To celebrate World Ocean Day 2024, a Blue Carbon Science Fair was held at Xiamen Music School on June 7, 2024. Co-organized by the State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science (MEL), 70.8 Media Lab, BLUE-CARE team, and Coastal-SOS, the event engaged more than 300 primary school students from Xiamen Music School.

The ocean is vital for sustaining life on Earth, playing a crucial role in climate regulation, food provision, livelihood support for millions of people, and biodiversity conservation. Blue carbon, referring to carbon captured and stored by coastal and marine ecosystems like mangroves, seagrasses, and salt marshes, is instrumental in mitigating climate change by reducing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere.

During the Blue Carbon Science Fair, volunteers from Xiamen University delivered lectures to students on the significance of the ocean and blue carbon. In addition, with over 10 booths showcasing various aspects of blue carbon through crafts, puzzles, quizzes, and science experiments, children further learned about blue carbon production and consumption, blue carbon ecosystems, low-carbon lifestyle and more.

For instance, one booth highlighted how phytoplankton produce blue carbon through photosynthesis, featuring essential microalgae such as diatoms, dinoflagellates, cyanobacteria, and green algae. Another booth engaged kids with multiple-choice questions simulating daily life scenarios where they had to make low-carbon choices in clothing, food, housing, and transportation. This approach aimed to instill habits of living a low-carbon and green lifestyle in children.

Under the theme "Awaken New Depths" of World Ocean Day 2024, the Blue Carbon Science Fair served to raise awareness about environmental protection and motivate actions towards ocean conservation. By educating young minds about the importance of blue carbon and sustainable living practices, the fair contributes to fostering a generation that values and protects our oceans for years to come.

Primary school students in the Blue Carbon Science Fair