The Field Museum has expanded its tradition as one of the world’s great natural history museums by once again entering online virtual worlds—this time to inspire interest in and educate about coral reefs. The WhyReef project, funded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, uses virtual world simulation technology to actively engage the users of Whyville.net in an array of activities, ranging from assessing coral reef biodiversity to effecting change in an unhealthy reef.  WhyReef went live March 30, 2009 and has received more than 40,000 visits in its first ten days.

The Field Museum chose to partner with Whyville because of its web-leading ability to engage young learners aged 8-16, with over 4 million registered users.  Whyville citizens, Whyvillians, explore and compare two coral reefs, identifying the significant species in each and monitoring species populations under different and changing conditions.  The activities have been a great success with over 270,000 identifications recorded. Like a real coral reef WhyReef has many colorful and charismatic species.  Whyvillian favorites include the spinner dolphin, the hawksbill sea turtle, and the humphead parrotfish. Whyvillians also explore the complex system of “who-eats-whom” on the reef by playing the food web game, and will work together to address environmental challenges threatening these fragile ecosystems. This project highlights Whyville’s unique brand of collaborative and cooperative learning embedded in a simulated environment informed by The Field Museum’s experts on coral reef biology and science education.

In WhyReef, the Encyclopedia of Life (EOL) is used as a primary source for information about reef species. EOL, a free online encyclopedia, strives to make people more aware of the living planet through thousands of webpages that include text, images, maps, and videos. Exploring the underwater world through new media platforms like WhyReef is a terrific way to introduce children and families to a vital part of our planet’s ecosystem teeming with fascinating creatures and important environmental relationships.

“The kids in Whyville love the beach and the ocean, both in real life and in our virtual world,” says Dr. James Bower, Whyville’s founder and chairman of the board of Numedeon Inc. “WhyReef is an engaging way for them to learn more about ecosystems and marine life in general, as well as the complex issues involved in protecting nature under changing environmental conditions. We are very excited about this project.”

 “The Field Museum has a long history of innovation in education and outreach programs, aimed at serving diverse audiences and improving the public’s literacy in science,” says Dr. Elizabeth Babcock, The Field Museum’s Director of Education and Libraries. “WhyReef is an important avenue for engaging families in learning about marine life and the consequences of biodiversity loss.”

WhyReef YouTube channel : www.youtube.com/WhyReef