Opening 30 May, the exhibition turns 20 years of Tara Ocean Foundation research into a 10-zone journey through coral reefs, Arctic frontiers and microscopic marine ecosystems

Science Centre Singapore will open ONE Ocean: Every Action Ripples on 30 May, bringing the global debut of a new immersive ocean science exhibition to Singapore.

At a time when ocean health, climate change and biodiversity loss are among the most pressing challenges, the exhibition brings decades of real-world ocean science to the public for the first time.

As an island nation closely tied to the sea through trade, climate and biodiversity, Singapore is a natural home for this global premiere.

The exhibition is brought to life through a three-way partnership that unites scientific rigour, immersive storytelling, and public engagement. Tara Ocean Foundation, a pioneering French nonprofit that collaborates with renowned scientific institutions worldwide, lends the exhibition its scientific credibility, while experiential studio Ride FX transforms that science into a compelling immersive experience.

Spanning 360-degree projections, free-roaming virtual reality, spatial soundscapes and interactive installations, the exhibition moves from Arctic ice fields and coral reefs to bioluminescent depths, microscopic life, ocean currents and Singapore’s own marine ecosystems. It shows how these systems are connected, and how even the smallest actions on land or at sea can ripple across oceans, coastlines and communities worldwide.

ONE Ocean: Every Action Ripples reflects Science Centre Singapore’s continued ambition to make science more accessible, experiential, and deeply relevant to everyday life. “As an island nation, Singaporeans have always lived alongside the sea, yet how often do we truly think about what the ocean means to our survival, our climate, our future?” says Ms Tham Mun See, Chief Executive, Science Centre Board.

“This exhibition is designed to bring that to light. We want every visitor, regardless of age or background, to leave with a felt sense of connection to the ocean, and the belief that their actions, however small, send ripples far beyond what they can see.”

“To reach out to more Singaporeans, $1 for every ticket sold will be channelled to vulnerable communities to visit our exhibition so that they can experience ONE Ocean free of charge.”

What visitors will experience

The exhibition is a 60 to 100-minute self-paced journey through the ocean’s hidden ecosystems, scientific discoveries, and interconnected systems.

Highlights include 7 Wonders of the Ocean, a 360-degree projection that surrounds visitors with the abyss, coral reefs, whale migrations, and bioluminescent marine life. Symphonies of the Ocean where visitors mix real sounds from above and beneath the waves; and Tara Polar Station, a replica of a real drifting Arctic observatory, offers a glimpse into life and research in extreme environments.

Making every action ripple

Hands-on installations bring science to life. In Ocean Currents: Ever Flowing, visitors trace the thousand-year journey of global ocean currents. In Colours of the Ocean: Coral Beds Under Pressure, a slider shows how reefs shift from vibrant colour to grey under environmental stress. Microscopic Life: The Superheroes of the Ocean introduces six tiny but vital organisms that help keep the ocean alive.

“Each expedition undertaken by the Tara schooner and Tara Polar Station is an opportunity to share the thrill of discovery with the public. ONE Ocean exhibition takes that further, creating new ways to reach new audiences and make ocean science part of our shared culture,” says Myriam Thomas, Director, Tara Ocean Foundation.

She added, “Science, adventure, curiosity and dialogue between citizens; these are wonderful ways to tell this story and foster real connections around the ocean.”

Bringing the ocean story home to Singapore

Bringing the story closer to home, Tides of the Red Dot explores Singapore’s marine biodiversity and conservation efforts through real specimens and insights from researchers and volunteers from the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum.

For a deeper dive, Secrets of the Blue, a free-roaming VR add-on, takes visitors through kelp forests, mangroves and coral reefs, highlighting how these ecosystems support climate regulation and carbon storage.

The sensory experience extends beyond sight and sound. Developed in partnership with Givaudan, the exhibition brings the scent of the ocean into the galleries, transforming the experience from immersive to visceral.

“Each environment gives visitors a different way to experience ocean science through space, sound and interaction,” says Elia Vermander, Executive Producer, Ride FX. “Whether visitors are surrounded by a 360-degree seascape, listening to hidden ocean soundscapes or moving through ecosystems in VR, the message remains the same: what happens in one part of the ocean ripples much further than we think.”

Plan your visit

ONE Ocean: Every Action Ripples opens on 30 May at Science Centre Singapore. The exhibition is open from 10am to 5pm, Tuesdays to Sundays (closed on Mondays except Public Holidays and gazetted school holidays). Tickets start from $10 for add-ons and range from $10 to $24, with bundles offering up to 40% savings including additional experiences and Science Centre admission. Tickets are available for purchase here. More information on ONE Ocean: Every Action Ripples here. All tickets include complimentary admission to Science Centre Singapore.

General exhibition recommended for ages 5+.
*VR experience recommended for ages 9+; children aged 9-12 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Exhibition Zones

ONE OCEAN: Every Action Ripples unfolds across ten zones.

1. Exhibition Lobby: Theatre of Life, Colouring Animation & AI Photo Booths

Visitors enter through projections of sea life cast across towering semicircular curtains, setting the stage for what lies ahead. The lobby features a Colouring Animation station where younger visitors colour sea creatures and watch them come alive across 3-metre-high projection panels, alongside four AI photo booths that transform visitors into creatures of Atlantis and deep-sea explorers

2. Tides of the Red Dot

A dedicated zone that brings the exhibition’s global research back to Singapore, exploring local marine biodiversity, environmental threats and stories of hope from the community. Featuring specimens from the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum and insights from researchers, students and Friends of Marine Park volunteers, Tides of the Red Dot bridges science and creativity through hands-on origami, offering visitors a way to learn about their seas and discover tangible ways to help protect marine life.

3. Colours of the Ocean: Coral Beds Under Pressure

Drawing from the Tara Ocean Foundation’s ongoing coral reef research, this zone reveals the vivid beauty of coral systems and the pressures threatening them. Through a manual slider, visitors control the health of a grayscale seascape: sliding right brings the reef to life with vivid colour, while sliding left fades it to grey, showing the delicate balance of coral survival through the concepts of robustness, resilience and resistance.

4. Microscopic Life: The Superheroes of the Ocean

The Tara Ocean Foundation has identified six microscopic “superheroes,” each playing a vital role in ocean health. Visitors explore a gallery of motion-activated screens revealing each organism’s function, concluding with The Kingdom of Microplankton, an interactive platform for a deeper dive into these invisible life forms.

5. Ocean Currents: Ever Flowing

A single drop of water can take nearly a thousand years to travel around the globe. Visitors set this in motion by turning an interactive wheel, transforming a static map into a narrated animation of the Global Conveyor Belt. A touchscreen traces a drop’s thousand-year journey, revealing the profound influence of ocean currents on life across the planet.

6. Symphonies of the Ocean: A Soundscape to Get Lost In

In this acoustically isolated space, visitors settle onto cushions and benches in a darkened, blue-lit atmosphere. The centrepiece is a large wooden mixing panel inspired by vintage recording studios. By adjusting backlit sliders, one can compose their own soundscape, mixing above-water sounds like snapping sails and strong gales with underwater recordings of whale songs and Arctic ice, captured by specialised underwater microphones aboard the Tara

7. Stories of the Ocean: Myths and Legends from Around the World

Directional speakers channel legendary tales, while shadow puppets projected on walls bring global myths to life. Overlooking the space is a colossal Kraken, its tentacles suspended from the ceiling, as illustrations and story fragments fill the walls and miniature worlds lie hidden within the panels.

8. Tara Polar Station: The Arctic Expedition

A replica of the real drifting Arctic observatory stands at the heart of a pristine white expanse. Inside the dome-shaped structure, eight digital windows reveal shifting horizons through three immersive cycles. Visitors experience life suspended in the ice, the pulse of scientific discovery, from ice core secrets to the invisible dance of plankton, and the poetry of polar cycles, surrounded by the sounds of grinding ice and howling winds.

9. 7 Wonders of the Ocean

A 360-degree immersive projection where the ocean’s most extraordinary environments unfold around you. Through advanced video mapping, the space transforms into a futuristic research vessel. Four interactive touchscreen stations invite deeper exploration into the science behind bioluminescent plankton, coral reproduction and oceanic currents.

10. Secrets of the Blue: VR Experience (Add-on)*

Guided by Yellow, a spirited underwater drone, visitors embark on a free-roaming VR journey through kelp forests, seagrass meadows, mangroves, and a vibrant coral reef, before Yellow’s shrinking device transports them into the microscopic world of plankton.

*Requires additional ticket.

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