Play For Plankton

SORT IMAGES, DRIVE RESEARCH FORWARD
Plankton, though tiny, remains hard to observe. To learn more about these organisms, scientists photograph thousands of them. That’s where you come in: by grouping images that look alike, you confirm or rule out predictions about the names of plankton species.

AN INVISIBLE WORLD TO EXPLORE
Game after game, discover the diversity of plankton through the in-game Planktopedia: you learn to recognise organisms as you play. Play for Plankton combines accessible game mechanics with genuine participatory science. The game becomes a gateway to a better understanding of the ocean.

THE ROUTE DU RHUM, FIRST CHAPTER OF A LONG VOYAGE
During the race, a PlanktoScope, an open-source microscope, regularly analyses seawater on board the catamaran We Explore. The images are sent ashore by satellite, pre-sorted, then offered in the game as sorting levels. The crossing ends in Guadeloupe, but the adventure continues: We Explore’s upcoming expeditions and missions will carry this plankton exploration forward.

DATA IN THE SERVICE OF SCIENCE
Your sorting feeds the work of the Laboratoire d’Océanographie de Villefranche (Sorbonne Université – CNRS) on the effects of climate change on marine ecosystems.

A COLLECTIVE PROJECT
Play for Plankton is led by Fonds Explore, together with the Concarneau Marine Station (MNHN), the Laboratoire d’Océanographie de Villefranche (Sorbonne Université – CNRS), FDJ UNITED, creator of the game, and FairScope, designer of the PlanktoScope. Sailors, citizens, science enthusiasts or nature lovers: everyone can take part in the same chain of knowledge. Join We Explore’s shore crew! Free app, ad-free, available in French and English