SDG 14 – Life below Water
Healthy oceans are a central prerequisite for life on our planet. SDG 14 demands that marine resources be protected and used sustainably.
Protecting the Oceans – with Creativity and Innovation
Healthy oceans are a central prerequisite for life on our planet as they regulate the climate, secure food for billions of people, and build complex ecosystems. At the same time, though, they are under massive pressure: plastic waste, overfishing, and harmful substances endanger the oceans’ biological diversity and natural cycles. This is the background of Agenda 2030’s SDG 14 which demands that marine resources be protected and used sustainably.
At USTP, we also contribute to the implementation of SDG 14 – especially by anchoring sustainability topics in teaching and creative practice. One example is the student project Pollucean at the Department of Media and Digital Technologies executed under the lead of Peter Judmaier. The project shows in an exemplary manner how environmental awareness, digitalisation, and education can be combined to promote sustainable development.
Pollucean: Gamified Sustainability Education
Within the framework of a MediaLab in the bachelor degree programme Media Technology, students developed a digital game that makes marine pollution tangible for users. The players address the causes and consequences of waste in the oceans and learn how sustainable decisions can contribute to improving marine ecosystems.
Central issues such as recycling, resource management, and the responsible handling of natural resources are taught not as abstract concepts, but as something that can be actively experienced. Pollucean thus shows that sustainability is not an isolated topic addressed by individual disciplines but can be creatively and practically integrated into various fields of study – from technology through media to design. With the prototype of Pollucean, the student group won the Subotron Student Live Pitch Competition 2025 and founded Octo5Studios to follow up on the project.
Have you become curious? You can play the demo version of the game here.
Creating Awareness through Education and Innovation
The project illustrates how digital learning formats can contribute to making complex global challenges more comprehensible and pointing out possible options for action. Pollucean combines research, teaching, and social responsibility, thus making a contribution to SDG 14: ‘Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development’.
About the SDG Topic Series
Within the framework of our SDG topic series, we dedicate ourselves to one of the 17 goals for sustainable development every week. The selected contributions serve as examples to illustrate how USTP – University of Applied Sciences St. Pölten contributes to a sustainable future. In doing so, we highlight diverse issues – from poverty in old age and ‘AI for Green’ to strategic partnerships and networks.
