The project “Adopt a beach” was carried out by CNR-ISMAR in collaboration with CNR-IFC, CNR-IBE and INGV during March – June 2021 and involved 7 High Schools in different Italian regions. The Citizen Science initiatives proposed helped pupils to perform real surveys on marine plastic litter with “virtual” systems. Orthophotos collected by using aerial drones were analysed using the open source program QGIS. This was indeed a good opportunity to carry out the “work-related learning internships stages” of the students, in a time period where all field activities were restricted due to the Covid pandemic!
A moment of a distance video lecture, in which researchers explained the project to the students involved and showed them the procedures necessary to be able to affect the virtual cataloging of marine litter on orthophotos.
The screenshot of the program created within QGIS that allowed citizens/students involved in “Adopt a Beach” to mark marine litter on orthophotos of beaches monitored by drone, providing much useful data for researchers.