by Layla Widenhofer
Grade 4 - Elementary School (Panama CityPanama)
Second Place
January 30, 2017
Dear CEO of SeaRobotics,
It has come to my attention that the sea turtles are facing many problems that increases their chance of extinction. I think we should save the sea turtles because they help maintain the seagrass beds and, by breeding, provide nutrients to beaches. If sea turtles go extinct, we would see a serious decline in commercially valuable species like different types of fish, shrimp, and crab and an increase in beach erosion. Because humans eat fish, shrimp and crab and use the beach for a wide variety of activities these environmental changes would negatively affect humans.
Experts say only one out of a thousand sea turtles live to adulthood under natural conditions. One of the most dangerous times for sea turtles is during their travels from nest to ocean. Footprints to driftwood become obstacles. Birds, fish ,and crabs are a few predators the sea turtle babies face during this dangerous travel to sea. This dangerous travel is where I would like to help by designing an invention that would increase the chances of sea turtle babies making it the ocean.
My invention is called “The Carrier.” After the sea turtle babies hatch, the Carrier transports the babies from the sand into the North Atlantic subtropical currents, the coral reefs, or to a Sargasso Sea. This invention will help the sea turtle get to areas so they live a safe, happy life where they can float and swim around in soft currents, and have plenty of food sources and places to hide from predators. The Carrier also protects the baby sea turtles from predators,such as sharks and birds, while they travel to these safer places.
The Carrier attaches to the nesting sites. It looks like a small car. It is a long clear tube that is positioned on four wheels. Each wheel has a propeller in the middle. The Carrier blends into the sand so that the sea turtle babies will go into it when they come out of the nest. The Carrier can hold up to 100 sea turtles at a time. The inside of the Carrier will have clear walls so the babies will think they are going right into the ocean. The outside of the Carrier is hard, so when the birds see the sea turtles and try to eat them, they only bite the Carrier. Like a human brain, the Carrier uses senses to find out what's happening around it. The Carrier knows it has turtles in it because the Carrier can sense the weight change. Once the Carrier reaches its maximum weight, it closes and starts heading to the water.The Carrier also is water powered. Once the Carrier is in the water, sensors on the outside can see fishing nets or big predators, like a shark. Once these things are sensed the Carrier has the ability to change direction or increase speed to keep the baby turtles safe. The Carrier also is waterproof so the sea turtles don't drown. In order to get fresh air to breathe, there is a long scuba pipe that runs to the surface of the water. Because the sea turtles can live two to three years without food, they won't die. The Carrier also has a GPS which allows for the release of the sea turtles once they arrive to their destination. Once the Carrier releases the babies a signal activates that allows the scientists to track it on the computer and pick up the device.
As I have said, sea turtles have a very important part to play in both the marine ecosystem and the dune ecosystem. Many other species, including humans, are dependent on the work of sea turtles. Because your company makes underwater machines and robots, I think the Carrier would be in great hands with you.
Sincerely,
An advocate for sea turtles
References:
http://www.seeturtles.org/baby-turtles/, January 30, 2017.
https://seaworld.org/animal-info/animal-infobooks/sea-turtles/longevity-and-causes-of-death, January 30, 2017.
http://www.worldwildlife.org/, January 30, 2017.