Empowering citizen science in coastal oceanography through low-cost open source devices: the SECOSTA project at the intersection of technology and education

The SECOSTA project emerged in 2018 as a groundbreaking citizen science initiative based on low-cost open-source devices with a dual mission: (i) educating high school students about the climate crisis’ impact on coastal regions, and (ii) actively engaging them in scientific research to fill observational gaps in coastal oceanography. Since then, the project has achieved remarkable success, fostering a harmonious partnership among researchers, regional government bodies, and secondary schools, engaging over 4,000 students from nearly 35 educational institutions.