ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Ocean Sustain.
Sec. Sustainability in Marine Conservation Ecology
Enhancing Public Engagement and Scientific Literacy for Marine Conservation in Brazil: The Role of Informal Science Education Events
Rachel Ann Hauser-Davis 1
Manildo Marcião Oliveira 2
Renato Matos Lopes 3
1. Chemistry, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, São Paulo
2. IFF cabo frio, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
3. Fundacao Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Select one of your emails
You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers:
Notify me on publication
Please enter your email address:
If you already have an account, please login
You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here
Abstract
Effective marine conservation increasingly depends on public engagement, particularly in biodiversity-rich regions facing acute socio-environmental pressures. In Brazil, a global marine biodiversity hotspot, important informal science education events such as Semanas de Biologia, Fiocruz pra Você, and the Semana Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia serve as important interfaces between marine science and society. This perspective paper reflects on the role of these initiatives in enhancing scientific literacy and public engagement for marine conservation, drawing on qualitative observations from outreach activities conducted between 2023 and 2025 and situating them within the broader literature on informal science education and science communication. Rather than presenting causal impact assessments, the paper examines how multisensory and participatory strategies, including biological specimens, tactile materials, interactive games, and low-cost immersive technologies, can foster accessible and meaningful learning environments for diverse audiences. Finally, it outlines future directions for strengthening informal science education as a strategic component of marine conservation, emphasizing multimodality, reflexive evaluation practices, community co-production, and equitable geographic access. By framing informal outreach as a key interface between science, society, and policy, this perspective contributes to discussions on how public engagement can support conservation governance in Brazil and other global marine biodiversity hotspots.
Summary
Keywords
Biodiversity awareness, Environmental Education, informal science education, marine conservation, Public Outreach, Science Communication, Scientific literacy
Received
22 January 2026
Accepted
20 February 2026
Copyright
© 2026 Hauser-Davis, Oliveira and Lopes. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Rachel Ann Hauser-Davis
Disclaimer
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.