Saturday May 9 | 2:00 PM | screening room Goplana
Event: Discovering the Ocean – Light, Life and the Curiosity of Scientists
after the screening of A LIFE ILLUMINATED, dir. Tasha Van Zandt
Partner: Gdynia Aquarium – a partner in the environmental initiatives of Millennium Docs Against Gravity in the Tri-City
A meeting with Małgorzata Żywicka from the Gdynia Aquarium (National Marine Fisheries Research Institute) and Dr Tomasz Kijewski from the Institute of Oceanology of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Sopot. We will explore how a research perspective can be combined with an educational experience, and demonstrate how to discuss complex phenomena in an accessible way without losing their meaning. The conversation will be a story about the very act of learning: about working methods, the limitations of field and laboratory research, and how scientific knowledge is created, changes, and reaches its audience.
And we wouldn’t be at Gdynia Film Centre if it weren’t for bioluminescence – the ability of marine organisms to produce light. Although it looks spectacular, it serves specific biological functions, including communication, defence strategies, and foraging. During the meeting, we will look at how and why organisms glow, and how researchers describe and interpret these processes in various environments – from the relatively well-studied waters of the Baltic Sea to hard-to-reach oceanic regions.
Guest:
Tomasz Kijewski – a biologist specialising in the genetics of marine fauna, affiliated with the Climate and Ocean Research and Education Laboratory at the Institute of Oceanology of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Sopot, an educator and science communicator. Co-founder of the ‘Ocean of Change’ project, he actively participates in festivals, workshops and lectures for young people and adults. Co-author of the series ‘Niepodręcznik Oceaniczny’ and author of scientific and popular science publications.
Moderator:
Małgorzata Żywicka – an oceanographer specialising in marine biology and an educator at the National Marine Fisheries Research Institute Gdynia Aquarium. Member of the European Marine Science Educators Association (EMSEA). She develops workshops, films and educational materials, and co-organises events to popularise science. In her work, she focuses on raising awareness of biodiversity and the interdependencies governing the functioning of marine ecosystems.
