Justification

WHAT, WHY, HOW

A significant portion of populations reside in regions without access to the sea and may lack direct experience with the ocean. Despite their lack of exposure, these people depend daily on critical processes originating in the ocean. These processes include producing life-sustaining oxygen through marine photosynthesis, regulating carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the atmosphere by marine phytoplankton, and consuming food resources nourished by marine ecosystems.

Therefore, developing an accessible platform that effectively communicates the essential services provided by the ocean to populations residing, whether near the ocean or not, would raise awareness about all the services and beauty that the ocean provides us.

By creating a platform that employs visual, auditory, and interactive elements, we intend to break down complex concepts related to the ocean into easily understandable knowledge. Through this platform, we aim to empower people with knowledge and awareness of the ocean's importance, fostering a deeper understanding of the crucial services it provides to our society.

ECOTIDE

How do we approach the challenge?

Our project is called Ecotide, a website where users can explore oceanic elements through 3D models of the world, allowing them to navigate throughout the website, where they will encounter species and discover intriguing and interesting facts they may have never imagined. Additionally, they will have a unique experience with immersive sounds that enhance the user experience.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

When you enter the website, you will be greeted with the landing page, where you will see a 3D world map and three clickable texts: 'About Oceans', 'Phytoplankton', and 'Explore Gardens'.

3D World Map: It features the rendering of a 3D model of planet Earth and a list of the world's oceans. Clicking on an item in the list will direct you to the corresponding point on the 3D map where the selected ocean is located.
About Oceans: Clickable text that takes you to a pop-up window displaying information about the Pacific Ocean, including climate, plants, animals, its impact on the atmosphere, and characteristics.
Phytoplankton: Clickable text that leads you to a pop-up window displaying information about different types of phytoplankton, their characteristics, species affiliation, and the ocean where they predominantly thrive.
Explore Gardens: Clickable text that directs you to a pop-up window explaining the difference between ocean and land gardens, with interactive information and examples.

WHAT BENEFITS DOES IT HAVE?

Our project addresses the challenge by offering a 3D web application that allows users to easily visualize the world's oceans, and provide additional informative resources for a deeper understanding of what the ocean offers. These resources include main characteristics, species of phytoplankton in the oceans (and their impact), as well as distinctions between ocean gardens and land gardens.

We are confident that users will find the platform user-friendly and will efficiently grasp the concepts. With the aid of visual resources, their experience will be satisfying and educational.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACHIEVE?

We hope that the project generates an impact in such a way that both the young and adult audience, whether near oceanic regions or not, become aware of all the services and beauty it offers, often overlooked. Through sounds, 3D visualizations, and interactive content, they can explore that facet of the ocean they didn't know existed. The development of an application with 3D graphics was done to make the platform more engaging for viewers, along with immersive sounds to enhance the sensations. We envision this project being used in schools, museums, and on the internet as educational material.

tools used to DEVELOP the project

The project's technology stack and resources were:

Next.js, TypeScript, and Tailwind for platform development.
Vercel for project deployment.
Model Viewer library for 3D model rendering.
NASA online resources for 3D assets.

2023 NASA Space Apps Challenge

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