Poole Together: Junior Coastal Scientists Monitoring Programme

The Poole Together project aims to bring together secondary school students with diverse stakeholders concerned about the increasing ulva macroalgal (seaweed) blooms in Poole Harbour.

In July 2023, Dr Victoria Dominguez Almela led a Widening Participation daytrip for 33 students and 3 teachers from the Cornerstone Academy (Hamworthy) out to Upton Country Park, bordering Poole Harbour. Together with Dr Sien van der Plank and Kieran Mullany, they explored the meadows and nearshore habitats of the area, to teach the students field ecology methods and reflect together on the social-ecological impacts of pollution and macroalgal blooms.

Now, the team have the opportunity to build on that relationship through the Poole Together after-school club. The project team are working with local business, charity and scientific stakeholders to develop and deliver a ten-week after school club to science and geography students of the Cornerstone Academy. In the autumn term, we will all learn more about Poole Harbour, and investigate together how a citizen science photo method might increase data on ulva macroalgae blooms as well as raise awareness to its impacts.

There is still limited knowledge about algae proliferations that are affecting coasts worldwide and data is needed at all scales to understand the impact and adaptation options. This project will use the citizen science initiative to support students to inform a multi-stakeholder workshop in February 2024 on ulva in Poole Harbour area.

To find out more or to get involved in the multi-stakeholder workshop in February 2024, please email Dr Sien van der Plank at sien.vanderplank@soton.ac.uk

This work is supported by NERC: Natural Environment Research Council Growing Roots.