This PhD research explores how multiple worldviews can be mobilised through experimental museology to influence the way we approach marine conservation decision-making.

Marine policies often privilege prosaic (factual) evidence, applying practical responses to rational science anchored in Western frameworks. But what if we approached the ocean differently—through more poetic, relational, and intercultural narratives? This research asks how museological practices of curation, immersion, and interpretation can mediate diverse worldviews in ocean governance.

The field of Ocean Literacy (OL) is commonly defined as our influence on the ocean and the ocean’s influence on us (UNESCO). This study extends OL by engaging with museological methods of display and interpretation, testing how immersive exhibitions can integrate multiple worldviews to support the long-term ecological and cultural stewardship of marine ecosystems and species.

Targeting expert ocean planners as participants, the study compares emotional responses and levels of spatial presence elicited by different framings, with the aim of identifying how exhibition design can shape policy perspectives.

Using qualitative and quantitative methods, this research investigates how participants experience worldview representations when conveyed through immersive film in a 270–360° room. The intention is to illuminate whether museological strategies of immersive storytelling can influence decision-making in marine governance.

Ultimately, the project contributes evidence for designing emotionally resonant and culturally inclusive museum and exhibition experiences, offering new pathways for marine protection and policy innovation.

Acknowledgement

This study received scholarship funding from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) Endeavour Fund administered by Auckland War Memorial Museum.

More Information

Blue Cradle Foundation

Researcher and Contact

James Nikitine

Supervisory Team and Advisors

• • Prof. Rob Lindeman, HIT Lab NZ, University of Canterbury
  • Assoc. Prof. Heide Lukosch, HIT Lab NZ, University of Canterbury
  • Dr. Gianna Savoie, Department of Science Communication, University of Otago
  • Tom Trnski, Auckland War Memorial Museum

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