The role of environmental education in Sicilian Marine Protected Areas

Today, more than ever, we need to be care for our common home: the Earth. The global financial and economical crisis has made evident the inner relationship between environmental degradation, the consequences of the new shift in the geopolitical order, and the cultural conflicts confronting the world. In this contest, the Italian Ministry of the Environment and Protection of Land and Sea (MATTM) promotes Education for Sustainable Development and Environmental Education to empower citizen to live sustainably and in an environmentally conscious manner. From a citizenship perspective, ecological viewpoints play a role in the public debate about land use, large scale fishing, sustainability, climate change, and so forth. Sicily is the Italian region with the highest number of designated MPAs -6 -and more are in the pipeline. This study gives an overview of the various dissemination initiatives being taken within Sicilian MPAs over the past decade to increase public awareness about the importance of such protected areas.