INNOTALES, EDUCATING IN MARINE CONSERVATION

Author: Julia Zafra Aranda – Marine Biologist / Innotales Project Leader

As we all know, the ocean is in great danger. Climate change, plastic pollution, the fishing industry, and water pollution are threatening all marine life. All this happens underwater and is not seen, which generates a lack of information in the general public and very little marine conservation education. The solution proposed by the INNOCEANA organization is to raise awareness, especially in children, and show all these challenges through its new INNOTALES project.

INNOTALES is a new concept of interactive stories or tales about the marine world and the importance of a healthy ocean. They present audios, photos, and videos filmed underwater while Innoceana’s marine conservation efforts are underway. Innotales is distributed digitally and can be read on various electronic devices to take the reader on an underwater journey with maximum accessibility. 

Access to the ocean and nature varies, but access to marine conservation education shouldn’t. The Innotales project intends to educate children and the general public about the ocean and value it, thus increasing the sensitivity for all the problems that threaten marine life. The more children know about their ocean, the more they will care for and protect it!

Currently available in English and Spanish, the Innotales pilot story “A Turtle Called Raquel” focuses on a green sea turtle born in the Caribbean of Costa Rica and travels to the Canary Islands in search of seagrasses. In the book, readers can “choose their adventure,” selecting from different videos, images, and stories as Raquel makes her journey. The story shows the vital biodiversity of ocean grasslands and exposes the dangers that threaten marine life. The book was created, free of charge to everyone to try to help and entertain the families left at home. The impact obtained was very great. It received a wave of positive comments and more than 5,000 visits, appearing on podcasts and in the news and even being shared by numerous organizations and educators who used the book as a tool to work with children and girls.

Being part of the Innoceana team, we will continue with our series in the South Pacific of Costa Rica. We want to write a story in collaboration with the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC). The protagonist, this time, is a hawksbill turtle in the Isla del Caño and surroundings. The hawksbill turtle is a common inhabitant of diving excursions on Caño Island. We believe that taking this turtle on an adventure around the Pacific coast of Costa Rica would give us an excellent opportunity to show both children and adults the incredible marine life present in the area.

You can enjoy the book for FREE. Click these link !