𝗔𝗠𝗕𝗬𝗦 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯 𝗪𝗜𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗥 · 23x FEATURED · An Asian sci-fi retelling of The Little Mermaid that steers the tale you know in a whole new funky direction |
An ambitious teen mermaid must venture beyond her guarded underwater city and brave the...
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Rhodoreef: In the story, this is the coral atoll in which the mer-city of Calliathron is located. This secluded tropical location is based on the Great Chagos Bank of the Indian Ocean—the largest coral atoll in the world. The protagonist's surname comes from this reef. The word rhodo means "rose-colored", and the reef is named so due to the abundance of pink, partly from pink coralline algae from the algal group known as Rhodophyta.
Sea cow: The Steller's sea cow was hunted to extinction in the 18th century. Its living relatives are the dugongs and manatees. The story features a new species of sea cow.
Sirenian: An order of fully aquatic, herbivorous mammals. Examples are dugongs and manatees.
Seagrass: These are the only flowering plants in the ocean. Marine grain can be harvested from these plants—similar to land grasses like rice and wheat. Merpeople have domesticated it, and they farm many varieties in paddy fields outside the city. Wild seagrass meadows exist as nature reserves.
Calliathron: The name of the mer-city. It's derived from Calliarthron, a genus of pink coralline algae.
DSV: Abbreviation of deep-submergence vehicle. These are used by research teams for deep sea exploration, while in Calliathron, they are used by authorized personnel when venturing into the deep.
Otter: Sea otters are not native to this area, but they are popular companion animals.
Earpiece: The merpeople of Calliathron possess a sophisticated digital device with sonar tech, which complement their natural echolocation capabilities.
Bioplastic: These are made from algae like kelp. Edible water containers, sauce sachets and more can be made from algal plastic. Ari Jónsson, a design student at the Iceland Academy of Arts, had created a biodegradable water bottle by combining red algae powder (agar) with water. New York designer Charlotte McCurdy has fashioned a water-resistant jacket from algae plastic, which captures existing CO2 from the atmosphere.
Peduncle: The tail stock of a merperson, from the waist to the two flukes. This is similar to a dolphin.
Ogi: The main digital device used by merpeople. It's similar to a phone, but takes the shape of a foldable hand fan. It has a paper-like screen and incorporates a headpiece. Ogi is a Japanese hand fan.
Air kiosk: These somewhat resemble phone kiosks. Since it's not practical for merpeople to keep surfacing for air, Calliathron has a city-wide oxygen supply system.
Coral atoll: A ring-shaped coral reef surrounding a body of water called a lagoon. The mer-city lies within this atoll.
Seagrass meadows: These are important ocean eco-systems, providing habitats for a plethora of marine life, including fish, squid, turtles and dugong. They are also massive carbon sinks.
