PATITAS: an integrative project for ocean education in El Salvador

The PATITAS project is a research and awareness initiative that began through a University-Business alliance to address the problems of habitat and species loss faced by brachyuran crabs in El Salvador. It arose in 2021, with a monographic study that identified the richness of the group in the country, through primary (interviews) and secondary sources (review of scientific collections of museums in the world, bibliographic review of 100 years of publications and citizen science), the results were published as a scientific article. This scientific research was awarded first place in the National Award 2024, in the category of Natural Sciences, in El Salvador. PATITAS, after three years of execution, is becoming a brand that, hand in hand with private enterprise, seeks to generate knowledge, share it with citizens of all ages and innovate in initiatives that work for a better future for the country. But what has been the success behind PATITAS? We believe that such a charismatic group of invertebrates, such as crabs, can establishing a connection between people. In addition, the cultural importance of crabs is the bridge that links ocean education with more complex issues such as marine ecosystem pollution, marine governance, climate change, and ecosystem conservation.