Greek pre-service teachers’ level of ocean literacy was assessed using a revised questionnaire concerning ocean content knowledge and an instrument about ocean stewardship. Rasch analyses showed that the items of both measures were well targeted to the sample. Pre-service teachers possessed a moderate knowledge of ocean sciences issues and positive attitudes toward ocean stewardship; they obtained most information on ocean content from the Internet and mass media and less from formal education, nongovernmental organizations, books, and out-of-school settings. Students who mostly preferred the Internet and mass media scored significantly higher on the knowledge questionnaire. The results could contribute to the enhancement of teachers’ ocean literacy.

The catch per unit effort (CPUE), population structure, sex ratio, and reproductive aspects of the invasive blue crab Callinectes sapidus Rathbun were studied in Monolimni Lagoon and the adjacent coastal waters in the estuarine area of the Evros River (Northeast Aegean Sea, Eastern Mediterranean). The CPUE varied both seasonally and spatially; higher values were recorded in summer and fall in the lagoonal stations characterized by shallow depth (<0.5 m) and a dense meadow of the angiosperm Ruppia maritima, whereas significantly lower CPUE was recorded in the adjacent coastal area. The bottom temperature was positively correlated with CPUE. Μodal progression analysis estimated a three-modal size–frequency distribution for both sexes corresponding to the 0⁺, 1⁺, and 2⁺ age classes. Females attained a significantly larger size (carapace width (CW)) than males. Crab size decreased from the marine area to the lagoonal stations. The sex ratio was estimated at 2.45:1 (♂/♀). Males dominated in all months, except for October, when an equal sex ratio was observed. The mean size at maturity (L₅₀) of females was estimated at 124 mm CW. Females with mature ovaries were found from February to October. Ovigerous females were observed from May to October in the coastal area, where a spawning peak occurred in September. In the Evros River estuary, the American blue crab exhibits a life cycle that seems to conform to the general complex life-cycle pattern of the species along the mid-Atlantic coast.

The Mediterranean Sea is characterized by rich biodiversity, and its region hosts people living in several countries with a rich variety of cultures, but – at the same time – it is “under siege”, due to anthropogenic pressures. To address these pressures, many actions are needed aiming, among others, at establishing Ocean Literacy (OL) across the Mediterranean countries and preparing the future generation of Mediterranean Sea-literate citizens. Towards this aim, the present cross-national study investigated OL issues in relation to content knowledge, possible common misconceptions, attitudes, and the self-reported behavior of 2,533 middle school students from eight Mediterranean countries (Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Italy, Malta, Spain, and Turkey), as well as certain background elements (e.g., gender, grade level, environmental education experience, sources of relevant information). The results of this study revealed that middle school students of all studied countries possess a moderate level of ocean sciences content knowledge, while they showed satisfactory pro-environmental attitudes and behavior. These findings along with further research are expected to function as a baseline for the design, implementation, and launch of specifically targeted programs, educational activities, teaching resources, curricula, and school textbooks, which will be achieved through close collaboration between schools, universities, research institutes, and Ministries of Education, thus contributing to the future protection and sustainable development of the Mediterranean Sea region.

This study aims to add to the mapping of the presence of ocean sciences issues in national curricula and textbooks worldwide, investigating the inclusion of ocean literacy principles and their fundamental concepts in Greek primary science textbooks according to the Ocean Literacy Framework. Content analysis was implemented in both textual and pictorial material. The textbook analysis revealed that although all Ocean Literacy Principles are presented to some extent in the textbooks under study, most of their supporting fundamental concepts are absent for most of the principles. Only principles 1 and 6 are well represented, while principles 4 and 7 show the weakest appearance. The alignment of the principles and concepts in the textbooks with the Scope and Sequence of the Ocean Literacy Framework showed an apparent inconsistency, revealing that they are partially represented and superficially introduced. The implications of this study add to this mapping and aim to help curriculum designers and marine educators worldwide to cooperate for the inclusion of ocean literacy topics into the curricula which will potentially lead to students’ improved knowledge about the marine environment and the enhancement of their ocean literacy and responsible environmental behavior concerning ocean conservation.

This study aims to investigate the presence of ocean sciences issues in Greek secondary education (grades 7-12) science textbooks, in respect of the Ocean Literacy Framework. Content analysis was undertaken concerning both textual and pictorial materials of the Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Geography – Geology courses. Results revealed that the textbooks under study contain limited and fragmented information with regard to the seven essential principles of the framework, while a comparison with the Ocean Literacy Scope & Sequence evidences inconsistencies. The suggestions arising from this study could help curriculum designers, textbook authors, marine educators, and marine scientists to cooperate on a wider scale towards the inclusion of ocean literacy topics into national curricula worldwide.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the impact of an intervention on primary school students’ construction of knowledge on ocean acidification and the development of their systems thinking. Eighty-five 11 to 12-year-old students from five different classes of two public primary schools in Greece participated in the 8-h intervention. The intervention included inquiry-based and knowledge-integration activities, and students worked in groups during all activities. Rich pictures, made by the groups at the beginning and the end of the intervention, were used to evaluate their progress in their knowledge concerning the carbon cycle, as well as in their systems thinking. Our findings showed that the intervention contributed to primary students’ conceptual knowledge of the carbon cycle and the inclusion of ocean acidification in the carbon cycle. It also helped them improve their systems thinking, indicating that students’ systems thinking at this age could be developed through formal instruction with interventions which emphasize content knowledge and use an earth systems approach. Moreover, our findings indicate that the systems thinking perspective can serve as an effective approach to help children better understand and critically engage with complex environmental issues, such as ocean acidification.