Rimini, the Karis mobile lab analyzes the health of the sea with Marvelli middle school students
It is called “Acqua d’A Mare”. It is the mobile marine biology laboratory of the Karis Foundation’s peer public schools. It is used to explain to girls and boys, from elementary to high school, what the sea is, its importance, its state of health and how we can and must respect it. Yesterday and today (21/22 April) he stopped at the Marvelli middle school. Two days of workshops during which all the second grades of the Covignano school were involved. Under the guidance of the two Karis high school operators, marine biologist Beatrice Zavattini and science professor Giacomo Pasini, the young students were able to verify the pH of the waters of the Rimini harbor basin. After taking water samples along the docks of the port, they used the equipment of the mobile lab, they discovered a marine acidity value just above the value 6. As Giacomo Pasini explained, the pH measurement uses a logarithmic scale to be 0 to 14, with 7 considered the neutral value, while the lower figures indicate the increase in its acidity. “A result in line with the averages of this season, with an influx into the sea by rivers, streams and discharges that release into the sea percentages of fertilizer residues for agricultural use, higher than in other seasons – concluded in front of the boys Professor Pasini – all this increases the proliferation of algae, production of C02 but it is the norm for highly man-made waters such as those of the port of Rimini ”. Three types of instrumental investigations are carried out on board of Acqua d’aMare. Microphysical analyzes to measure the concentration of dissolved oxygen, salinity and acidity, water temperature. Microbiological analysis with qualitative verification of marine fauna, anatomy and histology of aquatic micro organisms. Analysis of the sustainable balance of the marine ecosystem, with verification of the presence of microplastics and pollutants. For this reason, the mobile laboratory is equipped with two different types of microscopes, connected to a large HD screen that makes the images visible, and marine quality and oximeter equipment. All used by young people during the two days of appointments with the marine biology laboratory of the Karis Foundation. “Acqua d’aMare” thus began its path of education and awareness of students in the province of Rimini, offering each school and each pupil the opportunity to experience what they have studied in the classroom. A method – that of experience – which has always characterized the educational proposal of the Karis Foundation schools and which can now be available to all schools wishing to address this issue.
C. Carlo Bozzo
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