Ocean-Science is Wonderful! Fostering curiosity through positive storytelling and emotional connection while "talking trash"

Marine plastic pollution is receiving much public attention, as the civil society sees it as a tangible threat to our oceans and its services. Regrettably, this perception and its evident effects on marine habitats (entanglement, ingestion, aesthetic aspects of contamination) link people to the sea through a connection of strong negative traits. The fact that plastic is identified as a hazard can help against its misuse and mismanagement, but it does not provide a durable commitment to the ocean, which must be sought by other means and new communication styles. The ocean is facing multiple anthropic pressures, not tangible on a spatial or temporal human scale in most cases. What once drove children to become todays’ marine scientists were the wonder and curiosity that the ocean and its creatures could elicit: the spectacle of ocean life undoubtfully creates a magic “connectedness” that amazes and binds. The feelings arising from a pristine sea enable the awareness that the ocean soothes the eyes and the soul and heals, positively reconnecting humans to nature in the “one-health” perspective. In recent experiences we examined children’s “good” bond to nature through questionnaires, and their engagement in the quest for plastic trash, aimed at sparking kids’ natural curiosity and exploration desire. We humans are better able to protect what we care for: the relationship with nature fosters care and understanding, which should be encouraged from an early age to recreate the “connectedness” fundamental to rebuild respect, love and commitment for the ocean that we want and need.