Committee of the IUCN, will explain the relevance of international and environmental law in the protection of the marine environment and how, from the social and legal sciences, more effective regulations can be developed.

Finally, Aina Vidal, PhD in Humanities and postdoctoral researcher and professor at the Universitat de les Illes Balears, will analyze how cultural, legal, and scientific discourses address environmental damage at sea, exploring its representation in literature, cinema, ecological politics, criminology, and oceanography.

The participation of CEIP Santa Gertrudis reinforces the initiative’s commitment to environmental education from an early age. This center, which last year carried out exchanges with schools in Dénia to study the marine environment, will receive a visit from Eva Fonfría, who will give a talk on the importance of conserving native marine ecosystems and the risks posed by invasive species.

The goal of this initiative, according to the director of IbizaPreservation, Inma Saranova, “is not only to strengthen the protection of marine ecosystems but also to inspire scientific vocations among girls and young women, promoting the role of women in science and their contribution to knowledge and environmental conservation.”

The IbizaPreservation Blue Crime Classroom at UJI aims to establish itself as an academic and scientific reference platform in the analysis of environmental crimes affecting the marine environment. Its work covers the study of issues such as illegal fishing, the trafficking of aquatic species, pollutant spills, and the impact of human activities on marine ecosystems, adopting an interdisciplinary perspective aligned with Green Criminology.

In addition to research and dissemination, the Classroom will promote academic training in this field by incorporating content on blue crime into the Criminology and Security Degree at the Universitat Jaume I de Castelló. It will also encourage the development of undergraduate and master’s theses related to this topic, awarding the IbizaPreservation Prize for the best undergraduate thesis. As part of its commitment to knowledge transfer, it will organize seminars, conferences, and meetings, as well as educational sessions aimed at secondary school students in Ibiza and Formentera, with the goal of raising awareness among new generations about the importance of protecting marine ecosystems.