top of page
lostcityofmerbackgroundnoseal_1.jpg
takeaction_homepage_website-1.png
blueeconomy_bubble_website.png
athinawebsitebackground.png
BubbleMenu_website_maillinglist.png
SDGbubble_website.png
UNClimatesummitbubble_homepage.png

Your Mission in virtual reality

2

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.

LCOM_Laurels_March2020.png

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. 

vr_headset.png
carbonfootprint_website.png
iphone_.png
Screenshot.png

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
iphone_.png

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.

2

Track your steps and win rewards!

Watch the Lost City of Mer Trailer

Dive In
Screen Shot 2020-03-31 at 1.41.42 PM.png

Dives in Mer and Presentations

New York City, NY

Dives

SIGGRAPH-Asia-2019.png

Brisbane, Australia

Best XR Content Committee Award: 2nd Place

Best XR Content Audience Award: 2nd Place

September 23rd, 2019, United Nations,  New York City, NY

SDG Action Zone dives, The General Assembly Climate Summit

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

Using Technology for Social Impact Panel  - broadcast on UN TV

Flag_of_The_United_Nations_-_Circle-512.

26th International Symposium on Electronic Art

Montreal, Canada

 

ISEA-Sentience-Site-Logo-Dark-Colour.png

The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

Dives and talk by Liz Canner

UPenn_logo.png
United Nations Global Festival of Action 2020

World Conference Center, Bonn, Germany

Canceled due to the pandemic

Selected to exhibit and offer dives in Mer

logo-action-camp.png

Burlington, VT

Dives, lecture and discussion with Liz Canner

Champlain College
th.jpg
F-2-E-Dialogue-Night-VTIFF_logo-SC-copy.
Vermont International Film Festival

Burlington, VT

Dives

The Media Factory

Burlington, VT

VR for Social Impact with Lost City of Mer Workshop

ftnm_white_logo_transparent.png
Michener Art Musuem

Postponed until further notice due to the pandemic

Exhibition and dives

logo-michener-horizontal-1240.png
New York Public Library Event for Administators and Educators

New York City, NY

Dives and Talk

nyplLogo.png
The Explorers Club

 New York City, NY

Dives for World Oceans Week

EC - LOGOECSealApril2011.jpg
White River Indie Film Festival

White River Junction, VT

Dives

logo-1.png
ru_logo.jpg
The Rockefeller University

New York City, NY

Prototype dive

The New York Videogame Critics Circle

New York City, NY

Prototype dive 

Screen Shot 2019-05-17 at 12.34.41 PM.pn
Dartmouth College
DLogo.png

Carnegie Institution for Science and

National Geographic, Washington, D.C.

Dives in multiple locations

New York City, NY

Dives for staff

School Library Journal
EFF_logo_twitter.jpg
200x200bb.jpg

Hanover, NH

Dives and invited talk

Mixed/Augmented/Virtual Reality Innovation Conference

University of Maryland

Dives and invited talk

Logo_Cropped.png
New_Games_for_Change_logo.jpg

New York City, NY

Dives - Premiere of prototype/Chapter 1

Games for Change Festival
Screen Shot 2019-05-17 at 12.34.41 PM.pn
UN ARTS x SDG Online Festival

Online

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

EmptyBubble.png
EmptyBubble.png
Bubble_TV.png

Your Mer scientist mom left clues in

bubble messages for you about how to

revive the mysterious Mer civilization.

carbon_cycle_bubble.png
HighresScreenshot00027_website_1.jpg
HighresScreenshot00036_website_1.png
CoralGardener_01.jpg

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.

Dead coral best_website_1.jpg

The Secret Coral Garden

deadzone_bubble_website-1.png

Carbon Dioxide Meter

Functionality Coming Soon in Chapter Two
HighresScreenshot00025_website.png
carbon_cycle_bubble.png

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.

Funding

Auckland University of Technology

Individual Donations

Supporters

HP-Logo-White.png
1425334231-unreal-engine-logo.png

Collaborator

neu-cv-europass-online-ita-d0d6de300ae36

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!

bottom of page