Nexus Island

Nexus Island is an interactive game that enables participants to understand how life connects up in a coastal ecosystem. Participants can sample the coast, collect and identify organisms, and find collaborative solutions for a changing environment. This game is suitable for use in the classroom or as a public engagement workshop. It is available to print in multiple languages. Training is on offer for teachers who are interested in bringing Nexus Island to the classroom.

TREC in the City

Interactive pop-up activities delivered in community spaces such as shopping malls, city piazzas and pedestrianised streets, TREC in the City focused on engaging a wide audience including families, young people and older adults, with a particular focus on microscopy.

Science on Tour

Taking place in community venues such as pubs, libraries, and cafes, Science on Tour events brought the researchers and local partners involved in the TREC expedition together with members of the public for a discussion about topics including loss of biodiversity and climate change, with an emphasis on the ways in which molecular biology can enhance understanding of the impact of different environmental factors on coastal ecosystems. The aim was to create an informal and friendly space to bring scientists together with members of the public.

Run Scientist Run!

Run, Scientist, Run! is a giant-sized board game which replicates the sense of being a scientist in the field. Using a dice, players can experience the highs and lows of expedition research. Designed to appeal to people of all ages, the game is still available as a tabletop version in English, Spanish, Greek and Italian.

Guided Tours

The Advanced Mobile Laboratory (AML) is a state-of-the-art research facility which was a vital part of the TREC scientific expedition. Guided tours of the mobile lab were one of the most popular TREC public engagement activities.

Online Resources

Please find here a selection of the materials needed to do some of our activities. You will find:

• the manual to facilitate our workshop Nexus Island (together with cards and map – if your language is not already available for download, please contact us);
• the table version of Run Scientist Run!;
• a collection of three simple activities for kids.

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Workshop manual Nexus Island: EN | FR

Algae Bloom image: Download

Map of the Island: Download

Nexus Island cards: BG | DE | EL | EN | ES | FR | IT | NL | PL | PT

ESA cards: EN | CA | ES | EL | IT

Run Scientist Run! EN | ES | EL | IT

Activities for kids: Download

Partner Activities

As a collaborative, pan-European initiative, the TREC expedition was coordinated with many local partners, as well as core expedition partners including Fondation Tara Océan. These partners were key to the success of the public engagement programme. Activities were mostly delivered in local languages, by local volunteers, who were usually affiliated with local partner organisations. Additional public engagement activities were also offered directly by some core partners, including highly popular visits to the Tara ocean schooner.

Educational Activities

Nexus Island workshop resources have also been developed specifically for teachers to use in classrooms. These resources are hosted on the EMBL Science Education Teaching Base.