Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) researchers have just launched a video game that encourages marine enthusiasts to contribute to the field of underwater exploration.
FathomVerse is a video game that takes players deep into the ocean and allows scientists to identify underwater creatures.
Kakani Katija is the Principal Engineer. She received a National Science Foundation Convergence Her Accelerator grant for this project.
“Game players see real data collected by researchers around the world, and in some cases are the first to see images collected by researchers,” Katiya said.
People who play this game help researchers review vast amounts of visual data collected by robotic vehicles roaming the ocean floor. Artificial intelligence (AI) will eventually make this easier, but first humans will need to classify images and build AI programs, Katiya said. That's where community scientists can help.
She said the more creatures identified through the game, the better the data will be. And it's also fun.
“You as a player are floating on an ocean current and by tapping the screen you send out pulses that display images of different animals while you dive. Open and look at that image and see if it is the one you want to collect. You can decide if you have it or not,” she said.
This game brings anyone with a smartphone or tablet into the world of underwater exploration and helps scientists learn more about our changing oceans. Katiya said this data will be used in future biodiversity surveys and climate-related decisions.
“As gamers, you can help us create appropriate and sustainable solutions,” she said..
FathomVerse is available for free download from the App Store and Google Play.
