Coral Reef Controller Project
Background of the Project
Figure 1 - Laura, her team members, and a fish tank containing the Coral Reef Controller.
The ‘Coral Reef Controller’ was a group ‘proof of concept’ project that I was fortunate enough to be a part of. Our aim was to find ways to protect and conserve coral, an important part of the underwater ecosystem. This follows as a solution or contribution towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14: Life Below Water.
Firstly, we researched the conditions necessary for the growth and maintenance of coral. We found that coral growth requires specific temperatures, water depth and light intensity, which we could monitor/control with sensors. We used the application ‘mBlock’ which allowed us to make codes that control the sensors connected to the Arduino board (a programmable circuit board). We proceeded to make the components that made up the sensors, then test our programming to ensure it was functioning well. Afterwards, we used a fish tank as a model to represent how our components would work in a nursery.
Our goal of controlling conditions on a small scale was achieved. We were able to conclude that the conditions for the survival of coral can be maintained in a nursery, and so could possibly be implemented on a larger scale.
We initially presented our project at our local senior school science fair. I’m not sure how my other colleagues felt, but for me it was quite a stressful experience! The fish tank we were using was leaking and we were worried about the electrics we had set up. Not to mention all the younger students who were so fascinated by the display – they were crowded around our table, eagerly waiting for us to do a presentation. Of all the science fairs I’ve participated in, this was the most challenging by far, but I suppose this pushed us to do better. We had developed the project for this particular event, as we had done with all our previous projects, and thought that was the end of the story. Little did we know, we would go much further with this project.
Figure 2 - A display showed the data being measured by the sensors. Image by Author.
Figure 3 - Arduino board set up with connections to various components. Image by Author.
Science Fairs
During one of our chemistry lessons, a teacher invited someone who has now become an important mentor in my life: Mr Chikundi. He heard about our project during that lesson and was intrigued, asking us to explain more. He found it so interesting that he selected our project, from the many others that were submitted, to represent Zimbabwe at the North Gauteng Science Expo in August 2017. The expo was held at the University of Pretoria, South Africa; it most certainly was a memorable and worthwhile experience. It was interesting to note other young people’s innovative ideas that use science as a pathway to solve global issues.
We were so pleased to be awarded a silver medal at this fair! Soon after this success, Mr Chikundi asked us to present our project at the South African Youth Engineering Science Symposium (SAYESS) in December 2017. At that fair, we were awarded a bronze medal.
The next fair was by far the most exciting: we were chosen to represent Zimbabwe at the GENIUS Olympiad held in Oswego, New York State in June 2018. We were awarded a certificate of distinguished achievement. Around that same time, we were also awarded the Ricoh Sustainable Development Award, which has 30 recipients annually.
The most exciting thing about these science fairs is the opportunity to network and learn what other young people are working on, as well as finding opportunities to collaborate. It’s a scary thing, competing with equally intelligent young people. However, throughout these experiences I have learned a few things, some of which I hope will help those interested in science fair opportunities:
Ideas don’t have to be complex to be ‘good enough’;
Working with others is crucial: don’t be afraid to ask for help;
Be the change you want to see;
Do the best that you can with what you have;
It’s not about you – rather, it’s up to you!
I have come to appreciate the intellectual challenges that come with the ideation and execution of a project, and thus I would encourage as many young people as possible to take the opportunities to be part of these fairs/competitions. Like anything worth doing, there will be a couple of hiccups along the way, but resilience and genuine passion will help you sail through the challenges. Don’t forget that it’s always a good idea to consult those who have done this before you and ask them for help!
