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Your Mission in virtual reality

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Explore the remnants of Mer, a magical lost civilization, and bring it back to life by overcoming challenges, planting vibrant coral gardens and lowering your real world CO  footprint.

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Expeditions

Some of the places, you will adventure, create and transform.

 Lost City of Mer 

 The Secret Coral Garden 

 Cathedral Cave 

 Pirate Poacher Ship Graveyard 

Interactive Innovation

Lost City of Mer is a cross-platform interactive experience

that combines a smartphone app with VR. 

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The project utilizes a groundbreaking living narrative structure

where your real-world actions impact the story that unfolds in VR. 

The phone app, which directly interfaces with the VR world,

enables you to win rewards in the virtual world, through 

cutting carbon emissions in the real world.

Download App
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Win rewards and unlock adventures for walking

instead of driving, and lowering your CO  footprint.

Learn about how much CO2  is released when you drive.

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Track your steps and win rewards! Contact us at

info@astreamedia.org if you would like to be a app beta tester.

Watch the Lost City of Mer Trailer

Dive In

April 15th - 30th, 2020

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Dives in Mer and Presentations

Postponed until further notice due to the pandemic

Selected to exhibit and give dives in Mer.

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26th International Symposium on Electronic Art, Montreal Canada

Artist Talk

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Postponed until further notice due to the pandemic

World Conference Center, Bonn, Germany

Selected to exhibit and offer dives in Mer

Sustainable Development goals Action Campaign created by the UN

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January 21st, 2020, The SVA Theatre, New York City

Dives at the ceremony

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November 22nd and 23rd, 2019 

The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

Dives and talk by Liz Canner

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November 17th - 20th, 2019

BCEC, Brisbane, Australia

Best XR Content, 2nd Place Committee Award

Audience Award: Honorable Mention

October 21st, 2019, Burlington, VT

Dives, lecture and discussion with Liz Canner

Champlain College
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October 19th and 20th, 2019, Burlington, VT

Dives

October 18th, 2019, Burlington, VT

VR for Social Impact with Lost City of Mer Workshop

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September 23rd, 2019, United Nations, NY

SDG Action Zone dives during The General Assembly Climate Summit

September 27th, 2019, SDG Media Zone, United Nations, NY

Using Technology for Social Impact Panel  - broadcast on UN TV

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New York Public Library Event for Administators and Educators

August 28th, 2019, NYPL Battery Park City Branch, New York City

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June 4th, 2019, New York City 

Presented for World Oceans Week

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May 31st, June 1st and 2nd, 2019, Barrette Center for the Arts

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May 17th, 2019, New York City

Prototype dive

May 15th, 2019, New York, NY

Prototype dive 

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Dartmouth College
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March 23rd, 2019, Carnegie Institution for Science and National Geographic, Washington, D.C.

2018, New York, NY

Dives for staff

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May 13th and 14th, 2019, Hanover, NH

Dives and invited talk

2018, University of Maryland

Prototype dive and invited talk

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2018, New York,

Prototype dive

The mysterious underwater Mer civilization and much of its flora

and fauna have been destroyed. You are the first Mer Baby born

in decades. Athina, a baby seal, befriends you and takes you

on a journey through the remnants of the metropolis. 

 Do you have what it takes to bring Mer and her otherworldly inhabitants back to life?

You swim, using unique navigation developed especially for the

game, and witness the devastating effects of ocean temperature

rise and acidification which have ruined Mer’s ecosystem. Information bubbles explain climate change science (coming soon

in Chapter Two) and gameplay rewards action such as planting

coral and reducing your carbon footprint. The more you invest in

positive action and life creation, the more vibrant and stunning

the ecosystem will become.

The Evolution and Extinction of Aquaprimates

Mer are aquaprimates.  Physical and genetic similarities show that the modern Mer species has a very close relationship to homo sapiens.  They share a common ancestor that lived between 8 and 6 million years ago.  The first aquaprimates evolved off the coast of Africa in the Red Sea.

Paralleling the biological evolution of early Mer was the development of cultural technologies that allowed them to become increasingly successful at acquiring food and surviving predators.  Advances in the Coral Age saw the development of high technology, sophisticated architecture and advanced science. 

Playful and secretive in nature, the Mer kept their elaborate civilization hidden from homo sapiens.  Humans long suspected their existence and records of Mer sightings go back thousands of years.  They are known for their ability to sing in the most alluring way and generate an enthrallment with nature.  Unfortunately, due to recent ocean acidification and temperature rise, the Mer are thought to be extinct.

Built on Climate Change Science

 

Lost City of Mer is built on science in order to educate and

activate the general public about the threat climate change poses

to the health of our planet.  Coral reefs support a quarter of all marine species and are one of the most important ecosystems

on earth. It is estimated that by 2050 most of them will be gone

if there is not large scale action.  

 In Lost City of Mer learn about ocean temperature rise

and acidification, the threat posed by pollution,

over-fishing and solutions.

Science Bubbles

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Coming Soon in Chapter Two
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Your Mer scientist mom left clues in bubble messages for you about why the Mer civilization collapsed, and what actions

to take to bring it back to life.

For example, this bubble explains the carbon cycle and what you can do about it in the human realm when you are on land. 

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Coral Planting has shown to be a viable method for restoring some dying reefs.

Design your own coral garden, and watch as it revives the ecosystem with exotic sea creatures.

Photo Credit: Smithsonian

Pollution

Polluted water pours into The Secret Coral Garden, the only place in Mer that is still alive. Can you stop the pollution and save the reef?

A science bubble reveals that industrial agriculture is pouring reactive nitrogen and phosphorous into the oceans through rivers, creating “ocean dead zones”.  We have the ability to rectify coastal pollution by changing farming practices.

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The Secret Coral Garden

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Carbon Dioxide Meter

Functionality Coming Soon in Chapter Two
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The CO2  and water temperature meter responds to the player's real world actions to lower their carbon footprint as a form of gameplay and informs players about the impact of carbon on the ocean.

Lost City of Mer was created in Unreal Engine for HTC Vive. The smartphone app is available for Apple and Android devices. If you would like to be a beta tester email info@astreamedia.org

Funding

Auckland University of Technology

Individual Donations

Supporters

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Collaborator

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We are searching for funds to fully actualize Mer. Donations can be made to Astrea Media, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit,
PO Box 361, 335 East 14th Street, New York, NY 10009. 
Your support is tax deductible. Thank you!

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