SeaMic
A quick test, developed with citizens, to monitor the microbiological contamination of water in the beaches of Oeiras
SeaMic was born where science meets the sea and where the community becomes an active part of the answer to an urgent challenge: to assess, in real time, the microbiological contamination of the water in the beaches of Oeiras. Launched in 2025, this Citizen Science project transforms environmental monitoring into a participatory, accessible process with a direct impact on public health. In a context where water quality is crucial to people’s well-being and to confidence in swimming areas, SeaMic offers an innovative solution: a quick test, developed with citizens, to detect microbial contamination simply and effectively, outside the “laboratory bubble.”
Get Involved
Oeiras Experimenta in numbers
1
quick test developed in co-creation
1
patent application by ITQB NOVA
5
researchers involved 20
citizen scientists actively engagedScientific Goals
SeaMic’s main goal is the participatory development of a rapid diagnostic system capable of assessing microbiological contamination in seawater at beaches and in coastal areas. This tool could be applied not only in beaches, but also in humanitarian missions, educational projects, and future international partnerships, including with PALOP countries. The research combines microbiology, environmental health, and technological innovation, bridging the gap between science and real community needs.
Labs Involved
The project is coordinated by ITQB NOVA’s Yeast Molecular Biology Laboratory with support from the C+C Program and relies on a strong network of institutional partners:
- ITQB NOVA;
- Universidade Nova de Lisboa
- EUTOPIA_HEALTH;
- SIMAS;
- Oeiras Municipality.
Scientists Results and Impact
SeaMic has achieved concrete and very promising milestones:
- Patent application filed by ITQB NOVA for the filtration system developed in the project;
- Citizen scientists conducting tests at the beach;
- Public sessions at ITQB NOVA’s Open Day, International Microorganism Day, the Oeiras Valley Science Festival, and European Researchers’ Night;
- International workshops on scientific impact and communication, organized by NOVA’s Rectory;
- Integration of science and art through Rádio Bugio, as part of the European project Bauhaus of the Seas.
Citizen participation was not merely symbolic, given that many of the system’s features arose directly from the feedback gathered during the process.
With a focus on the environment and public health, SeaMic is preparing new initiatives for 2026, exploring partnerships with PALOP countries and applying for new funding to implement the rapid test—developed with citizen input—in areas with few laboratories.
Citizen Scientists
SeaMic is unique in its active involvement of citizen groups on beaches and in laboratories through scientific co-creation processes. During sessions held between May and July 2025, citizen scientists:
- Collected water samples from beaches in the municipality of Oeiras;
- Tested prototypes of the filtration system;
- Contributed practical suggestions to help adapt the test to real-world beach conditions;
- Participated in public demonstrations and interviews.
This collaboration was crucial to making the method feasible outside the laboratory, ensuring that the innovation addresses real-world challenges.
Catarina Pimentel, Lab head at ITQB NOVA and Project Coordinator
Citizen science made us think about the real world: listening to citizens was key to adapting the methodology, making it feasible outside the laboratory, and turning constructive feedback into scientific solutions with a direct impact on the project’s design.
