Atlantic Motorways and Maritime Streets: Digital Stories of Plastics and their impact on Biodiverse Ecosystems Around Rathlin Island

This paper extends Richard Sennett’s concept of the “Open City” to marine environments, framing the ocean and sea currents to global “maritime streets”. As part of the Future Island-Island project, this research investigates how design-led digital transitions can enhance accessibility to the seabed and environmental conservations around Rathlin Island. In collaboration with local ecological group, Rathlin StickyBeak, an analysis of their marine plastic collection across a 10-year period was conducted, cataloguing and classifying into a three-tier taxonomy: Transatlantic Arterial, Regional Commercial, and Legacy Erosion Traffic. High resolution 3D Digital Twins of these artefacts were deployed within a Virtual Reality (VR) submersible experience, embedding object-based storytelling into an interactive seabed simulation. Using the Usability Metric for User Experience (UMUX) method, the experience was evaluated during unconstrained public events. The experience triggered meaningful qualitative engagement, with participants reporting shifts in personal waste attitudes and commitment to direct lifestyle changes. While the analysis results demonstrate areas that require improvement, this research shares preliminary results within the first phase of iterative design development.