Indoor ​Oceans
The ​Project
The oceans are essential to life on Earth. Yet, as the 2021 IPCC ​report notes, they are imperilled by multiple, simultaneous crises. ​What is more, these crises are complex. Our project, linking the ​Department of Geography at Royal Holloway University of ​London, UK and Marine Governance at the HIFMB in Oldenburg, ​Germany explores the role of public aquariums in shaping ​understandings of these crises through modes of curation and ​encounter.
Often situated in contexts like cities – far removed from the seas ​– aquariums are sites in which pressing global challenges are ​made proximate to diverse audiences. Using mixed methods, the ​project provides novel yet necessary insights into the role and ​potential of aquarium spaces in fostering sustainable and ​equitable ocean futures.
Team
Principle Investigator
I am human geographer ​specialising in political and ​ocean geography, with a ​special interest in underwater ​worlds.
Co-investigator
I am also a human geographer ​interested in how we ​understand oceans,
ocean crises,
and govern them.
Project coordination
I’m a scientific coordinator ​specialised in interdisciplinary ​cooperations and have a PhD in ​fish behaviour and ​neurobiology.
Find ​out ​more:
1. Funding and support
This project is funded from 2022-2024 by the British Academy ​(Grant reference: SG2122\210640).
The British Academy ‘is the UK’s national academy for the humanities ​and social sciences’ and ‘mobilise(s) these disciplines to understand the ​world and shape a brighter future’ (British Academy, 2024). ​
The outreach components of the project are funded during 2023-​2024 by a Impact Accelerator Grant from Royal Holloway, ​University of London.
2. Presentations and publications
Presentations:
- December 2023: Peters, K and Squire R ‘The Ocean as Simulacra: ​The Place of Aquariums in Staging Ocean Crises’ presented as part ​of the Deutsches Schifffahrtsmuseum, Ocean Humanities ​Lecture Series, Bremerhaven, Germany.
- August 2024: Peters, K and Squire R ‘Mapping Encounters with the ​Environment at the Aquarium; Immersive Worlds and Screened ​Simulations’ presented as part of the Royal Geographical Society ​(with IBG) Annual International Conference, London UK.
Publications:
As this project is still young, please watch this space for publications ​in due course!
Podcast:
Listen to the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) Schools Podcast ​episode "Seascapes with RHUL"
Our ​Approach
Our research employs qualitative methods, enabling us to ​explore the in-depth and complex ways that aquariums ​curate ocean worlds, and visitors encounter them. This ​means we use techniques that allows us to gain rich ​descriptions, perspectives, understandings and viewpoints of ​those who work in, and visit, aquariums. To this end we use a ​combination of textual analysis (of websites and other ​materials), semi-structured interviewing (talking with people), ​site visits and ethnography (immersing ourselves in ​aquariums), and photography in the project. Our research ​complies with the university ethics guidelines at Royal ​Holloway University of London, where we hold ethical ​approval for our work.
Top photo by R.Squire
Photo by R.Squire
Resources
We are currently preparing materials to be shared in ​classrooms across the UK. Oceans, which cover over ​70% of our planet, are taught almost exclusively ​through physical processes, such as ocean currents, ​rather than as meaningful social and human places. ​Understandings of how people form connections with ​oceans, and the wider social significance of sea spaces ​are absent. Our materials will transform how oceans ​are taught by introducing new ideas around the human ​geographies of the oceans through a suite of ​innovative multimedia classroom resources. We are co-​developing this with the Royal Geographical Society ​(RGS) and the Ocean Conservation Trust (OCT).
contact ​us
You can contact us at our respective ​institutional addresses:
Dr Rachael Squire: ​rachael.squire@rhul.ac.uk
Dr Kimberley Peters: ​kimberley.peters@hifmb.de
For queries about the website
please contact Dr Kristin Tietje: ​kristin.tietje@hifmb.de
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For legal purposes the provider of this ​Website is the Alfred Wegener Institute, ​Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine ​Research (AWI).
Address
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info(at)awi.de
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Legal form
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Representatives
The Alfred Wegener Institute is legally ​represented by its Directorate:
Prof. Dr. Antje Boetius (Director)
Dr. Karsten Wurr (Administrative ​Director)
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Editorial responsibility
Responsible for the contents of this ​website: Kimberley Peters & Rachael ​Squire