Photo: Giuseppe Lupinacci / Raw-News
A new event recap docu-video titled “Marine Social Research. Present and Future of Science, Creativity and Participation for the Ocean” was released in late 2025 by CO>SEA at the MEMOTEF Department of Sapienza University of Rome.
The production was realised by Raw-News Visual Production Agency, with filming by Mr. Federico Fornaro, editing by Mr. Federico Fornaro and Mr. Giuseppe Lupinacci, and scientific coordination by Prof. Chiara Certomà. The video was produced with the support of Sapienza University’s Terza Missione and Seminars and Workshops programmes, and with the contribution of PartArt4OW.
🌊 Capturing the Spirit of the Workshop
The docu-video captured the meaning, atmosphere and intellectual energy of the workshop “Marine Social Research. Present and Future of Science, Creativity and Participation for the Ocean”, held at Sapienza University of Rome (MEMOTEF Department) in November 2025.
The workshop brought together a wide and diverse community of researchers and professionals engaged in participatory, transdisciplinary and creative research on the ocean. The event was promoted within the activities of CO>SEA_Lab – the Collaboratory for Socio-Environmental Ocean Analysis, and was connected to broader European research and engagement initiatives focusing on ocean literacy, participation and creativity.
🔬 A Plurality of Methods and Perspectives
One of the key messages conveyed by the docu-video was the richness of approaches discussed during the workshop. Contributions spanned a wide range of disciplines, including:
- geography, and what the coordinators defined as marine social geography;
- oceanography and marine chemistry;
- management sciences and political science;
- philosophy and territorial governance;
- physics and art-based research practices.
This plurality reflected a shared commitment to building knowledge across disciplinary boundaries, integrating social sciences, natural sciences and creative practices to better understand and address complex ocean challenges.
🎥 A Vision for Transformative Ocean Research
The documentary conveyed a strong vision of social research for the ocean, carried out in constant dialogue with other scientific fields and oriented towards positive and transformative change. This vision aligned closely with the objectives of the European Commission’s Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030” and the United Nations Ocean Decade, particularly Challenge 10, which focuses on transforming humanity’s relationship with the ocean.
By foregrounding participation, creativity and critical reflection, the video illustrated how research can move beyond extractive or purely utilitarian models, instead embracing relational, ethical and socially engaged approaches.
🌍 The Oceanic Turn in the Social Sciences
As highlighted in the film, the workshop contributed to an emerging “Oceanic Turn” within the social sciences. This perspective seeks to rethink the ocean as a material, biological and cultural space, shaped by complex assemblages of human and more-than-human entities in the Anthropocene.
Rather than framing the ocean solely as a resource, the discussions documented in the film explored how social research can help redefine relationships of care, responsibility and belonging — themes that are central to the mission of PartArt4OW.
▶️ Watch the Docu-Video
The docu-video “Marine Social Research. Present and Future of Science, Creativity and Participation for the Ocean” is available on the Raw-News YouTube channel, where it can be viewed by researchers, practitioners and citizens interested in the future of participatory and transformative ocean research.