Put on your VR diving goggles and explore the fascinating beauty of coral reefs. Take a swim through the diverse underwater ecosystem and experience the magnificence as well as the dangers a coral reef is facing nowadays.

The Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) in Bremen researches tropical and subtropical coastal ecosystems and their significance for nature and humans. With its work, the ZMT provides a scientific foundation for the protection and sustainable use of these tropical coastal ecosystems. In cooperation with the University of Bremen, ZMT scientists have recently developed a 3D coral reef application (VR and Web), in which one can observe the negative effects of human influence on coral reefs.

Together with IJsfontein Interactive Media and ZMT, Zeppelin Studio extended this application to a playful, interactive experience: The players hop into the role of a marine biologist and scour the reef for dangers (such as mechanical damage caused by ship anchors, overfishing or eutrophication due to wastewater pollution). Players have to do their best to save the ecosystem by locating and defusing the problems before they run out of time. The loyal robot companion Cora guides them on their adventure and supports them with helpful information.

Immersed in the underwater world, players learn about the oftentimes harmful effects of mankind’s influence on coral reefs and their inhabitants. They are sensitized to the delicate biological balance of this complex habitat.

Key Features

• Experience a stunning underwater-world with your friendly companion Cora.
• Learn about the dangers coral reefs are facing nowadays.
• Witness the highly immersive experience powered by HTC Vive.

Production

Based on the groundwork by the Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Research and the University of Bremen, Zeppelin Studio developed an interactive underwater scavenger hunt in VR, using the game engine Unreal 4. The game concept was designed by IJsfontein Interactive Media while Unger & Fiedler refined the underwater 3D wildlife.

Facts

Genre: Exploration and playful learning
Platform: Windows PC
Release: July 2019

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