Help Minecraft Help the Oceans!

UPDATE: The winning design was TURTLE EGGS! Huge thanks to everyone who voted!

Head over to our Facebook page to choose which sculpture we’ll use in our attempt to regrow a coral reef!

For the longest time, apart from the occasional squid or guardian, Minecraft’s oceans were empty. But now, with the Update Aquatic, we’re filling the oceans to the brim with kelp forest, shipwrecks, deep sea trenches, fish, turtles, dolphins and colourful coral reefs.

In the real world, however, it’s the opposite: climate change, destructive fishing methods and pollution of the water are killing off our planet’s amazing marine life. Coral reefs, one of the Earth’s most precious natural wonders, are under threat.

Coral reefs are home to some two million species - roughly a quarter of all marine life. We’re only just unlocking the secrets of these amazing organisms, and yet the World Wildlife Fund estimates that nearly a third of coral reefs worldwide are already damaged beyond repair. If trends continue, we will soon lose 60% of the world’s coral in the next few decades.

We can do something about this - with YOUR help!

Our plan is to install six Biorock structures, an innovative technology that promotes coral growth up to five times faster than normal, off the coast of Cozumel, Mexico – a region whose coral reefs have suffered from coral bleaching and been battered by hurricanes.

The first three designs are iconic characters from past and future updates: Alex, Steve, and a sea turtle. The remaining three designs are in the hands of our community!

• StacyPlays will be putting out a call to her community to send in designs - one of which she’ll pick.

• Rabahrex and a classroom of Minecraft players from his country of Mexico will work together to create another design.

• Logdotzip has the final slot: he’s come up with the three designs you can see below, and YOU get to choose which one will go into the sea! Head to Facebook to vote RIGHT NOW!

We’ll bring you updates on the status of the project throughout the next few years, so you can see how our coral crafting is coming along!

Header photo credit: iStock.com / mihtiander