Costa Rica has launched a digital platform designed to raise awareness of its oceans and their importance. The “Costa Rica Azul” or Costa Rica Blue” initiative is a free-to-access resource for students, educators, and the wider public.
“Costa Rica Blue was created out of the need to better understand our oceans and recognize their value,” said Adriana Acosta, Director of the essential COSTA RICA country brand. She explained: “We believe that knowledge is the first step toward protection, and this platform seeks precisely that: to bring this knowledge to more people—especially younger generations—through an accessible and interactive experience.”
The platform invites users to take part in an immersive introduction to Costa Rican waters, plunging them among the more than 7,000 marine species recorded in the country’s waters and providing information on each one and its ideal habitat, including details such as the water temperatures and pressures the creatures prefer. Key facts and figures about coral reefs and seamounts can also be discovered, as well as alerts on the risks of overfishing.
@esencialcostarica ¿A cuál nivel llegaste? 🌊🐠Contanos 👉 Seguí explorando en nuestra plataforma interactiva Costa Rica Azul. #CostaRicaAzul #biodiversidadmarina #costarica #océanos
♬ sonido original – esencial Costa Rica OFICIAL
Protecting the ocean is just as important for humans as is it for the creatures who live in it, since oceans generate more than 50% of the oxygen we breathe and absorb nearly 30% of the CO₂ we produce. Costa Rica is on the front line of such environmentally vital work. It is already well known for its protection of forests, national parks, and land-based wildlife, but over 90% of Costa Rica’s territory is ocean; in fact, its marine territory is around 10 times larger than its land area and is home to approximately 3.5% of the world’s reported marine species.
“Costa Rica is a deeply blue country, yet we are not always fully aware of what that means,” Acosta noted, describing the platform as “an invitation to rediscover that richness, to reconnect with our oceans, and to understand that their protection is part of who we are as a country.”
The Costa Rica Blue project was developed in partnership with the Ministry of Public Education (MEP), to fit well within the national education system. The resources work “in alignment with the Science and Biology curricula for students in lower and upper secondary education across different academic tracks. They serve as a complementary tool to strengthen classroom teaching and learning processes,” said Alfredo Ortega Cordero, Head of the Lower and Upper Secondary Education Department at the MEP Curriculum Development Directorate.
