Bloom
Bloom emerged from the intersection of Immersive Media and Environmental Science. By combining research with interactive media, the project explores how jellyfish can serve as nature’s warning lights. Through layered visuals, immersive elements, and experiential storytelling, Bloom invites audiences at The Mote Marine Aquarium to engage with the fragility of ecosystems and the silent signals of the natural world, turning observation into a tangible, memorable experience.
Version one
The original concept presented a theatrical window into the ocean, a full-scale jellyfish bloom unfolding before guests. Overhead, light fixtures coordinate with the bloom, intensifying in color and motion as the swarm swelled. Sculpted rockwork framed and shrouded the viewing screen, enhancing the illusion of peering through living reef.
This immersive approach prioritized scale, atmosphere, and choreography to translate a delicate marine phenomenon into a memorable, sensory experience. MOTE’s recent aquarium redesign and updated branding, however, favor a different aesthetic and circulation strategy, so the bloom-driven window concept no longer aligns with the institution’s new spatial and stylistic direction.
Problem Solving
Figuring out the overall shape and screen style
Version Two: Process
Building out layers and smoothing shapes
Creating and editing prototype media
Story Boarding
Solution
Bloom is a sign-scale exhibit that transforms ocean warming data into a focused physical experience. The installation features a shrouded LED screen framed by three sculptural layers inspired by ocean splashes, each embedded with fiber-optic lighting that gradually illuminates to represent the increasing number of jellyfish in these blooms linked to rising ocean temperatures.