Coral Bleaching Data Visualization

This installation, by Bahram Pourghadiri, was on display during an exhibition organized by Jonathan Della Vecchia at the206studio, Montreal.

Making data felt

Global warming is systematically destroying coral reef habitats. But statistics often fail to convey the scale of the tragedy.

We designed an installation to give visitors a visceral sense of the environmental calamity taking shape. By mapping every recorded bleaching incident from 1980 to 2020 onto a translucent, spinning planet, we turned a spreadsheet into a haunting memorial.

Explainer video

The Data

The visualization is powered by the Global Coral Bleaching Database. We processed 34,846 records from 14,405 sites across 93 countries.

We didn't summarize the data. We showed every single event. Each incident appears as a burst of color that fades to white. A ghost of the reef that was.

The Experience

The audio landscape is generative. When the reefs are healthy, you hear underwater currents and meditation tracks. As the bleaching intensifies, the mix shifts to a haunting, sad soundscape.

Interactive Control

Using a webcam and simple computer vision, visitors can raise their hand to pause the rotation of the planet, allowing them to inspect specific regions or moments in time. No sensors, no wearables. Just a human gesture.

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