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Short Abstract

JellyfishGO! is a gamified citizen science platform engaging youth in jellyfish observation through digital twin technology, combining play and environmental education to foster marine awareness and scientific participation.

Abstract

JellyfishGO! is a proof-of-concept mobile AR game that transforms jellyfish observation into an accessible citizen science activity for youth. The design centers on photo-based, geo-referenced reporting and a digital-twin ecosystem that visualizes aggregated player observations. Core game characteristics include guided photography and capture mechanics, individual and team leaderboards, cooperative “jellyfish matches” that combine real and digital specimens for team points, structured missions, collectible badges, and a virtual inventory for reviewing captures. Teachers and facilitators can integrate gameplay into lessons and field activities to support marine biology, data literacy, and environmental stewardship learning objectives, while training the future citizen scientists.

This contribution emphasizes the game’s objectives—sustaining youth engagement, fostering competition and cooperation, scaffolding inquiry through gameplay, and producing usable geo-referenced observations—while inviting participant input on practical design choices that support those goals. Discussion topics include balancing motivation with data quality, classroom workflows for deploying the game, and strategies for scaling participation across schools and communities. The participation aims to generate actionable feedback, co-design improvements, and identify evaluation approaches to validate educational and scientific outcomes, offering a concrete exemplar of how playful design can translate engagement into meaningful environmental contributions.