CO>SEA/PartArt4OW Sailing Lab testing

Writing and documentation expedition

Within the framework of the pilot project “CoSea_Lab. Collaborative Laboratory for the Sea and Socio-Environmental Sustainability in the Gulf of Anzio”, funded by Sapienza University of Rome – Third Mission, on the 9-11 May 2025 the CO>SEA research group continues its activities of analysis, documentation, and elaboration of results through a collective sailing expedition across selected coastal waters (WP4, Objectives 3 and 4). The expedition is intended to refine and test the instruments and methodologies set forth in the CO>SEA research protocols for marine social geography and visual research (cf. Technical-Scientific Report and Methodological Handbook).

In accordance with the work plan objective of implementing the Sailing Lab, the expedition is devoted to the experimental application of on-board laboratory activities by project leaders, marine water sampling (for chemical and biological analyses), brainstorming and the drafting of a follow-up plan, as well as the internal evaluation of the research conducted. Activities include the exploration and documentation of identified issues (including, where pertinent, biological sampling, data collection, maintenance of logbooks, and visual reportage with professional support), brainstorming sessions, and project design.

Within the broader CO>SEA programme and in collaboration with the Horizon Europe project PartArt4OW, the expedition is intended to:
● Assess the adequacy and operability of the selected vessel in view of its use for the PartArt4OW SailingLab (scheduled for 2026) in collaboration with ALTURA;
● Undertake textual, visual, and acoustic documentation of the Gulf’s socio-environmental context in order to render coastal landscapes and reported criticalities visible to the public from the sea (with reference to Bremen University’s work plan “Ocean Word. From the Outside In”) – see project “Observation and documentation of selected emergences in coastal waters from Anzio to Circeo National Park and the Pontine Islands; fieldwork note-taking (including, where relevant, biological sampling), offshore interviews, and video-photographic recording”;
● Revise and integrate the CO>SEA Technical-Scientific Report (policy suggestions section) and Methodological Handbook (in particular, guidelines for visual research);
● Undertake preliminary planning of activities envisaged for the PartArt4OW SailingLab (Autumn 2025);
● Propose a research-action plan on Oceanic Sense of Place (textual and audiovisual productions, outreach);
● Develop a proposal for a SailingLab Summer School on marine social geography and visual documentation (in collaboration with Sapienza Memotef, Raw-News, and Altura);
● Conduct brainstorming sessions on projects currently under elaboration;
● Carry out sampling activities.