World Ocean Explorer: A Transformational Tool for Ocean Literacy
摘要
World Ocean Explorer, a project of the World Ocean Observatory, is a free, open-access, web-based virtual immersion that offers teachers, students, and curious individuals a globally accessible platform for engaging learners—across formal and informal settings—with comprehensive Ocean curriculum framed by the Ocean Literacy matrix. It provides a visual, participatory exploration of the Ocean’s contributions to the science, history, and culture of maritime civilization. Endorsed as a 2025 United Nations Ocean Decade Activity, the award-winning, teacher-vetted Explorer—developed by scientists, historians, curators, educators, and storytellers—provides access to responsible science. As a technological innovation for science communication, it engages diverse audiences across Ocean themes and, through the Ocean Literacy framework, offers an adaptable, scalable platform for students in grades 7–10 (approximately ages 12–16). This chapter describes the rationale, key concepts, and classroom applications of World Ocean Explorer.