AUBURN, NY—April 29, 2003—Bright ideas, solid research and teamwork won three students working with Ripley’s Aquarium Marine Science Camp in Myrtle Beach, SC, a berth as finalists in the Christopher Columbus Awards, a nationwide program that challenges middle-school students to explore opportunities for positive change in their communities. The team had made it to the semifinals earlier this month and now is one of ten teams in the country to compete.

With a protective eye on the area’s endangered sea turtles and their baby hatchlings, the team has developed a special screen to filter out man-made light and encourage baby turtles to follow natural moonlight back to the ocean after hatching. Baby sea turtles instinctively follow light to go from their birthing spot in the sand, to the ocean. They are often confused by man-made light from area hotels and other development and get lost, then eaten by larger prey, before they can make it back to the ocean.

The students—7^th graders Christian Mateo, Alex Musgrove and Alex Stead, and their mentor, Camp Director Michelle Ruthenberg—conducted research on turtle migration and laws to protect turtles through the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and marine veterinary experts, to devise their solution. The screen is staked into the sand in a semi-circle behind the turtle nest in the sand, filtering out manmade lights and gently redirecting the baby turtles from going in the direction of land rather than sea. The team also plans to deputize area hotel management to educate tourists about respect for sea turtles.

A panel of community leaders, scientists and experts in science education judged this idea as one of the top 10 entries in the U.S. Nearly 2,000 students participated nationwide.