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ENGAGING YOUNG SCIENTISTS IN ARBOVIRUS MONITORING: CITIZEN SCIENCE AND THE GLOBE PROGRAM IN PINHEIRO, MARANHÃO, BRAZIL
Organization(s):UFMA - UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO MARANHÃO
Country:Brazil
Student(s):Maria Geovanna Moura da Silva; Millena Ferraz Macena; Kauã C. Santos Braga; Yure Sales de Brito
Grade Level:Middle School (grades 6-8, ages 11-14)
GLOBE Educator(s):Yllana Marinho, Adilson Matheus Borges Machado
Contributors:Vitor Rogério Sarges; Marlyson Costa Viegas; José Ribamar Soares Pereira; Igor Roberlando Alves dos Santos; Esther Caroline Ribeiro Pinheiro; Emanuelle Cristina Ribeiro Almeida; Suéllem dos Remédios Pinheiro; Luane Gabrielle Ramalho Queiroz; Wildysson Borel Barros; Ryan Furtado Silva; Kedma Marques da Costa; Ithallo Ribeiro Ferreira; João Victor Boas Dias; Lucas Eduardo Marinho Mendes; Aline Bessa Veloso; Joel Artur Rodrigues Dias; Mikele Candida Sousa de Sant’Anna; Roure Santos Ribeiro; Hilton Costa Louzeiro
Report Type(s):International Virtual Science Symposium Report
Protocols:Mosquitoes
Presentation Poster:
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Language(s):Portuguese
Date Submitted:03/05/2025
Climate change has intensified the incidence of arboviruses such as dengue, chikungunya, and Zika by promoting the proliferation of mosquito vectors. In this context, citizen science stands out as an innovative tool for monitoring and controlling these diseases, fostering community engagement in epidemiological surveillance. This study aimed to involve elementary school students in mosquito monitoring in Pinheiro-MA, using the GLOBE Program as a pedagogical and investigative tool. The research adopted a qualitative-quantitative approach and engaged 60 eighth-grade students from the Instituto de Educação de Pinheiro (IEP) in practical activities, including the use of the GLOBE Observer app, the creation and monitoring of traps, larva identification, an educational quiz, and the dissemination of GLOBE activities to the entire school community. Over 90 days of monitoring, 30% of the traps contained larvae, with a predominance of Culex sp. (90%) and Aedes aegypti (10%). The results highlight the influence of environmental conditions on vector reproduction and reinforce the importance of citizen science in arbovirus surveillance. The experience promoted awareness of preventive practices and demonstrated that active environmental education can strengthen student engagement in public health and epidemiological monitoring.