La Paz University Hospital has hosted the presentation of 'ABC of Marine Microorganisms', a book featuring 178 drawings by children and adolescents admitted to 13 hospitals across seven autonomous communities. The Spanish edition, coordinated by the Madrid centre, will be published in print in 2027.
The La Paz University Hospital was the venue for the presentation of the book “ABC of Marine Microorganisms”, a work published in Portugal that brings together 178 drawings created by children and adolescents hospitalised in Spanish hospitals. The works represent around fifty microorganisms and marine ecosystems, as reported by the Community of Madrid.
The publication, which already has translations into Spanish and Italian, will have its printed version in 2027. The project has been coordinated in Spain by La Paz Hospital itself, through its Hospital Classroom and its Office for Sustainable Development, with participation from 13 hospitals across seven autonomous communities.
The initiative is part of an international programme developed by Portugal in collaboration with Spain and Italy, where scientists explain marine microorganisms and children reinterpret them through their drawings. In this edition, the project continues from “Sailors of Hope”, which previously gathered illustrations from hospitalised children about the Magellan and Elcano expedition.
The presentation event featured speeches from Javier Cobas, deputy manager of La Paz; Ana Príncipe, coordinator of the Sailors of Hope project; Luis Menezes Pinheiro, coordinator of the National Committee for the Ocean Decade of Portugal; Rafael González-Quirós, director of the Oceanographic Centre of Gijón and co-director of the United Nations World Ocean Assessment; Julio García Rodríguez, head of the Microbiology Service at La Paz University Hospital, and Alejandro Cabañas, underwater videographer.
During the day, each participating hospital classroom received a diploma and an ocean puzzle as recognition for their work. The awarded centres include, among others, Virgen del Rocío University Hospital and Virgen de las Nieves (Andalusia), Central Hospital of Asturias, Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria (Canary Islands), University Hospital of Guadalajara (Castilla-La Mancha), Clinical University Hospital of Santiago (Galicia), Basurto and Cruces (Basque Country), and the Madrid hospitals La Paz, Ramón y Cajal, Niño Jesús, Gregorio Marañón, and 12 de Octubre.
The initiative is part of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021-2030 and aims to help children understand the relationship between the ocean, climate, and health, encouraging everyday actions such as conserving water, reducing waste, or avoiding unnecessary plastics. The project aligns with several Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG 3 (good health and well-being), SDG 14 (life below water), SDG 4 (quality education), SDG 13 (climate action), and SDG 17 (partnerships).
The printed version of the book will be available in 2027, as confirmed by the organisation during the event held at the Madrid centre.
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