Methods
Summary
Biciola is a local effort to raise awareness of microplastics and learning about conservation incentives in the global south. We will conduct our study on a public shore where people of different ages and social classes are likely to congregate. A team member will supervise the site in order to coordinate demographic information from volunteers, stakeholder/visitor talks, and ensure the safety of Biciola. Our mesh size will be specific to the study area so that coral and sand will not be captured. Methods for this project include: 1: We will connect with local governments and hold meetings to introduce the Project and find allies for our initiative the study site. We will run a granulometry test, and install our prototype. 2: We will offer talks to the participants about the Project's importance, Biciola operation, and microplastics problematic locally and globally. We will not provide any compensation. Educational talks won't change, so; we will know if knowledge/education might incentivize action. 3: We will install a generator in our prototype to implement music as a non-monetary incentive to increase visitors' interest. 4: We will implement a lottery-based financial incentive program using the data collected from participants. We will select a winner at the end of the month and share our results on social media. 5: We will fix the Biciola on the ground to preserve their integrity. We will discuss potential improvements for the device and identify demographic and behavioral patterns from the data. We will offer final talks to the community about lessons learned and opportunities.
Challenges
There is a challenge regarding permissions for Biciola installation. It could have a high impact, but the likelihood of it happening is low. To mitigate the impacts of Biciola installation on the ground, we will be coordinating with local governments. Another risk would be having insufficient funds to complete the project, which would have a medium impact and a moderate chance of occurring. In order to mitigate this, we will collaborate with local organizations and stakeholders to find extra support from different allies. Finally, we could have the risk of having low participation or interest, the impact would be high, but the probability of this happening is low, since we are developing an effective communication and engagement strategy for sending a strong and compelling message to the people involved in the execution of this project, potential participants, and the public. To reach out to all social strata and ages, we will use simple visuals and verbal communication.
Pre Analysis Plan
This project will result in five main deliveries. 1. Biciola prototype: We will design and build a prototype based on a tumble with manual pedals that will activate it. It will have different mesh sizes adapted to each one of the field stations. We will make three Biciolas and install them in various coastal areas to support the cleaning of vulnerable shores and restore marine ecosystems affected by plastic pollution. 2: Scientific Paper: We will publish our results in an academic paper discussing this project's challenges, risks, and opportunities. Our results will improve the current understanding of implementation science, pro-conservation incentives and will offer a greater understanding of behavioral change in Latin-American scenarios. 3.Technical Report (Summary for Stakeholders): We will prepare a report for stakeholders and local planners to raise awareness about plastic pollution using simple language. Based on our results, we will offer recommendations about better organizing conservation projects on the ground to prompt effective action. This information will inform decision-makers on current risks and opportunities of using Biciola on public beaches to support a transition to sustainable ocean governance. 4: 10 - 15 minutes presentation in national conferences and international networks: We will foster the conversation on initiatives to clean microplastics from beaches in the global south to our partners in SeedWorld and Surfrider Foundation, in Hawai'i, to promote new networking and joint interests for co-designing future projects in the global south. Also, we will present our results at relevant future national and international conferences. 5: Video, Short animated video, and photo collection: This project will be fully documented through videos and photographs. We want to tell our story in multiple ways to successfully transmit our message, raise awareness, inform, and educate about the adverse effect of microplastics on our world. Using simple storytelling, 3D animated videos, designed images, and photos, we will communicate the progress and results of our project. We will use our social media account on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok channel, and local newsletters to post these graphic materials. We expect to collaborate with volunteers in the future to exchange our experience and keep inspiring collaborating action.
Protocols
This project has not yet shared any protocols.