Publicação
Sea within. Exploring Marine Identity as an Embodied and Relational Way of Knowing the Ocean through a Somatic Surf Retreat
| datacite.subject.fos | Engenharia e Tecnologia::Engenharia do Ambiente | |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Mesquita, Mônica | |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Fox, Natalie | |
| dc.contributor.author | Rickmann, Anna | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-09-28T18:44:27Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-09-28T18:44:27Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2026-05-15 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Human and ocean health are deeply interconnected, but human–ocean relationships are often addressed through cognitive, knowledge-based approaches that overlook lived and embodied experience. This dissertation explores marine identity as an embodied and relational way of knowing the ocean, and studies what a sea-centered approach reveals about how people relate to the ocean. Using a mixed methods design, the research was conducted within a six-day Ocean Re- treat for adult women that integrated surfing, somatic movement, and guided reflection. Qual- itative methods, including journaling, emotional check-ins, and in-field observations, were complemented by quantitative pre–post surveys. The findings reveal marine identity as an embodied, relational, and processual phenom- enon, rather than a fixed or explicitly named identity. Marine identity became visible through shifts in affective engagement, relational connectedness, wellbeing, and behavioral intentions, whereas cognitive knowledge and self-reported behavior showed limited short-term change. Participants mainly expressed their relationship with the ocean through emotional, metaphor- ical, and embodied language, often together with ambivalence. By foregrounding embodiment and relational experience, this research reframes ocean literacy as a process of knowing with the ocean rather than about it, which has implications for ocean education, wellbeing-oriented engagement, and Blue Care approaches. | eng |
| dc.description.abstract | A saúde humana e a saúde do oceano estão profundamente interligadas, mas as relações entre humanos e oceano são frequentemente abordadas através de perspetivas cognitivas e baseadas no conhecimento, que tendem a desvalorizar a experiência vivida e incorporada. Esta dissertação explora a identidade marinha como uma forma incorporada e relacional de conhecer o oceano, analisando o que uma abordagem centrada no mar revela sobre a forma como as pessoas se relacionam com o oceano. Utilizando um desenho de investigação de métodos mistos, o estudo foi realizado no contexto de um retiro oceânico de seis dias para mulheres adultas, que integrou surf, práticas de movimento somático e reflexão guiada. Métodos qualitativos, incluindo escrita reflexiva, check-ins emocionais e observação em contexto de campo, foram complementados por questionários quantitativos aplicados antes e após o retiro. Os resultados revelam a identidade marinha como um fenómeno incorporado, relacional e processual, em vez de uma identidade fixa ou explicitamente nomeada. A identidade marinha tornou-se visível através de mudanças no envolvimento afetivo, na conexão relacional com o oceano, no bem-estar e nas intenções comportamentais, enquanto o conhecimento cognitivo e os comportamentos auto-relatados apresentaram alterações limitadas a curto prazo. As participantes expressaram maioritariamente a sua relação com o oceano através de uma linguagem emocional, metafórica e incorporada, frequentemente acompanhada por ambivalência. | por |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10362/206737 | |
| dc.language.iso | eng | |
| dc.rights.uri | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ | |
| dc.subject | Ocean literacy | |
| dc.subject | wellbeing | |
| dc.subject | human-ocean relationships | |
| dc.subject | blue space | |
| dc.subject | experiential learning | |
| dc.subject | non-formal education | |
| dc.title | Sea within. Exploring Marine Identity as an Embodied and Relational Way of Knowing the Ocean through a Somatic Surf Retreat | eng |
| dc.type | master thesis | |
| dspace.entity.type | Publication | |
| thesis.degree.name | MASTER IN MSC MARINE LIVING RESSOURCES: SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY |