Memperkenalkan Sumber Makanan Bergizi dan Sehat dari Biota Laut dalam Meningkatkan Kecerdasan Berfikir dan Karya Inovatif Peserta Didik SMP Negeri 26 Pulau Haruku Kabupaten Maluku Tengah Provinsi Maluku

Introducing Nutritious and Healthy Marine Food Sources to Enhance Cognitive Abilities and Innovative Output Among Students at SMP Negeri 26, Pulau Haruku, Central Maluku Regency, Maluku Province

Abstract

This community service initiative aims to introduce the potential of nutritious and healthy food sources derived from coastal and marine ecosystems while simultaneously enhancing students' critical, creative, and innovative thinking skills through the development of learning projects. The utilization of marine organisms as food sources is based on their content of protein, vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids—specifically eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) which play a crucial role in supporting cognitive function development. Furthermore, certain marine organisms contain astaxanthin, a compound with antioxidant activity that offers potential protection against oxidative stress. From a nutritional standpoint, seafood provides essential nutrients with a diverse composition, including protein, fats, calcium, phosphorus, and iron. This activity integrates an introduction to the nutritional content of marine organisms with project-based learning, encouraging students to identify problems, explore alternative solutions, generate new ideas, and develop innovative products. Evaluation results indicate a significant relationship between students' critical thinking skills and their innovative outputs, with a coefficient of determination (R²) of 77.4%. These findings suggest that strengthening food literacy based on coastal and marine resources—combined with project-based learning—has the potential to foster higher-order thinking competencies while yielding innovative products that are contextual and relevant to the students' own environments.