Ocean Heroes

Ocean Heroes sends students aged 11 to 15 aboard a research vessel to repair three real marine ecosystems: a coral reef overrun by crown of thorns starfish, a kelp forest stripped by sea urchins, and a mangrove coast facing erosion and pollution.

Challenge

Coral bleaching, invasive species, and coastal erosion are heavy, abstract topics for kids. The brief was to represent each ecosystem realistically enough to hold up under real marine science, while keeping the world playful and hopeful instead of overwhelming. We worked closely with biologists and ocean scientists from UNESCO-IOC through several rounds of review to make sure every environment was scientifically accurate before it was fun.

Solution

I led the visual side of the project from concept to launch: environment art, assets, and the overall look of all three biomes, working directly with UNESCO-IOC and Voice of the Ocean on the creative direction. I also worked with the marketing team to produce key art, screenshots, and campaign assets, plus some social content myself. Released for free worldwide, the project turns real conservation work into something students actively do rather than read about.

Results

Launched June 2025 in Nice, France, ahead of the 3rd UN Ocean Conference, where I was present for the reveal. 1.5M+ downloads, 3 full minigames, shipped to both Minecraft Marketplace and Education Edition, and now used through UNESCO's Blue Schools network worldwide.

Photos by Matteo Baratella