Ocean Noise
My Role: Ideation, Design, Programming
A simple game that brings awareness to the negative effects of incessant noise pollution in the ocean from seismic air guns used by oil ships.
​
Context
Ships in search of oil fire 250 decibel seismic air guns into the ocean every 10 seconds for full days. This results in marine life hearing damage and disruption of feeding and mating patterns. Animals like whales and dolphins who rely on sound for communication are affected most. Since I grew up near the ocean, all forms of ocean pollution are important to me to explore and bring awareness to.
Process
I coded this game using the language, Processing. The essential concept is a loop. A group of whales cannot communicate with a lost member of their pod because of the seismic air gun firing in their habitat. Using the left arrow, the user moves the ship away and the whales can be reunited. Information on the effects of ocean noise pollution appears on the screen. However, when the user releases the left arrow, the ship returns to disturb the whale pod. This represents the ceaseless nature of the problem and evokes a helpless feeling. The user is encouraged to donate or help in a more concrete way in real life.
