Virtual reality is a very efficient technology to communicate with the general public and has the power to engage and inspire students in education. Virtual reality is known to enhance attention, motivation and provides attractive and effective learning. Planktonic microorganisms encompass a tremendous diversity of life forms, and play key roles in marine food web and biogeochemistry of oceanic ecosystems. Despite the crucial importance of marine plankton in the marine ecosystems and the climate of our planet, the general public still has only a diffuse/abstract idea of how all these marine microorganisms floating in the oceans look like. Yet, because plankton is essentially microscopic, it remains largely inaccessible/elusive and unknown, hence insignificant, from the general public and decision-makers. 3D animation is therefore a very attractive and suitable approach to convey scientific knowledge and the beauty of this underwater planktonic world.

Based on virtual reality, we developed the PlanktoQuest project, which aims at unveiling the wonderful and complex microscopic world of plankton and raising awareness on plankton diversity and ecological significance. You can interactively explore inside marine microalgae (phytoplankton) by using just your hands (no controllers): you can choose and catch a swimming plankton, dissect the organelles and learn more from them, feed the plankton with nutrients, and do a 360° voyage inside a cell. We used 3D models from 3D electron microscopy data (FIB-SEM: Focused Ion Beam Scanning Electron Microscopy) of different organelles of microalgae (chloroplast, mitochondrion, nucleus) covering different microalgal groups, such as coccolithophores, dinoflagellates, haptophytes. The immersion in the ocean was further amplified by real sounds from marine organisms, thanks to the expert in eco-acoustics Lucia Di Iorio.