o3-gamingwithaporpoise-blog

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O3 - Online Ocean Odyssey (merging eDNA, metabarcoding, and smartphone apps with video game technology)

Serious games and gamification to engage consumers in pro-environmental behaviors are still in their infancy (Morganti, et all, 2017). Gaming has already been used for training in Environmental Crisis Management training (Stolk, et al, 2001), so why couldn’t we use it for Coral Crisis Education? What I want to create is an adventure game built for adults to bring attention to the serious detriments or coral reefs dying. They urgently need protection from the damaging effects of plastic waste and climate change. Coral reefs are known to provide vital fisheries for 25% of the ocean community and a coastal defensive line from natural hazards such as storms, floods, and waves. Plastic debris stresses coral by depriving it of light, releasing toxins, and ultimately giving pathogens a foothold for invasion (Lamb, et al, 2018). Reefs will change rather than disappear entirely, with some species already showing far greater tolerance to climate change (Hughes, et al, 2003). The theme and dramatic character production will be based off of these facts.

It will be programmed for millennials who watched the technological advancement of video games grow before their eyes. My target audience will be this age group, environmentally conscious individuals, gamers, and kids who are academically progressive.

It would be like an underwater Lara Croft adventure meets the Grimm’s fairytales.

The premise of the game will be to swim to and through coral reef communities, battling mutant creatures who have been effected by climate change and to carefully propel through the plastic mine fields.

The characters will all be mermaids or mermen, so that players have a direct emotional connection to the game

There will be puzzles and times of trivial pursuit, all connecting back to coral reefs and the knowledge of ocean pollution

Facts and figures from the eDNA metabarcoding will be used as integral information that you must know and use throughout the game

It will be your job as a merperson to solve the mystery of each community. This will be done using eDNA technology (clicking on something and using real life information obtained from that spot to get you to your next clue).

The game will end with you meeting Koral, the spiritual underwater coral goddess who is part coral, part mermaid. She has the antidote to coral bleaching and will give you the “key” to the sequel.

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A side by side comparison of a healthy portion of the Great Barrier Reef (left), compared to a bleached portion (right). As climate change warms ocean temperatures, coral bleaching is reaching epidemic levels. Left photo by Gary Bell / Oceanwideimages.com. Right photo by Greenpeace / Roger Grace.

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Environmental DNA (eDNA) refers to DNA that can be extracted from environmental samples. The DNA usually comes from water, soil, feces, or even dead organisms (What is eDNA?, n.d.).

Strengths: The method is non invasive, meaning it poses no threat to species (Lara, 2017). It has found a way to detect and study species that are hard to find.

Weaknesses: When collecting data, there can be some hiccups. Exposure to UVB radiation, acidity, heat, among others, can degrade eDNA. Another issue can arise with mtDNA (mitochondrial DNA), where there is usually hundreds or thousands of copies. However, mtDNA is maternally inherited, which can and most times does prevent the identification of hybrids (What is eDNA?, n.d.).

Pros: Data is accurate and standardized. Anyone can collect data (volunteers or citizen scientists). (Lara, 2017).

Cons: interpretation of results can be skewed between live and dead samples. Contamination can occur, the technology isn’t full proof.

Future applications: In the future, they expect the eDNA-based approaches to move from single-marker analyses of species or communities to meta-genomic surveys of entire ecosystems, predicting spatial and temporal biodiversity patterns (Thomsen & Willerslev, 2015).

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“CHASING CORAL” IS NOW ON NETFLIX. If you care at all about the oceans and climate change, PLEASE give it a watch!

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Metabarcoding is an approach used in eDNA to access comparative total biodiversity. It begins to address significant questions in ecology and conservation by increasing the detection probability overall (Valentini, et al, 2016). 

Strength: As with many marine invertebrate taxa, rigorous species identifications can be rather challenging. Metabarcoding  and cryptic species reports have been increasing. DNA barcodes offer great potential to assist taxonomic revisions and inventories, species discovery, and routine species identifications (Argolo, et al, 2015).

Weakness: The routine collection of data is necessary in order to measure the constant changes in the environment. 

Future Application: Use of illegally traded endangered species (CITES) in products is a major issue throughout the world (Argolo, et al, 2015). In this article, they are proposing a DNA metabarcoding strategy for routine analysis of seized products made up of extended plant and animal barcode markers. They hope to improve a resolution for identification.

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More about Smartphone Apps:

A smartphone app is a software application or computer program that is designed to run on a mobile device. It’s top functions are for games, social communication, and lifestyle organization. Digital technologies are emerging as a means of providing personalized, timely and accessible warnings (Johnston, et al, 2018).

Written in the above article, it discusses AirRater, an example of an integrated online platform that combines symptom surveillance, environmental monitoring, and notifications of changing environmental conditions via a free smartphone app (Johnston, et al, 2018).

Strengths: Great way to make money for a business, keep your life organized, and stay in contact with international friends

Weaknesses: Dependent upon users, requires internet, and highly scrutinized

Pros: Most are free, user friendly, and speed up everyday functions

Cons: Some you have to pay for and your personal information could potentially be sold to telemarketers for cash

Future applications: Some say that the future will have 3D Facial Recognition, mind control and cordless charging. Check out this website for more!

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“…the number of plastic items snagged on Asia-Pacific corals may increase from 11.1 billion to 15.7 billion plastic items by 2025.”

“An estimated 4.8 to 12.7 million tonnes of plastic waste enter the ocean in a single year.”

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What’s that? You wanted to learn all about the effects of our plastic habits on our ocean? Look no further than this awesome infographic by One World One Ocean. 

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The closest thing I have found to what I am proposing!

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Sources

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Argolo, A., de Araújo Bitencourt, J., Ramos, R. T. C., Sampaio, I., & de Mello Affonso, P. R. A. (2015). For personal use only. Genome, 58.

Hughes, T. P., Baird, A. H., Bellwood, D. R., Card, M., Connolly, S. R., Folke, C., ... & Lough, J. M. (2003). Climate change, human impacts, and the resilience of coral reefs. science, 301(5635), 929-933.

Johnston, F. H., Wheeler, A. J., Williamson, G. J., Campbell, S. L., Jones, P. J., Koolhof, I. S., ... & Bowman, D. M. J. S. (2018). Using smartphone technology to reduce health impacts from atmospheric environmental hazards. Environmental Research Letters, 13(4), 044019.

Lamb, J. B., Willis, B. L., Fiorenza, E. A., Couch, C. S., Howard, R., Rader, D. N., ... & Harvell, C. D. (2018). Plastic waste associated with disease on coral reefs. Science, 359(6374), 460-462.

Lara, ConservationScience2017. (2017, February 16). Environmental DNA (eDNA). Retrieved from http://ednaconservationscience.blogspot.com/2017/02/the-pros-and-cons-of-edna.html 

Morganti, L., Pallavicini, F., Cadel, E., Candelieri, A., Archetti, F., & Mantovani, F. (2017). Gaming for Earth: Serious games and gamification to engage consumers in pro-environmental behaviours for energy efficiency. Energy Research & Social Science, 29, 95-102.

Stolk, D., Alexandrian, D., Gros, B., & Paggio, R. (2001). Gaming and multimedia applications for environmental crisis management training. Computers in Human Behavior, 17(5-6), 627-642.

Thomsen, P. F., & Willerslev, E. (2015). Environmental DNA–An emerging tool in conservation for monitoring past and present biodiversity. Biological conservation, 183, 4-18.

Valentini, A., Taberlet, P., Miaud, C., Civade, R., Herder, J., Thomsen, P. F., ... & Gaboriaud, C. (2016). Next‐generation monitoring of aquatic biodiversity using environmental DNA metabarcoding. Molecular Ecology, 25(4), 929-942. 

What is environmental DNA (eDNA). (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.spygen.com/technologies/what-is-environmental-dna-edna/

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A September 2008 photo released by the Ocean Conservancy on 10 March, 2009, shows a trash-covered beach in Manilla, Philippines. (Tamara Thoreson Pierce/Ocean Conservancy/AP).

The young generations can still change the world and our planet. We screwed up big time, but there is still time to act.