BioProtect researcher Catherine Chambers, who is leading work on the Icelandic PPGIS task, has been busy collaborating with the next generation of ocean advocates in the coastal community of Bolungarvík. She has been supporting the HOBB project—Hafið Okkar (“Our Ocean”) – Blue Bolungarvík. HOBB is a citizen-science and ocean-literacy initiative funded by the European ProBleu project, which aims to boost ocean and water literacy across Europe.
HOBB is a partnership between the Bolungarvík elementary school and the University Centre of the Westfjords. Its goal is to connect students with the ocean in new and inspiring ways. The sea and its resources are deeply intertwined with Icelandic culture, history, and community development—particularly in the Westfjords, which lie close to productive fishing grounds. At the same time, smaller schools and rural communities often lack the resources needed to develop innovative educational programmes. HOBB therefore provides a much-needed spark to cultivate “ocean citizens”—much like a hob in a kitchen, where ideas and knowledge come together, ignite, and create something new.
The project sits at the intersection of Iceland’s growing opportunities for citizen science, the monitoring of invasive species, and broader themes such as biodiversity and protected waters. In this way, it aligns closely with the key themes of BioProtect.
HOBB’s primary objective is to inspire and engage primary-school students of all ages through ocean literacy, empowering them to become ocean leaders. Students will participate in citizen science by monitoring invasive crabs, collaborate with other schools, explore art as a tool for ocean literacy, learn about the importance of protected areas, and engage in modern science communication through a podcast series featuring BioProtect researchers.
Major Activities
A) Funnel trap sampling and data analysis
Students monitor nearshore coastal habitats for crabs using funnel traps. Working with their teachers, they set baited traps and record species, numbers, sex, size, and environmental data such as water depth and temperature. Older students use the dataset in science and mathematics classes. Sampling includes comparisons between a natural coastal area and a busy harbour.
Skálavík is defined as a “nature” area in the local marine spatial plan. Here the children could see many different kids of kelp washed ashore, and we discussed the role of kelp as a nursery ground and habitat.
B) Communications: Podcast and artwork
Students use their observations and data as creative inspiration. They produce artwork and a multilingual podcast series reflecting on their experiences, findings, and the aspects of the ocean that interest them most. Artwork can be displayed publicly at events, and students will have opportunities to speak with BioProtect researchers to enrich their podcast stories.
