Coral Probiotics Village in VR

Overview

KVL, in collaboration with KAUST Marine Microbiomes Lab, developed a virtual reality (VR) application that immerses its users within the KAUST Coral Probiotics Village (CPV) - a living underwater laboratory just a few kilometers away from KAUST shores. The application takes users on a journey of discovering the importance of coral reefs, the threats of climate change, and the research efforts towards saving corals through the development of innovative technologies.

Work Summary

The KAUST Marine Microbiomes Lab, headed by Prof. Raquel Peixoto, aims to understand and leverage marine microbiomes to develop marine probiotics that could ultimately help corals survive coral bleaching caused by higher temperatures brought about by climate change. The VR application showcases a 3D model of the actual CPV that was created in collaboration with Sandin labs from the University of California in San Diego. This allows users to explore the site virtually while learning about the importance of corals to the environment and to humans, the threats of coral bleaching caused by high rising water temperatures, and finally, the coral probiotics research that aims to address the threats to corals.

The VR application has been showcased during the Trends in Microbiome and Digital One Health conference in KAUST (Oct. 30 - Nov. 1, 2023) as well as in the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference COP28 in Dubai (Nov. 30 - Dec. 12, 2023). More recently, this VR experience was also part of a showcase that won a Golden Medal at the 2024 International Exhibition of Inventions in Geneva.

Impact

This application benefits the efforts of the KAUST Marine Microbiomes Lab in saving the coral reefs of Saudi Arabia.