Filming Ocean Plastic Pollution for Participatory Research. The SeaPaCS experience

Abstract

Visual documentation, including professional and amatorial film-making and photography, is a powerful means of creating transformative knowledge and advancing participatory, engaged and action research practices. There is a long tradition in geographical research proving the importance of visual techniques, and film-making in particular plays an increasing role in contemporary society where boundaries between academia and society are blurring and the web – largely dependent on visual contents –drives societal interest and feelings. To introduce our theoretical and methodological considerations, we build on the immersive experience of the EU pilot project “SeaPaCS. Participatory Citizen Science against Marine Pollution”. Facing the crisis of plastic and microplastic pollution in the global Ocean, the project documented and discussed the biological consequences of marine plastic pollution and advanced sustainability-oriented actions in the coastal city of Anzio (Italy) on the Mediterranean Sea. Through visual documentation and, particularly film-making, we have been able to present to people the matter of concern, stimulating the debate, engaging them in doing research on the field, and overcoming the principal practical obstacles in making citizen science and participatory research in the ocean environment.
Therefore, we present our considerations on using film-making and in general visual documentation as a research practice that is particularly useful and prolific in participatory action and engaged research.
We describe our methodological approach complementing the exposition with videos and photographic exhibition screening.