CRMC rewards RI students for science fair projects

March 27, 2026, WAKEFIELD – The RI Coastal Resources Management Council has awarded gift cards to seven Rhode Island junior, middle and high school students for their winning projects in the 2026 Rhode Island Science and Engineering Fair.

This year’s science and engineering fair showcased engineering, science and environmental projects from students from grades 6 through 12. There was a total of 134 projects – 90 entered in the junior division and 44 in the senior division – and the CRMC awarded VISA gift cards for projects on sea level rise predictions, an ocean trash skimmer, ocean acidification, urban heat island effect, and dam dynamics.

The students were winners of the individual science fairs at their schools; teachers are allowed to send as many as 15 winners per school. The CRMC awarded prizes in the special awards category, which allows organizations and groups to set their own criteria and choose their own winners.

In the Senior Division, for students in grades 9-12, the first-place prize of a $100 gift card from the CRMC was awarded to Jinseo Kim, a junior at Portsmouth Abbey School, for the project, “A comparative study of microplastic abundance in coastal sediments and surface water in Third Beach and Narragansett Bay,” where Kim studied the abundance of microplastics in coastal sediments and surface waters as well as how human contributions impact abundance. Kim utilized density separation, Nile Red staining, microscopic quantification through florescence and particle ID to determine microplastic abundance and created a cost-effective and easy-to-use microplastic detection kit for the everyday consumer.

Zoe Ebrahimpour and Oriana Sett, 10th graders at East Greenwich High School, were awarded the second-place prize of a $25 gift cards ($50 total) for the project, “An Exploration of the Urban Heat Island Effect in Providence.” They studied this effect and found it’s often caused by human activity, concentrated infrastructure and abundance of heat-absorbing materials. They explored the negative health impacts of this effect on human health, air quality, energy consumption, and water quality. They also highlighted ways cities can mitigate the effects to avoid this effect.

The third-place prize of $25 was awarded to Alex Barowy of Mount Hope High School for the project, “Clearing the Way: How Bedload Sediment Collectors Affect Sediment Buildup and Hydraulic Performance in a Model Dam.” Barowy studied practical, low-cost ways to improve dam sustainability and water management, and focused on how bedload sediment collectors affect sediment buildup and hydraulic performance by creating and testing various model dams.

The CRMC also awarded three gift cards in the Junior Division for students in grades 6-8. The winner of the first-place honor and a $100 gift card was Anton Chen, a seventh-grade student at Barrington Middle School, for his project, “Predicting Future Sea Levels with Machine Learning.” He utilized historical monthly sea level rise data and forecasting to predict future levels and created a forecasting model that provides results on continuing trends in mean sea level rise that resembles the CRMC’s STORMTOOLS.

The second-place gift card for $50 went to Sofia Ahamed Ali, an eighth-grade student at the Islamic School of Rhode Island, for her project, “The Aqua-Skimmer,” where she created small-scale models of aqua-skimmer trash collectors, specialized workboats designed to collect floating debris and trash from rivers, lakes and harbors. She researched the best skimmer materials (rubber) and then tested her model in a polluter waterway.

Oliver Graham, an eighth-grade student at Saint Philomena of the Sacred Heart received third place and $25 for his project, “Shell Shock,” where he explored how ocean acidification weakens shellfish in New England by performing studies on oyster, clam and mussel shells.

Joey Kim, a seventh-grade student at Barrington Middle School, received an Honorable Mention for his project, “Investigating How Hurricanes Influence Ocean Temperature.” He examined historic hurricane and temperature data to examine correlation, and presented on the negative effects of ocean warming and how human activity is contributing to pollution, sea level rise and global warming.

The Council has been giving out special awards for the science fair for more than 25 years. Special awards were established as a way for local businesses and organizations to promote what they do and get students interested in science and engineering-related research.