News

Santa Catalina School students took home several awards in the 2023 Monterey County Science and Engineering Fair.

Of the 10 projects submitted, seven were nominated to advance to the state competition. In addition to taking first, second, or third place in various categories, Catalina projects earned a number of special awards.

Projects were first judged virtually, and the top projects in each category were invited to be showcased in person for final judging on March 25.

Here are the results for Santa Catalina:

Animal Science and Biology

• 1st place: Carys ’23 and Reena ’23*
  • Topic: Respiration rates indicate the preferred macroalgae of starved purple urchins
• 2nd place: Wendy ’23 and Ashley ’23*
  • Topic: Testing metabolic effects of microplastic exposure on the blue mussel
• 3rd place: Shayna ’24 and Emma ’24*
  • Topic: Effects of temperature and food availability on the metabolic response of purple urchins

Earth, Environmental and Geosciences

• 2nd place: Chloe ’23 and Jessica ’23*
  • Topic: The relationship between temperature change and the presence of a particular bacterium in Monterey Bay
  • Special awards: Association of Women Geoscientists, U.S. Stockholm Jr. Water Prize
• 3rd place: Michiko ’24 and Sara ’24*
  • Topic: The effects of hypersaline brine solution on the metabolic rate of purple sea urchins
  • Special award: IEEE Tech Prize for Excellence

Psychology and Social Science

• 1st place: Cindy ’23 and Charlotte ’23*
  • Topic: Microplastics’ effect on hermit crab escape response
  • Special award: American Psychological Association Prize

Additional Awards

• Leah ’24 and Cecelia ’24* — NOAA Prize
  • Topic: Analyzing how warming ocean temperatures and weather events have influenced great white shark distribution on the California coast
• Angelina ’23 and Maggie ’23 — U.S. Stockholm Jr. Water Prize
  • Topic: The effect of submarine ground water discharge on coral populations
• Dafeny ’24 — CA Association of Professional Scientists Prize
  • Topic: Design and manufacture of an algae cleaner to treat an aquatic environment
• Louisa ’24 and Christina ’24 — Ricoh USA Award
  • Topic: Using GIS to find the ideal living environment for sunflower sea stars

*Projects nominated for State