Abstract/Hauptbeschreibung (Englisch)

The technical report summarizes the in-person event "Geobiodiversity of the Italian Seas", organized as part of the European Maritime Day 2024 – In My Country initiative. The multidisciplinary event comprised a series of educational activities focused on marine sciences and was organized by researchers from the Institute of Marine Sciences of the National Research Council (CNR-ISMAR) of Bologna (Italy). The main objective of the event was to increase children's awareness and understanding of the marine environment, highlighting the importance of geological heritage and its role in supporting marine biodiversity. Throughout the day, children engaged in a variety of interactive educational activities designed to explore the diversity of the Italian seas. These included listening to science-based stories, observing and handling rocks, examining biological samples under the microscope, and experiencing virtual reality applications that allowed them to explore a research vessel used for oceanographic expeditions.