Loren YbarrondoImmersive experience design + production
The experience
Created with the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and Q?rius, the Deep Reef Observation Expedition turns field science into a participatory story. Students inspect a submersible, launch, descend, complete research tasks, and return from the expedition.
01 / Challenge
Make the physical place make sense online.
Make remote deep-reef biodiversity research tangible to students who cannot join a scientific submersible mission themselves.
02 / Response
Design the visit, not just the interface.
Combine immersive imagery, expedition video, game-like objectives, and guided science tasks. Students investigate invasive lionfish, deploy an Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structure, and learn how Smithsonian researchers study an environment beyond ordinary diving depth.
03 / Result
Give every visitor a way into the story.
A compact proof that immersive media can turn K–12 curriculum into active discovery—and a strong candidate for a cleaner, more accessible next-generation rebuild.
A closer view from the Deep Reef Expedition experience
“A virtual tour should create the urge to explore one more room, open one more story, and look a little closer.”
