Sea Turtle Eggs: Washed to Sea?
An example of a protected sea turtle nesting bed.Copyright 2009 Ianaré Sévi, CC-BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Protected_Sea_Turtle_Nest_(Boca_Raton_FL).jpg
Students employ the full engineering design process to research and design prototypes that could be used to solve the loss of sea turtle life during a hurricane. During Hurricane Irma, Florida lost a large proportion of its sea turtle nests. Protecting these nests from natural disasters or even human influence is an essential component of conservation in Florida, since only one hatchling in every thousand survives to adulthood. In this activity, students learn about sea turtle nesting behaviors and environmental impacts of hurricanes. Students work collaboratively to build structures that could protect a single sea turtle nest, or an entire beach, in the event of a hurricane or other similar weather disaster. Then, students present their solutions to concerned stakeholders. As an optional extension, students can build prototypes using 3D printers or 3D pens.
In this activity, students work as engineers to design solutions to protect endangered sea turtles. Ecological engineers focus on the design and restoration of natural ecosystems for societal and environmental benefits. Just like engineers, students design and build prototypes. As engineers, the students must consider the impacts of every design, including cost and practical limitations, as well as potential environmental consequences.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Explain environmental impacts of hurricanes.
- Explain how engineering design process.
- Design a structure that helps protect sea turtle nests.
- Communicate research results to the class.