The CO>SEA research group, in collaboration with the Horizon Europe project PartArt4OW, has successfully completed a three-day sailing expedition in the Gulf of Anzio, Italy. This expedition, held from May 9-11, served as a crucial "Sailing Lab" test to refine the innovative methodologies for marine social geography and visual research.
The initiative, part of the pilot project "CoSea_Lab. Collaborative Laboratory for the Sea and Socio-Environmental Sustainability in the Gulf of Anzio," is funded by Sapienza University of Rome. The expedition's main goal was to test and validate the on-board laboratory activities that combine social science, environmental analysis, and professional visual documentation.
Key Objectives of the Expedition
During the expedition, the CO>SEA team, in collaboration with PartArt4OW, worked on several key objectives:
- Methodology Testing: Assessing the functionality of the research protocols and professional visual documentation techniques in a real-world marine environment.
- Vessel Assessment: Evaluating the suitability of the vessel for its intended use as the PartArt4OW SailingLab for a larger, planned expedition in 2026. This collaboration with ALTURA is critical for future activities.
- Socio-Environmental Documentation: Collecting textual, visual, and acoustic data to make coastal landscapes and environmental issues visible to the public from a unique perspective at sea. This work ties into the "Ocean Word. From the Outside In" project with Bremen University.
- Future Planning: Drafting a follow-up plan for research on the "Oceanic Sense of Place," developing a proposal for a future SailingLab Summer School on marine social geography, and conducting internal evaluations of the research to date.
- Sampling and Data Collection: The team carried out marine water sampling for chemical and biological analysis and conducted preliminary project design brainstorming.
The Sailing Lab is a novel approach to research, allowing scientists to work directly on the water, blending qualitative documentation with quantitative data collection.
The Importance of the Sailing Lab
The Sailing Lab initiative is more than just a research trip; it is a tangible application of the CO>SEA group's mission to bridge the gap between society and the ocean. It represents a commitment to engaged action-research and participatory transformative practices that are at the core of both the CO>SEA and PartArt4OW projects. By making the research process visible and accessible, the team aims to foster a deeper understanding and emotional connection with the sea.
The success of this pilot expedition marks a significant step toward implementing the larger PartArt4OW SailingLab in 2026, which promises to expand these innovative research methods to a broader geographical area.