Researchers associated with the Danube Delta and Coastal Area LandSeaLot Integration Lab (LIL) and GeoEcoMar recently connected with Ion Barbu High School in Bucharest, holding an information session on LandSeaLot and other GeoEcoMar research projects and supporting the school’s application to the network of European Blue Schools. 

At Ion Barbu, students and teachers explore the connection between Bucharest, the Danube, and the Black Sea, with a focus on understanding aquatic ecosystems and the impact of human activities on water quality. 

On April 16, Dr Irina Stanciu (GeoEcoMar) visited the classroom to discuss how research in this domain is conducted in practice. Students showed strong interest and engagement, asking questions about research careers and the real-world relevance of science in addressing environmental challenges.

A key component of the session focused on the citizen science component of LandSeaLot. Students were encouraged to actively participate in environmental monitoring as part of LandSeaLot’s overarching efforts to scale up and improve observation of the land-sea interface area. They also discussed how citizen science is made possible by accessible tools and applications, gaining insights on how citizen-generated data can support scientific research.

Following this visit and the signing of a Collaboration Protocol between GeoEcoMar and “Ion Barbu” High School, the school was successfully granted the status of European Blue School.