CIIMAR Open Day brings science, literacy and curiosity to the public

The eagerly anticipated CIIMAR Open Day took place last Saturday, 20 September, bringing science, literacy and curiosity to the Port of Leixões Cruise Terminal. The 2025 edition of Open Day ran from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., in parallel with Port of Leixões Day.

A dive into marine and environmental sciences

At the entrance, entire families, young students and curious visitors were welcomed with an Ocean Explorer Passport, a fun tool that encouraged each visitor to explore the various stations of the science exhibition and participate in its experiments and activities.
Throughout the day, CIIMAR’s social media feeds were filled with posts showing images of fascinated children, young people and adults observing marine organisms, looking at cyanobacteria under a microscope, and small groups of future explorers enjoying aquariums displaying coastal biodiversity.

Activities that caught the attention

• Hands-On Workshops: From tide simulations, marine energy models and marine biotechnology demonstrations — from algae to bacteria, from aquaculture to the deep sea — all marine topics were within the public’s reach!
• Visual exhibitions: Entries from the latest edition of the CIIMAR Scientific Photography Competition were highlighted, with images captured in the field and in the laboratory by the artists hidden within each CIIMAR researcher. At the same time, the exhibitions Sea of Plastic and Sea Monsters reminded us a little of the problem of plastics in the ocean!
• Ocean Talks & Story Time: The day also featured a parallel programme filled with story time for children and conversations with scientists who addressed topics such as climate change, pollution and the role of the oceans as climate regulators with the public.

Participants highlighted the warm and vibrant atmosphere: researchers interacted with audiences of all ages, answering questions, explaining research methods and sharing interesting facts!

More than just an outreach event, CIIMAR Open Day once again built a bridge between science and society, bringing together perspectives, challenges and people. It is at times like these that not only scientific literacy — the ability to understand complex issues such as pollution, aquaculture and coastal ecosystems — is reinforced, but also a sense of belonging and environmental responsibility.