Cooperative learning and knowledge gains from ‘Reef Survivor: Jamaica’, an educational board game adapted for community engagement in Caribbean coastal conservation

‘Reef Survivor: Jamaica’ is an educational board game designed to foster learning and cooperation around coral reef and coastal conservation with an Earth systems approach. This game was successfully implemented in a 2021 community workshop in Portland, Jamaica. ‘Reef Survivor: Jamaica’ incorporates elements of place-based education and resembles the marine environment in the East Portland Special Fishery Conservation Area. The game promotes cooperative learning by challenging players to build and maintain resilient reefs that survive disasters; learning goals align with the Ocean Literacy Principles. The evaluation instruments included pre- and post-activity worksheets and a Cooperative Learning Observation Protocol. Learning gains included the participants’ improved ability to identify locally important marine organisms and their ecological characteristics, as well as key connections between ecosystem components (e.g., coral diversity is important for reef resilience). The community workshop also facilitated cooperative learning regarding coral reef and coastal conservation. Community members and geoscientists cooperated to protect reefs in the game, became familiar with their local marine environment, and strategized about how to restore reefs following disasters. The game was used as a conceptual model of the Portland reef and inspired conversations about local conservation efforts that were underway. Local engagement is critical for conservation, and this game facilitates learning about Caribbean reefs among diverse community members and engagement in ongoing conservation actions. A print-and-play version of the game is available (https://doi.org/10.18738/T8/RSSBIO) and suggestions for future implementation are discussed.