The interdisciplinary integration of marine art and ocean science offers an innovative pathway to simplify specialized marine ecological knowledge and foster universal public consensus on marine conservation. Centered on four core science communication themes—marine ecosystems, human-ocean interactions, sustainable fisheries versus overfishing, and the spillover effects of marine protected areas (MPAs)—this paper introduces an independently developed semi-cooperative light-strategy educational board game, Beni-Ocean Reserve Tycoon. Leveraging interactive board game design as an artistic medium, the work translates sophisticated marine ecological theories into engaging, tangible forms through art-science integration.
Retaining the classic dice-rolling movement mechanic, the game minimizes learning barriers for general audiences. A dedicated ecological level track for protected areas visually demonstrates MPA spillover effects. Depletable fishing grounds are incorporated to dynamically illustrate ecological dynamics: fishery stock depletion driven by overfishing, alongside resource recovery facilitated by the spillover benefits of marine protected areas. Dual sets of event cards depicting natural disturbances and anthropogenic interferences further simulate external pressures impacting six major marine ecosystems.
This project confirms that artistic board game design functions as a lightweight art-science communication tool to intuitively disseminate expert knowledge of marine ecosystems, sustainable fisheries and MPA spillover effects. It delivers an original actionable framework for fundamental marine ecological outreach and ocean aesthetic education built upon cross-disciplinary collaboration between art and marine science.