First University Course on Citizen Science and SCUBA Diving

The first university course on Citizen Science and SCUBA diving just successfully concluded at the Polytechnic University of Marche (Ancona, Italy – new PADI Educational Facility) with the support by and collaboration of PADI, DAN Europe, Green Bubbles, Reef Check Italia onlus and Project AWARE.

The course, aimed at creating a new generation of professional divers at the interface between business and research, was open to undergraduate/PhD students or graduates in Marine Sciences holding at least a Dive Master certification of any internationally recognised Certifying Agency. It covered topics such as environmental and medical Citizen Science, technology and marketing to promote Citizen Science in the diving industry, business diversification in SCUBA diving, and provided all participants with Reef Check Italia onlus and PADI Researcher Diver certifications. The latter is a new specialty course that can only be taught by PADI Instructors holding a qualifying university degree. Intensive training was given through classroom and field-work sessions, thereby exposing all participants to theoretical background and real-life scenarios.

Dates and programme for next year’s course are already being defined!