Congratulations to the 2004
QuikSCience Challenge Winning Teams!

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View photos of the 2004 winners expedition to Nassau, Bahamas

First Place:
32nd St/Visual and Performing Arts School (Teacher: Barbara Lesure)
Los Angeles, CA
Project focus - "Dissipating Ink", a research question and associated new lesson plan that asks how long it takes the ink from a squid to dissipate in water.  The students then made inferences about the behavior and survival strategies of the squid based on their observations.

Community service - The students created a public service announcement about the problem of bycatch, which was announced over the school's P.A. system.  They also created a display booth talking about the problems of bycatch that they set up at the school during lunchtime, and they passed out copies of cards with information on which seafoods people should avoid eating.

Second Place (TIED):
Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies (Teacher: Scott Sperber)
Reseda, CA
Project focus - The students analyzed data collected from a research vessel on the relationship between water temperature and the abundance of two common fish species in Los Angeles harbor. Water temperature was used as an indicator of dissolved oxygen levels and overall ocean health.  Two lesson plans were adapted from existing lessons that relate to the impact that humans have on the health of ocean ecosystems.
 
Community service - The students are participating in the Heal the Beach Project to clean up beach pollution and are informing and motivating their peers and school administrators about becoming involved in the project.  The students will also participate in the annual Coastal Cleanup Day, and have plans to publish a monthly newsletter on beach pollution through the school Save the Beach Club.

Second Place (TIED):
St. Mary's Middle School (Teacher: Joy Martin)
Fullerton, CA
Project focus - The students wrote letters to cruise lines asking them what measures the company was taking to prevent ocean pollution from their cruise ships, such as, "What does the company do with the waste products that accumulate on the ship?"  The team is currently awaiting responses to their letters from the cruise lines

Community service - Bookmarks were created that encourage people to protect the oceans and list several actions that can be taken to help minimize ocean pollution. The bookmarks were laminated and handed out to other students at the school.

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