Celia Olabarría (Coastal Ecology) and Ana Bernabeu (Marine and Environmental Geology) participate along with four other Galician researchers in the documentary miniseries Desafíos do océano: científicas ao mando, in which they present different challenges of special relevance for the future of the oceans, the planet and humanity. The project, launched by the University of Vigo through the Campus do Mar, has the collaboration of the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology – Ministry of Science and Innovation, FECYT, and has a budget of 18,000 euros.
The initiative is born with a clear objective. “We want to show the research that women scientists from the institutions belonging to the Campus of International Excellence Campus do Mar develop around issues of special relevance in marine sciences and inform, disseminate, raise awareness and encourage today’s society to be part of the necessary change in our habits towards sustainable development,” explains Daniel Rey, director of the Campus do Mar and the Marine Research Center.
The documentary mini-series consists of six 15-minute chapters. While Celia Olabarria addresses the issue of invasive species, Ana Bernabeu presents the problem of coastal erosion. The other protagonists are Lucía Venías (IEO), Marta Álvarez (IEO), Silvia Torres (Cetmar) and Carmen González Sotelo (IIM-CSIC), who delve into other challenges that the ocean faces, such as marine plastics, ocean acidification, extreme events and the sustainability of fisheries.
The project also seeks to make visible the leading role of women in science “as a counterpoint to the historical gender gap in the world of research, showing women scientists at the forefront of top-level marine research projects and as an element that generates scientific vocations, promoting gender equality”. And this is done with a current, modern and accessible model to reach society in a more direct way.
The miniseries, already in production, will be screened in a presentation to society that will be attended by the participating researchers, the Campus do Mar and the University of Vigo personnel in charge of the project and representatives of the institutions to which the protagonists belong. On the other hand, the videos will be freely available and downloadable to all interested people.
Source: DUVI