Save the coral reef – a game for detectives

The oceans are already heavily impacted by human influences. Due to climate change, sea temperatures are rising, their pH levels are decreasing and at the same time local pressures such as overfishing and pollution are increasing. Protecting the seas requires a widespread awareness in society to successfully implement appropriate measures. This is precisely where the science communication project Save the coral reef a game for detectives comes into play: it creatively imparts knowledge about the most divers ecosystems of the oceans, the coral reefs. The games objective is to save the last coral reef in the Red Sea. To achieve this, the detectives must first comprehend why the reef is suffering. They can interrogate reef inhabitants, fossil coral reefs and even scientist to determine and prevent the mysterious coral decline. The game will be developed collaboratively with pupils for educational purposes. Supplementary materials for educators will be produced to ensure its long-term integration into school curricula. Participating in the game development will encourage independent thinking, foster sustainable learning and enhance social competencies among pupils. Additionally, young people in Vienna and lower Austria will have the opportunity to engage in an idea competition to design videos for the game cards. The winners will receive a free workshop with a professional video producer to create short films for the game cards. The game will be promoted on different social media channels, with a particular focus on platforms for young people, such as Instagram and TikTok. Moreover, it will be integrated into school workshops and events at the Natural History Museum in Vienna. The game will be available as a free download on various webpages, including those of the University of Vienna, the Kinderuni and the OeAD young science webpage. We are confident that the game will also spark a lot of interest in private settings.

In the science communication project "Save the coral reef - a game for detectives", the educational game REEF RESCUE was developed together with school pupils from Vienna and Lower Austria. The game consists of two phases: In the first phase, players dive into a coral reef and, by solving riddles, learn about different reef inhabitants as well as local (e.g. overfertilization) and global (e.g. climate change) threats to coral reefs. Many playing cards include QR codes leading to videos that provide hints or explanations within the game. These videos were produced by school pupils and university students during workshops. In the second phase of the game, players find themselves in a city, where they try to save the coral reef by bidding on action cards. This is followed by reflection, enabling players to deepen their understanding of the topics covered in the game. Two versions of the game are available - one for school classes and larger groups, and another one for private use with family and friends. Both versions can be downloaded, printed, and played free of charge from https://reefrescue.univie.ac.at. Supplementary teaching materials provide background information on the biological and paleontological aspects of the game and can be easily integrated into school lessons. The game content has been incorporated into several formats at the Natural History Museum (NHM) Vienna: On Deck 50, the museum's participatory laboratory space, a 3D coral reef model was installed and linked to an interactive screen showing the videos from the game. In addition, an "Open Lab" was set up, where visitors can conduct their own experiments on reef organisms and threats for reefs featured in the game. The game was also presented as part of the NHM formats "Meet a Scientist" and a teacher training workshop. Furthermore, the game content was linked to real specimens from the museum's collections, allowing visitors to play REEF RESCUE as a rally through the NHM Vienna. In addition, the game was introduced to school classes in Vienna and Lower Austria in cooperation with OeAD, and sixteen classes participated in workshops at DOCK, the laboratory of the Vienna University Children's Office, where each school received a printed version of the game. REEF RESCUE was also offered as a workshop at the Planet Earth Day of the University of Vienna and the European Geoscience Union and promoted via Instagram. The project received highly positive feedback and media attention for both the game itself and the museum formats. Players discover fascinating aspects of coral reef ecosystems, can explore additional information through the accompanying materials, and learn about concrete actions they can take - even in a landlocked country like Austria - to help save coral reefs.