Within the framework of the Explora Va! Camp, aimed at preschool, elementary, and high school teachers from the Arica and Parinacota region, researchers and scientific observers from the Fisheries Development Institute (IFOP), the Center for Harmful Algal Studies (CREAN), and IFOP Arica conducted a training session titled “Researchable Oceans,” designed to strengthen the link between science, territory, and school education.
The activity, organized in late January by the Explora Regional Associative Program of the University of Tarapacá, included a field trip during the morning session aboard a passenger vessel, where teachers from different communes of Arica and Parinacota toured the regional coastal sector. During the navigation, IFOP professionals addressed content related to oceanography, coastal dynamics, climate change, algal blooms, and marine environment observation, in addition to performing a demonstrative sampling of marine phytoplankton, allowing participants to learn firsthand how these types of field studies are conducted.
During the afternoon, the collected samples were analyzed under microscopy, providing an opportunity for teachers to observe and identify various phytoplankton species and understand their ecological relevance. The session also included a remote lecture given by CREAN researchers from Puerto Montt, focusing on the role of phytoplankton and harmful algae in marine ecosystems, the importance of permanent monitoring, and the need to address these events from a preventive and educational perspective.
The activity featured participation from CREAN researchers Javier Paredes, Pamela Carbonell, and Delfina Aguiar, along with the IFOP Arica team, led by Regional Base Head Hernán Padilla, and scientific observers Miguel Navea and Camilo Reyes, who were in charge of the demonstrative phytoplankton sampling and technical support for the teachers.
This unprecedented initiative in the region allowed teachers to live a practical marine research experience, providing them with tools and knowledge that can be replicated in the classroom, contributing to the social appropriation of science and the strengthening of scientific education with territorial relevance in the Arica and Parinacota region.
