Biodiversity and Society

Connecting marine biodiversity with society, using the Oceanogràfic of the Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències as an educational platform.

Aquariums like the Oceanogràfic offer a unique opportunity to bring the aquatic world and its inhabitants closer to people. Our mission is to educate visitors and society, providing a perspective on biodiversity, its challenges, and the importance of its conservation.

This research program focuses on analyzing and evaluating how biodiversity influences society through various approaches.

We seek to understand the effectiveness and impact of the Oceanogràfic's educational programs, whether through content in the facilities or internal and external educational activities, among others. The ultimate goal is to facilitate the encounter between biodiversity and society to improve the understanding of the services that the former provides us and promote awareness about its protection.

Lines

Evaluation of the expectation and impact of the content and activities developed by the Oceanogràfic on visitors, schoolchildren, and society

This line of research focuses on evaluating how the educational program of the Oceanogràfic of the Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències impacts visitors, students, and society in general.

To this end, we conduct scientifically designed surveys that collect objective information about the knowledge, habits, and attitudes of visitors and students before and after their visit to the marine center.

The main objective is to measure how the school community and the general public acquire knowledge during their experience at the Oceanogràfic and how this interaction can influence their attitudes and behaviors. In addition, we evaluate over time whether these changes are lasting and stable.

The results allow us to better understand the impact of the Oceanogràfic’s resources and its role as a platform for awareness and social change.

This study also facilitates the development of tools to quantify possible areas for improvement in the aquarium’s educational and outreach program, providing opportunities to strengthen educational resources and strategies.