Submitted Ideas
4
Protecting marine animals from oil spills
Posted by Suchin Rengan | , United States
As we know there are serious consequences to marine animals due to oil spills in oceans. The recent BP spill left a heavy toll on the marine animals where several species were impacted: http://www.nwf.org/what-we-do/protect-habitat/gulf-restoration/oil-spill.aspx. As we continue to invest in practices such as ocean oil drilling, and inspite of improving efficiencies of the practices, we cannot guarantee an accident like the BP oil spill. It becomes our duty to protect and preserve the marine animals.
A team of young students ((4th graders) )who are participating in their FLL challenge want to propose a solution that may help alleviate such impacts:
1) Detect and clean oil spillage using techniques such as http://www.nano.gov/node/784
2) Warn marine animals with sounds to prevent animals from entering the contanimated areas using techniques described here: http://www.dosits.org/animals/effectsofsound/howdoyoudetermineifasoundaffectsamarineanimal/
They are working on a concept called "AquaRobot" that presents itself as a eco-friendly, animal friendly robot that are put in the vicinity of these oil drilling stations in the oceans.
The team did some research and found that there is recent work https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCKyMn-2edo where carbon nano sponge can be used absorb spilt oil.
Another interesting find to warn animals like Sea Turtles is here: http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/the-pulse/92912-trying-to-save-sea-turtles-through-sound-
As we know many sea turtles died due to the BP oil spill.
A small correction to the above. The team is a group of boys age 9 – 12. Also, note that the name “AquaRobot” is just a placeholder.
Suchin, the sentence “As we continue to invest in practices such as ocean oil drilling, and inspite of improving efficiencies of the practices, we cannot guarantee an accident like the BP oil spill” in the first paragraph may need correction.