Raising public awareness on anthropogenic underwater noise by means of playful activities and serious games

The recent article "Raising public awareness on anthropogenic underwater noise by means of playful activities and serious games", published in the journal Frontiers in Communication, provides an overview of the activities developed by the OGS to raise knowledge and awareness about anthropogenic underwater noise through playful activities and serious games, both in live and online events.

Noise produced by human activities, such as maritime traffic and industrial activities, can have serious effects on marine ecosystems, influencing the communication, orientation and behavior of aquatic species. Although regulatory and scientific progress has been made, public perception of the problem is still limited. 

To fill this gap, the Noixe project used playful activities and serious games to raise public awareness of the problem of underwater noise. The authors found that the playful approach is very effective in increasing awareness on the topic. Active participation in the events also led many participants to take a further interest in the topic, joining citizen science initiatives for noise monitoring. The article highlights that the use of recreational activities and serious games can be a powerful educational tool.