Research project

Poole Together: Junior Coastal Scientists Monitoring Programme

Project overview

Poole Together brings together secondary school students with diverse stakeholders concerned about the increasing ulva macroalgal (seaweed) blooms in Poole Harbour. We will explore with partners how a citizen science photo method can (1) increase data on ulva, (2) raise awareness to its social, economic and environmental impacts, and (3) identify opportunities for adaptation to this “new normal”. This will support young people to be part of ulva research and adaptation, and highlight to other stakeholders the role that young people play in adaptation.

The project adopts a co-production approach, and we are working closely with teachers, community groups and partners in the development and delivery of the work. At the heart of the project is a weekly after school club in autumn 2023, with science training and co-design opportunities, followed by a multi-stakeholder workshop in early 2024.

Staff

Lead researchers

Dr Sien Van Der Plank PhD

Senior Research Fellow
Research interests
  • Qualitative and mixed methods to study social-environmental change
  • Risk perceptions and behaviours to hazards
  • Oral history and archival methods to understand past human adaptation
Connect with Sien

Other researchers

Dr Vicky Dominguez Almela

Lecturer
Research interests
  • Research interests: 
  • My work includes the use of individual-based models (IBMs), geographical information systems (GIS) and stable isotopes to increase understandings of invasion patterns and evaluate invasive species eradication programmes. I also use citizen science tools to co-produce knowledge with the general public and increase adaptation pathways to biological invasions.
  • I have mainly work with fish in the past, but recently I have been fascinated by the invasion of the brown pelagic seaweed called sargassum.
Connect with Vicky

Research outputs