Interactive World Ocean

The “interactive world ocean” is a digital and interactive map of the ocean that invites visitors to dive in and explore the ocean from a range of perspectives. The key focus is generating curiosity and interest in crucial ocean issues through fascinating visuals and emotional engagement. Interaction points allow visitors to dive into very different ocean regions – from the river and coastal systems to the open ocean and the deep sea, from the tropics to the polar regions. The presentation as an interactive world map forms an overarching thematic bracket that shows connections and links regional focal points with a global perspective.

At the interaction points, selected videos and photo galleries show what it looks like on the coast, underwater and seabed. The interaction points will highlight various ocean habitats with their respective wildlife and how people live with and from the ocean. The data and video material comes from various cooperation partners, mainly the DAM member institutions and other relevant institutes and organisations. Additionally, scientific data sets, such as satellite data on ocean currents, ship movements or the productivity of some marine regions will also be implemented. Each interaction point is accompanied by a short text that provides fascinating and easy-to-understand information on the visualised content. In the future, data from an appropriately set up Citizen Science project can also be integrated, expanding the initial natural science dimension to include cultural and social perspectives.

The digital interactive ocean map can be used cross-medially for schools, educational institutes, and the general public via museums. Schools and educational institutes can access the interactive world ocean via tablets and smartboards. Museums will use large-format touchscreens and touch tables.

The objective is to create attractive access to marine topics, strengthen the sustainable use of coasts, seas and oceans through information, and create fascination through visual and emotional engagement. This project will contribute to ocean literacy by explicitly promoting the use of the interactive world ocean in museums or schools with little previous focus on ocean issues. Additionally, the project will be linked to the digital information portal Meere Online, which the DAM is currently setting up.

The interactive world ocean project is funded by the northern German states of Bremen, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein.