Welcome to Eyewire’s Undersea Odyssey!
The Earth’s oceans are a precious source of literally unfathomable beauty, and beyond that they form some of the most vital ecosystems for our planet’s weather and the sustenance of life itself. Since they’re so huge, so complex, and so deep, humanity has only just begun to understand them better, too… meaning ocean exploration might be about on par with the mysteries of our connectome!
At Eyewire we’re all about delving into big, mysterious things for science, and this month we’re excited to bring to you a challenge week overflowing with opportunities to learn more about marine biology, oceanography, ancient legends of the sea, and anything else related to what the Muppets once dubbed “the big blue wet thing.” Announcing… the Undersea Odyssey! We’re going to have a full week of aquatic shenanigans to enjoy, and simultaneously we’d like to let you know about a few citizen science projects that are directly related to the ocean!
- The Community Seagrass Initiative: Seagrass Explorer – Brought to you by our friends at Zooniverse, this project allows anyone to help analyze data from UK seagrass monitoring. Seagrass is an increasingly threatened part of ocean habitats, but it is also vital to many species and coastal communities, as well as storing carbon 40x more effectively than rainforests.
- Penguin Watch – Another Zooniverse project, this is meant for citizen scientists to help track penguin populations in Antarctica and South America. Though dwelling on land, penguins have a major impact on their local ocean life, and who doesn’t love penguins?
- earthdive – Partnering with the UNEP-WCMC (United Nations Environment Programme – World Conservation Monitoring Centre), this project allows SCUBA divers, snorkelers, and other divers to collect and report information about what they find in the ocean during their travels, to help track the health of marine ecosystems.
- OrcaSound – Based in the Pacific Northwest but available to anyone online, this project tracks the presence of local orcas (killer whales) using hydrophonic technology. Listen in and help scientists determine more about these beautiful animals’ conservation status!
Whatever you wish to try: if the sea calls to you, then strap on your wetsuit, check your air tank levels, and prepare to hop in our bathysphere! We’ll plunge 20,000 leagues under the sea starting February 15th.
*All times are Eastern Standard Time (EST).*
Accuracy Happy Hours
First session runs from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM on Friday 2/15
Second session runs from 10:00 PM to midnight on Friday 2/15
At the ocean floor, the absence of any sunlight makes it impossible for human eyes to see! Can you find your way like the bottom feeders do, without getting snagged by an anglerfish?
Swag: Most accurate player completing at least 20 cubes wins 1 tote bag and 1 sticker sheet! Second and third place each also win sticker sheets. (And thanks to @susi for sponsoring this year’s swag again!)
Bonuses:
1st Place Accuracy – 10,000 points
2nd Place Accuracy – 8,000 points
3rd Place Accuracy – 6,000 points
Achieve 95% Accuracy – 5,000 points
Achieve 90% Accuracy – 3,000 points
Achieve 80% Accuracy – 2,000 points
1,000 points for anyone under 80% who still plays at least 20 cubes in either slot.
(These bonus thresholds are non-cumulative, i.e. they will not combine. If you earn 3rd place, for instance, and presumably got over 95% accuracy, you still earn a 6,000 point bonus, not 11,000.)
Hunt
Begins at 12:00 AM (midnight) on Saturday 2/16
Ends at 12:00 PM (noon) on Thursday 2/21
Amidst an enormous coral reef, strange mergers lie. Can you spot them?
Swag: The top scoring player will win 1 tote bag and 1 sticker sheet! Second and third place each also win sticker sheets.
Bonuses:
Each merger found – 1,000 points
7,500 additional points if all 12 are found
200 point bonus available on each merger to the player whose guess is closest
250 point bonus available to any player who guesses within 10 voxels of a merger
Trivia
Begins at 11:00 AM on Sunday 2/17
Continues until 11:00 AM on Tuesday 2/19
Finishes with Power Hour from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM on Tuesday 2/19
A chance to find out how much you really know about marine biology, oceanography, neuroscience, and more!
Swag: The top scoring player will win 1 tote bag and 1 sticker sheet! Second and third place each also win sticker sheets.
Bonuses:
For every question —
1st to answer – 300 points
2nd to answer – 200 points
3rd to answer – 100 points
Squid vs. Octopus
Begins at 11:00 AM on Tuesday 2/19
Ends at 11:00 AM on Wednesday 2/20
A grand, squishy cephalopod battle begins. Who will win: those with ten limbs, or those with eight?
Swag: The top scoring player on the winning team wins a tote bag! Another tote bag and 3 sticker sheets will be raffled among the top 50% of players on the winning team, too.
Bonuses:
Earn 2,000 points – 1,000 bonus
Earn 10,000 points – 5,000 bonus
Earn 20,000 points – 10,000 bonus
Every additional 20,000 points – 10,000 bonus
Winning team – 10,000 bonus
Team winner – 5,000 bonus
#1 overall score – 10,000 bonus
#2 overall score – 5,000 bonus
#3 overall score – 2,500 bonus
Marathon
Begins at 8:00 AM on Wednesday 2/20
Ends at 8:00 AM on Thursday 2/21
A magical race begins: the quest for newborn sea turtles to make it from the beach to the water! Can they all get safely under the waves in less than 24 hours?
Swag: The top player (defined by number of points earned during the marathon time period) will win a tote bag! 2 tote bags and 3 sticker sheets will be raffled among the top 25% of participating players, too.
Bonuses: For every 25 cubes you trace, you earn 3,500 bonus points!
Also:
- Each player who traces at least 50 cubes will win the right to vote on a name for the marathon cell.
- Each player who traces at least 200 cubes will win the right to nominate a name for that vote.
Undersea Odyssey Closing Ceremony
Begins at 4:00 PM on Friday 2/22
Come celebrate the end of this competition, where admins will recognize everyone’s achievements. As always, we will include a round of promotions for Scouts, Scythes, Mystics, Moderators, and Mentors. If you’d like a promotion, you can request them here.
Artwork by Daniela Gamba