Bower students take top prize for innovative coral reef project

An idea which came from watching a David Attenborough documentary on the devastating effects of rising ocean temperatures on coral reefs has earned two students from an Athlone secondary school first place in a prestigious national STEM Science Fair.

Aideen Derwin and Bláithín Moran from Our Lady's Bower Secondary School took first prize in the science category at the SciFest@Teen-Turn Science Fair in Dublin for their innovative project addressing coral reef bleaching.

Having watched the Attenborough documentary, the two students were motivated to try to come up with some sort of system to stop the process of coral bleaching. Having explored how technology could be used to help protect corals during extreme heat events, Aideen and Bláithín came up with the idea of using a small-scale water cooling system that slightly lowers seawater temperature to help corals survive heatwaves, alongside a monitoring device that measures water temperature and pH levels. If conditions become unsafe, the system sends alerts to an app, allowing reef health to be monitored in real time.

Reflecting on their work, the students said they were most proud of creating a working prototype. “After spending a long time figuring out how we were going to build the cooling system, it was incredibly rewarding to see it work,” they said.

Aideen and Bláthín took part in Teen-Turn’s Project Squad programme, attending weekly sessions that provided structure and support over the course of three months. “Teen-Turn supported us every step of the way and really helped keep us on track,” they said. They also attended Saturday Super Sessions at the University of Limerick, gaining experience in a university setting and insight into STEM pathways.

Participation in Teen-Turn has encouraged them to consider future careers in science and engineering. “It showed us that science and engineering are creative and hands-on,” they said. “Seeing the standard of other projects really inspired us.”

Although it was their first time taking part, the students said their nerves quickly disappeared. “After our first judging and meeting so many inspiring young scientists, we felt much more confident. Everyone was so kind and encouraging,” they said.

Their mentor, Osas Samuel, praised their development over the programme. “It was impressive to see their initial idea evolve into a fully realised project over the twelve weeks,” she said. “By presentation day, they carried themselves with pride and excitement, supported by the strong Teen-Turn community.”