Sandflat Heroes
Challenge
At first glance, a sandflat looks empty. Just sand, water, and sky. Yet beneath the surface lies a vital ecosystem that stores carbon, filters water, and keeps estuaries in balance. Research shows that sediment in tidal flats like these is one of the most important carbon reservoirs on Earth, comparable to habitats such as mangroves, salt marshes, and seagrasses.
The problem is that sandflats rarely get attention. Few people know much about them or even realise how important they are. The challenge is how to bring this hidden world to people so they can truly experience it. As David Attenborough has said, “No one will protect what they do not care about, and no one will care about what they have never experienced.”
Solution
Sandflat Heroes is an augmented reality app developed with the New Zealand Marine Discovery Centre in Leigh and the University of Auckland. By scanning a poster or outdoor frame, players unlock a 3D cross section of sand where hidden creatures spring to life with facts and animations. Crabs burrow through the sediment, shellfish filter and clean the water, and bamboo worms push sediment around, bringing oxygen deep into the sand. Each of these creatures is a tiny engineer, working together to keep estuaries healthy and life in balance.
Positive Impact
Sandflat Heroes encourages people to take what they discover in the app back to the beach. Once you know what to look for, you start to notice the tiny signs of life everywhere: the trails left behind by worms, the siphon holes of cockles and macomona, the tracks of whelks, or the delicate patterns made by spionid worms. These creatures quietly provide the services that make estuaries safe, clean, and rich with life, the very systems that support us too. The game helps people feel more connected to their local harbours and more curious about the living world beneath their feet.
Overview
At first glance, a sandflat looks empty. Just sand, water, and sky. Yet beneath the surface lies a vital ecosystem that stores carbon, filters water, and keeps estuaries in balance. Research shows that sediment in tidal flats like these is one of the most important carbon reservoirs on Earth, comparable to habitats such as mangroves, salt marshes, and seagrasses.
The problem is that sandflats rarely get attention. Few people know much about them or even realise how important they are. The challenge is how to bring this hidden world to people so they can truly experience it. As David Attenborough has said, “No one will protect what they do not care about, and no one will care about what they have never experienced.”
Video Trailer
Sandflat Heroes is an augmented reality app developed with the New Zealand Marine Discovery Centre in Leigh and the University of Auckland. By scanning a poster or outdoor frame, players unlock a 3D cross section of sand where hidden creatures spring to life with facts and animations. Crabs burrow through the sediment, shellfish filter and clean the water, and bamboo worms push sediment around, bringing oxygen deep into the sand. Each of these creatures is a tiny engineer, working together to keep estuaries healthy and life in balance.
