Let’s Observe Together…

The Science is Wonderful event in Brussels last week was an inspiring opportunity to witness the enthusiasm of young visitors treated to demonstrations of a variety of observation techniques, as well as many other experiments spanning multiple scientific domains.

It was also a great opportunity to engage with early career scientists from across Europe and introduce them to LandSeaLot and its objective of fostering collaboration within scientific communities focused on observing the land-sea interface.

Visitors were especially captivated by the ROBO-IGUANA, an innovative underwater robot inspired by nature that allows researchers to observe the seabed in an unobtrusive way. It was great to meet Mrudul Chellapurath who was happy to share his work with the students and discuss the importance of observing the seabed.

Another exhibit relevant for LandSeaLot was the Oceanografi Na Otoku stand operated by oceanographers Natalija Dunić and Maja Karlovic. Here, visitors were introduced to water sampling in a hands-on experiment to test the temperature and salinity of water, offering them a glimpse into one of the most fundamental parts of the observation value chain. 

The Science is Wonderful event plays a vital role in inspiring students of all ages across Europe to appreciate science and perhaps pursue a career in STEM, maybe even to explore the path of marine and freshwater research.

The LandSeaLot team was pleased to see the seed of future scientists planted in the enthusiasm of the students and to meet the dedicated early career scientists demonstrating that science is indeed wonderful.