Contributory project: It is designed by scientists, and citizens participate in data collection. 

Overall goals:   Develop a set of reliable indicators for monitoring and evaluating environmental conditions in coastal areas   Create a manual that will enable reliable and systematic data collection to contribute to the formulation of a sustainable beach management plan for both public and private recreational beaches in Mar del Plata, with the aim to obtain an environmental certification  Specific goals:  Conduct an assessment  of the characteristics of the coastal area on different scales for beach use classification   Develop an instrument suitable for the monitoring and evaluation of public and private recreational beaches  Train students, managers, and the personnel employed at beach facilities on how to implement procedures for recording the data to be collected at beach sites  Select, develop, and put into practice the most adequate indicators  Create an appropriate quality index  Monitor the environmental quality of beach sites over a year, for the purposes of field index calibration and technical data collection for decision-makers  Devise a management plan enabling the application of the most adequate environmental strategies for each type of beach site, based on its natural characteristics and use  Generate dissemination material and recreational strategies to communicate risk management measures in order to raise awareness among visitors on the natural characteristics and conservation of beach sites  Collaborate with the formulation of a management plan for the short, medium, and long term enabling the implementation of a consensual development strategy for the seashore of Mar del Plata  Create a procedural manual for devising a management plan and recording data to determine beach environmental quality indicators associated to risk maps 

Description of citizen participation: Citizens participate in the identification of the problem, data collection, and they might contribute to their dissemination.

Time frame: 01/09/2019 - 01/08/2021 

Project leader: Eduardo Vallarino, Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences (FCEyN, in Spanish) of the National University of Mar del Plata (UNMdP, in Spanish).

Contact information: Email: vallarinoeduardo@gmail.com The final document will be available in a digital format at MdPET’s website and the digital repositories of participating universities. It will also be published by the publishing house of the National University of Mar del Plata (EUDEM, in Spanish). Web: www.mardelplataentretodos.org