Background
This learning material helps you understand the vital role of the ocean in our lives. It was produced for students in lower and upper secondary schools by Marine SABRES (Marine Systems Approaches for Biodiversity Resilience and Ecosystem Sustainability) project partners in 2025, as a follow-up to the first Marine SABRES School Competition, which took place in 2024 on World Fisheries Day.
Marine SABRES is a research project funded by the European Union aiming to develop better ways to manage coastal and marine areas in Europe. The overall goal of the project is to support individuals holding a position of power on the ocean to make balanced and well-informed decisions that consider not only economic priorities but also crucial environmental aspects.
Read more about the project: www.marinesabres.eu
Learning objectives
- Define the concepts of ecosystem and ecosystem services;
- Describe the seven principles of the ocean literacy framework;
- Identify the types of services provided by marine and coastal regions across Europe.
Target learners
Lower and upper secondary school students; anyone interested in learning about basic principles of marine biology, ecology and sustainability. Intermediate command of English and an introduction to biochemistry fundamentals are required.
Content
Executive summary
Introduction
How this learning material was designed
How to use this learning material
1. What makes Earth our home
2. The ocean for us
2.2 Many features for many habitats
2.3 Interconnected species: food and energy
3. We for the ocean
3.2 Unsustainable fishing practices: overfishing, habitat disruption, bycatch
4. The real value of the ocean
5. References
5.2 Sitography