Digitally-enabled experiential learning: marine pollution through the lenses of augmented reality

The Earth's oceans are pivotal to sustaining life, affecting humanity, wildlife, and the overall well-being of our planet. Recognizing the urgency, it becomes paramount to champion the protection of marine life and ecosystems. This paper tackles this imperative, delving into the pivotal role of innovative digital technologies, particularly immersive media, in fostering experiential marine environmental education and ocean literacy. Addressing a pervasive challenge in environmental sustainability education—bridging the gap with distant issues—this article shares crucial insights from a comprehensive four-year research project. Focused on the role of augmented reality (AR), this work contributes to the ongoing academic discourse by revealing the project's key findings. It emphasizes the impact and implementation of green AR interventions, while also highlighting their limitations. Additionally, we discuss policy implications and explore the potential opportunities and challenges associated with integrating immersive interactive learning into marine education.