Activities
Practically all of our activity is based on developing trips to the sea, in the coastal zone or by boat, to carry out sampling and data collection of specific environments or biological communities. Subsequently, we moved to our facilities to carry out the office study, with the appropriate instrumentation of the samples obtained and the corresponding treatment of the data. In this entire process, the participants participate directly both in the collection of data and samples, as well as in the subsequent study by making microscopic preparations, observing them under the microscope, obtaining microphotographs, processing the data, obtaining scientific information. related and the elaboration of the corresponding results.
The world of marine plankton
A "world" that goes unnoticed because it is practically invisible to the naked eye but that has transcendental biological importance as universal food for organisms that live swimming in the water column regardless of their size, from whales to the tiny crustaceans that are part of of the same plankton. We study this ecosystem by sampling it in outings to the sea using plankton nets or hydrographic bottles, and then studying its components under the microscope in our facilities. Here we will identify the representative species and their adaptations to the environment, in addition to practicing with microphotography techniques in their different versions available in the Oceanus equipment. The identification of its components allows us to evaluate its ecological importance and its role as a bioindicator of the quality of coastal waters. This activity is usually carried out through sampling trips to sea by boat and a series of study sessions at the Oceanus facilities.
Ecology and dynamics of sandy beaches
It may be thought that sandy beaches, as they are perhaps the marine ecosystem most used by the general public, should be the best known in their aspects as a natural system, but this is not the case. Its origin, its functioning in terms of the movements of the sand due to the action of wind and waves and the organisms that can be found living adapted to this very dynamic, unstable, especially inhospitable and selective environment, are not well known to everyone. world. We carry out the study of this ecosystem through one or several sampling and study outings on some beaches in the area to record the morphodynamic characteristics of its different types, their profiles and the associated flora and fauna species and the adaptations to their environment. .
It is of special interest for raising awareness about the conservation of the marine environment, the “in situ” study of the anthropic impact represented by extensive urbanization on the interior area of the same original beach, the impact of wastewater discharges, the works of “stabilization” of the beach line and its effectiveness in relation to beach “regeneration” actions, the management of Posidonia remains and other important aspects for the understanding of the beach as a natural system with a very complicated future in which We find very clear examples of regression processes.
Fauna, flora and biological communities of rocky coasts
Very well represented on our coastline, rocky coasts constitute a natural system with particular characteristics that determine the flora and fauna and the biological communities that are located there. The availability of a stable substrate to attach to is a determining factor. The rocky surface is covered with algae, colonies of sessile animals (sponges, bryozoans, anemones, mollusks, etc.) that are capable of resisting the action of the waves and also attract other organisms, this time mobile, that live swimming in their vicinity. crawling on the bottom or taking advantage of the cracks in the plant or animal cover that covers the rocky substrate. The environment in which these biological communities live is very harsh. The mechanical energy of the waves can tear away forms fixed to the substrate, solar lighting, variable depending on the orientation or the presence of cracks or small caves, determines the possibilities of survival of algae that need light for photosynthesis. At the most superficial levels, depending on the waves or the action of the tides, there are communities whose organisms, especially adapted to the alternation of emersion/immersion, solar radiation and evaporation and desiccation, survive and develop in an environment of extreme environmental conditions.
The approach to this set of biological communities is carried out through sampling and study outings to selected places to collect data on environmental variables and sampling their biotic components. Afterwards, in one or several sessions, at the Oceanus facilities, the biological samples are studied under a microscope, the data and the photo- or videographic record obtained are processed and a synthesis of the fauna, flora and state of conservation of these is established. communities, the adaptations of the organisms that live there and the degree of impact by human activity (dumps, constructions, etc.).
Coastal vegetation
At the edge of the sea is where the solid land begins in its different forms, such as sandy beaches, pebbles and blocks (rounded and flattened by the constant erosive action of the waves), or more or less steep rocky coasts, very frequent on our coast. In all these places we will find plants adapted to living in these habitats. In areas where there is a sandy substrate, the sand is arranged forming ridges of dunes oriented parallel to the coastline and with different heights depending on the degree of protection against the sea wind. In the first dune, the one closest to the sea, there are conditions of mobility of the sand grains that allow their colonization by plants highly adapted to the impacts of the sand grains on their stems and leaves. The second dune range has a slightly higher height and the plants are more densely present and also the species that are located in them are different compared to the first dune, and are also different depending on whether they are located to the windward (where the sea wind affects). or leeward (the area most sheltered from the wind). The pioneer vegetation of the dunes will gradually be enriched by the presence of woody species from the coastal scrub in the places most protected by the wind. Behind these dunes, at a greater distance from the sea, there is another different ecosystem, it is the so-called “post-country” or “back shore”, which is very common along the entire Mediterranean coast, where marshes, lagoons, or small lagoons. The plants present there are different from those located in the dunes. Furthermore, depending on its annual dynamism (presence of water in summer, chemical nature of the water, presence of salinity, etc.), the species best adapted to such conditions will be established in each case.
To learn about the dynamics of coastal vegetation, a series of tours are carried out along beaches, dunes, rocky coasts, cliffs, etc. In these itineraries, the plant species that are located in the different environments are identified, while the degree of threat they suffer is discussed, as well as the most prominent parameters of the autoecology of each of them to understand their behavior and their location in the environment. Already at the Oceanus facilities, field data and images are gathered and incorporated into a photographic bank of all the species present to demonstrate and record the different states of each plant throughout the year and in different places.
Coastal geology
The rocky bed of the seabed and its coasts can be considered the “container” that contains the immense volume of water in our seas and oceans. Together with seawater and the atmosphere, they constitute the three abiotic components that determine the functioning of the oceans as an ecosystem. Its study is fundamental, not only because of its scientific interest but also because of the importance of the human activities that take place in its space. The composition of the coastal rocks, their origin and geological history represents a witness to the evolution of the oceans, providing evidence of the rise and fall of sea level in past times and its impact on past organisms and ecosystems.
For the development of this activity, field trips are organized for “in situ” observation of places of geological interest in rocky environments or the sedimentary record on sandy beaches, as well as boat trips for the observation of coastal geomorphology from a perspective outside, especially on the cliffed coasts so common on our coastline.
The samples, data and photographic record obtained are then studied at the Oceanus facilities.
Submerged meadows: Posidonia oceanica and other seagrasses
In the Mediterranean you can find a total of five species of phanerogams (plants that produce flowers, not like algae): Posidonia oceanica, Cymodocea nodosa, Zostera nana and Zostera marina, in addition to some others from estuarine environments or immigrants from the Red Sea. The first two mentioned are widespread along the entire coastline from surface level to 20-30 m and even 100 m. deep in areas of very transparent water. Posidonia oceanica forms meadows or "forests" while Cymodocea and Zostera form "lawns", covering the seabed. Posidonia oceanica is considered an “engineering species”, that is, with its structures, leaves, rhizomes (stems) and roots, they form compact banks and reefs that determine not only the species and biological communities that live in them, but They also play a very important role in controlling erosion on beaches due to their action to dissipate wave energy and retain sediment at surface levels.
The study of these formations is carried out through “in situ” observations at superficial levels or in diving with goggles and tubes (“snorkeling”) where participants are equipped with submersible photographic systems to record their structures, the accompanying fauna and flora, and the details. of its role in the dynamics of sandy beaches. From the study of the debris (materials thrown by the sea to the shore) of these plants, Oceanus studies its morphoanatomical structure, its accompanying flora and fauna, as well as the data and images obtained through "bio-snorkeling".
fish biology
Fish constitute the zoological group that is most frequently popularly associated immediately with the marine ecosystem. Furthermore, everyone is aware of its role as a food resource through fishing or marine aquaculture and of the problems that arise with the regulation of fishing effort in species of high commercial interest to avoid problems of overexploitation. Hence the interest in knowledge of the biology of this group of organisms and the related Oceanus activities are located in this line.
Using samples from surplus fishing or market stocks, the fundamental aspects of their biology are studied on specimens of selected species of elasmobranchs (sharks and rays) and teleosts (bony fish), such as adaptations to different types of habitats, adaptations to floating or swimming, food capture strategies in relation to their anatomy and the different modalities of reproductive strategies.
Some activities are related to deep-sea fish fauna, from bathyal bottoms (approximately 500-1,000 m deep) in which the anatomical adaptations of representative species are studied in terms of sensory perception in an environment of almost complete darkness. , bioluminescence and its origins and functions and adaptations for capturing prey, not especially abundant at these depth levels. These activities are carried out in the Oceanus facilities where the ideal instrumentation is available to carry out dissections and observations under a microscope or binocular magnifying glass.
Activities for summer leisure
In the extended summer season, approximately from June to September, taking advantage of the favorable water temperature conditions and the state of the sea typical of the season, trips to the sea are organized in specific places to practice "bio-snorkeling", diving elementary with glasses and tube, accessible to practically everyone to make observations of the fauna and flora of the seabed. Equipped with photographic equipment that is provided and easy to handle, participants record the elements of flora, various types of fauna, sessile such as sponges, bryozoans, anemones, etc., as well as mobile such as fish, crustaceans, cephalopods, etc., all of this. in the company of monitors who indicate the elements that are found along the route. Subsequently, in the Oceanus study, the memory cards from the cameras are downloaded and the identifications and biological circumstances of the recorded fauna and flora are discussed. In the end, each component takes the photographs or videos they took at sea.
An activity especially suitable to enjoy with the family.
Specific activities to support teaching
Through agreements with public and private educational institutions or at the initiative of Oceanus and open to interested teaching staff, the Oceanus team organizes courses or series of field and office workshops on topics of interest in the form of monographic courses on any of the Océanus' areas of action at the appropriate level, in order to contribute to introducing and implementing practical activities and teaching materials related to the different areas of Marine Sciences. These monographic courses take place over 2 to 4 weekends (usually Saturdays) so as not to interfere with daily activity unless other specific possibilities are specified and agreed upon.
These courses cover diverse topics such as the study of marine plankton, the origin and evaluation of pollution in the coastal zone, morphodynamics of sandy beaches, geomorphology of rocky coasts, monitoring of seagrass meadows, etc., always under the perspective of its use in teaching practice in different areas and levels of teaching.
The Oceanus association has the most common devices for sampling the seabed and water column and for collecting data in different marine environments, as well as various microscopy and micro- and macrophotography systems suitable for these activities.
At Oceanus we have members with extensive teaching and research experience in the different topics proposed.
Marine pollution on the coast
Without a doubt, pollution is one of the most important threats to the conservation of seas and oceans. Wastewater discharges of industrial, urban origin without purification or with poor treatment and surplus water from agricultural activities loaded with nutrients, in addition to the direct discharge of rainwater from urbanized areas, have a strongly disturbing effect on marine organisms and communities. . A very important chapter of discharges into the sea is also that of solid waste of anthropogenic origin, plastics of different types, glass, metals, etc. that provide a vision of degradation of the coastal landscape in addition to being a vehicle for other chemical pollutants harmful to the health of marine organisms and human beings.
In this activity, through a series of study visits to sandy beaches and rocky coasts, the solid waste present in the tailwaters is identified and used as indicators of the origin of the spill. At the same time, in field sampling, the quality of the water is preliminarily assessed by measuring its physical-chemical parameters “in situ” and obtaining information on plant and animal species that are bioindicators of environmental quality. This activity studies the general functioning of urban wastewater treatment plants, the importance of their location and the fairly widespread existence of outfalls that dump their surpluses into the sea and their effects on biological communities and human health.
Conferences and exhibitions
Oceanus organizes conferences by invited specialists of recognized level in different fields, both in research in Marine Sciences and in the fight for the conservation of seas and oceans with the aim of disseminating its activities. The conferences, forums or work sessions are carried out in the infrastructure available for this purpose in numerous locations in the Valencian Community. Depending on the topic and other specific circumstances, they are announced in various media for general knowledge. Except in monographic work meetings that are aimed at specialists.
The conferences are dedicated to the general public and have free entry until full capacity is reached.
Likewise, Oceanus organizes thematic exhibitions on topics within its scope of action, in specific facilities in locations in the Valencian Community, under the criteria of dissemination for the general public and with free entry.