Work

Ocean Interactions: Exploring Marine Microbial Ecologies

Year: 2025

Type: conference-paper

Abstract: Ocean Interactions is an interactive, multi-screen digital simulation that gamifies the biogeochemical cycling of marine microbial ecosystems in Narragansett Bay. Developed through collaboration between scientists and designers, it uses an agent-based model built in P5.js, integrating seasonal microbial data to create a responsive ecosystem. Participants manipulate key microbial players—cyanobacteria, heterotrophic bacteria, and phages—observing real-time changes in population dynamics and carbon flux making the invisible visible. Participants explore the fragile interdependencies of marine life as they engage with the simulation and discover their role in shaping global marine ecologies.

Source: ACM Designing Interactive Systems Conference (DIS)

DOI: 10.1145/3715668.3736387

Authors: Avantika Velho, Pedro M. Cruz, Katia Zolotovsky

Institution: Northeastern University

Language: English

Topic: Educational Games and Gamification

Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Life below water

Open Access status: hybrid

OpenAlex ID: W4412045090

FWCI: 12.35

Cites: 13

Cited by: 2

Related to: 10