Marine Science 2 Field Trip

     On March 15th, 2024, marine science 2 went on a field trip to the University of West Florida swim center. The event was hosted by SeaPerch, a program that gives students the chance to create remotely operated vehicles for underwater purposes. The goal of this program is to connect students with skills they can connect to the real world, while providing ideas that may be of significant use. With engineering skills and the freedom of design, the marine classes participated in a hands-on project to showcase their creations. Within a few weeks of building all ROVs from scratch, the students had their masterpieces made. They used materials such as PVC pipes that were individually wired, pool floaters that aided in buoyancy, and motors equipped to steer and move. With their vehicles finished, they were prepared and set for the competition. During the event, students from Navarre and even private schools arrived to compete. Each team went through challenges, overtaking an obstacle course that was compared to real world circumstances. It was simulated through underwater geology and exploration. Among the teams from Pace, Nathan Ramos, 12, and Cedar Phillips, 12, worked alongside one another and gained 75 points on this challenge out of 100. This same team finished the racecourse in one minute, where the ROVs were obligated to drive through hoops. When talking to Phillips, 12, he explained how he believed him and his teammate did. “I think we won because watching all of the other groups, I feel like they weren’t on the same level as us.” Throughout this competition, Phillips said the main hardship they faced was getting a feel for driving the vehicle. “In general I didn’t see it as difficult. Every challenge they gave us was a part of the fun,” Phillips, 12, said. Ramos, 12, also gave insight on this trip. “I think the highlight of it all was going out there and seeing how everything we did in the class prepared us to compete. It was cool to see ours do really well compared to the other peoples.” Given this educational opportunity, it helped him learn an important skill. “I learned teamwork, because there were times when we argued, but in the end it turned out to be really cool.” So with the teams all anticipating who will reign as the winner, these two remain confident in their ROV. Not only has this competition been a great learning experience, but it’s also given greater skills that can be put to use later on in life.