The second Citizen Science event of the BLUETOOLS project took place on 21 and 28 May 2026 at the CIMAR facilities in Cabo de Santa Pola, Alicante. Pepa Antón organised and led the sessions. She is Professor of Microbiology and Director of the Molecular Microbial Ecology Group at the University of Alicante, a partner in the BLUETOOLS project.
Twenty participants spent two afternoon sessions exploring Posidonia oceanica. Drifts of this marine plant are a common sight along Mediterranean coastlines. Most people mistake them for dead seaweed. In reality, they harbour a rich microbial ecosystem and play an essential role in coastal health.
Participants did not come to watch. They sowed Posidonia samples onto culture media, tracked the microbial succession that unfolds during decomposition, and extracted DNA from microbial colonies for identification. Real science, carried out by citizens.
This activity forms part of BLUETOOLS’ commitment to involving society in discovering the potential of the marine microbiome for a sustainable blue bioeconomy. In addition, the organiser agrees to notify participants if the results of the experiments are published in a scientific journal.
