Team:UNSW Australia/Exhibition

iGEM UNSW - Virtual Exhibition

About the Exhibition


Australia and its community have our hearts embedded not only in our arid lands but, also, deep within our seas. Our connection to the reef may not be clearly understood by others outside Australia. But, to us the coral reefs are more than just a pretty sight. They are part of our identity, our way of life, and hold a part of our values. The flora and fauna of the landscape have been a long integrated into our cultural history and are still appreciated to this day.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have fished and foraged in these local waters far before European settlement and have become embedded in their history and culture. As such to them, the land holds important memories, stories and are places of important cultural sites.

This virtual exhibition aims to depict the importance of our coral reef ecosystems to the local and Indigenous People of Australia. We aim to exhibit on an international scale, more than the aesthetics of the reefs, but to tell a story of the emotional and cultural connection that we have. We wish to invoke in others, the sense of value and importance we hold towards the reefs, and in turn, gain traction in the protection of these reefs.

To understand the impacts of the reef and how our virtual exhibition influenced participants' understanding, we included a feedback form. By completing this form, participants were included in our giveaway which supported local ocean charities and businesses supporting a positive environmental footprint.
We acknowledge the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Custodians of country in Australia, and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to their Elders, both past and present.