The Design, Development and Pilot Study of a Marine Ecological Simulation for Education of Environmental Changes on Marine Life

A “serious game” simulating examples of marine life found at the artificial reef ex-HMS Scylla has been developed to demonstrate the impact of environmental changes. The game has been adapted from prior research into agent-based models of marine ecologies. The design of the game considers the abstraction and presentation of marine life, and the effect of environmental changes. Two simulations are performed: one exposing the ecology to the effects of climate change, and another which simulates the introduction of microplastics. A pilot study measured knowledge-recall for simulations with open and closed-ended questions, user awareness of environmental issues and future game design preferences. This research contributes by both demonstrating the conversion of a complex marine simulation to a game format, and also emphasises the potential of the simulation journey to learning and engagement.