Congratulations to our 2021 winners!

Each year CSBPA awards two cash prizes at the California State Science Fair. The awards are made for the “Outstanding Project in Coastal Ocean Science or Engineering” to a junior high school student ($250 award) and a senior high school student ($500 award).

Past recipients are listed below.

• 2021 Science Fair

  • Senior High Award

    • Sriram Bhimaraju, “SAAGARA: A 2-Pronged Approach to Lessen Coral Mortality with a Sunscreen Analysis App and Ocean-Safe Chemical Adsorbing Beads carried by an Underwater Rover”

  • Junior High Award

    • Dylan Turzak, “Changing the Tides: Finding the best biodegradable straw”

• 2020 – no science fair held due to COVID-19 pandemic

• 2019 Science Fair

  • Senior High Award

    • Ayushi Srivastava, Logan High School, Union City, San Francisco County, “The Milkweed Mesh: Cleaning up Oil Spills in Aquatic Environments Using an Eco-Friendly Component”

  • Junior High Award

    • Nora C. Thompson, Korematsu Middle School, El Cerrito, Contra Costa County, “Lights of the Sea” (pollution effects on dinoflagellates (bioluminescent planktons))

• 2018 Science Fair

  • Senior High Award

    • Melanie Quan, Las Lomas High School, Walnut Creek, Contra Costa County, “Microplastics, Macro Problem: A Novel Technique to Remove Microplastics from Water Using a Modified Electrostatic Filter”

  • Junior High Award

    • Aaron McKeeman, Coastal Academy, Oceanside, San Diego County, “SwellSpark Turns Ocean Swells into Electric Energy”

• 2017 Science Fair

  • Senior High Award

    • Rhitishah Yuva Raju, Folsom, “Saving the Delta by Managing the Natural Ecosystem of Marshland: Sustaining the Population of Eurytemora affinis“

  • Junior High Award

    • Zoie Andre, Arcata, “Living Shorelines to Mitigate Sea Level Rise”

• 2011 Science Fair

  • Senior High Award

    • Matthew P. Goldklang, San Diego Jewish Academy, San Diego, “Red Tide Sensitivity to Ocean Acidification”

  • Junior High Award

    • Alicia Sadowski, La Reina School, Thousand Oaks, “Oil Spills and Dispersants: A Deadly Duo?”

• 2010 Science Fair

  • Senior High Award

    • Joshua J. Kim, Northwood High School, Irvine, “Investigation of Beach Pollution in Southern California”

  • Junior High Award

    • Divya Siddarth, Harvard-Westlake School, Los Angeles, “Acid Ocean: The Effect of pH on Calcifying Organisms”

• 2009 Science Fair

  • Senior High Award

    • Rachel Bickert and Kelli Van Wandelen, San Lorenzo Valley High School, Felton, “Kelli and Rachel’s Excellent Beach Adventure”

  • Junior High Award

    • Daniel R. Freeman, Jr., Quail Lake Environmental Charter School, Clovis, “The Power of the Wave: Which Area is a Wave’s Development Will Yield the Most Energy?”

    • Jacqueline Lopez, Hollenbeck Middle School, Los Angeles, “Do Enclosed Beaches Have Higher Levels of E. coli and Enterococci When Compared to Open Beaches?”

• 2008 Science Fair

  • Senior High Award

    • Sarah Doyel, Ventura High School, Ventura, “A Cry for Help! Are Malibu Beaches Starving for Sand?”

  • Junior High Award

    • Rose Landis Leopold and Ella Rae Madsen, Pacific Collegiate School, Santa Cruz, “”Sandy Beaches: Pleasure or Pollutant? An Analysis of Sand Bacteria as a Possible Source of Ocean Contamination, Year 2.”

• 2006 Science Fair

  • Senior High Award

    • Kirsten L. Hempy and Angela J. Afman, San Marcos Senior High School, Santa Barbara, “Beach Grooming: Does It Banish the Beachhoppers?”

  • Junior High Award

    • Annemarie R. Kelleghan, St. Anastasia Elementary School, Los Angeles, “Back to Ballona: A Two Year Analysis of Ballona Creek Project Abstract”

• 2005 Science Fair

  • Senior High Award

    • Sarah Amiri, San Marcos Senior High School, Santa Barbara, “The Effects of Upwelling, Eutrophication, and Trace Metals on the Bloom Dynamics of Pseudo-nitzschia”

  • Junior High Award

    • Joshua Comptom, Pacific Union School, Arcata, “An Assessment of Barrier Designs in Minimizing the Impact of Tsunami Waves on Shorelines”

• 2004 Science Fair

  • Senior High Award

    • Aaron S. Goldin, San Dieguito High School Academy, Encinitas, “Inventing a New Conversion Technology: Autonomous Gyroscopic Ocean-Wave-Powered Generator”

  • Junior High Award

    • Swati Yanamadala, Chadwick School, Palos Verdes, “The Determination of Bacterial and Pollutant Flows in Coastal Estuaries of Southern California”

• 2003 Science Fair

  • Senior High Award

    • Katie A. Dolence, Claremont High School, Claremont, “A Study of Marine Surface Currents Using IR Thermography”

    • Brigitta E. Miyamoto, Redwood High School, Larkspur, “Reef to the Rescue: Which Artificial Surfing Reef Counteracts Beach Erosion Best?”

  • Junior High Award

    • Eric W. Leidersdorf, Viewpoint School, Calabasas, “Use Your Head(land)! An Experiment in Shore Protection”

• 2002 Science Fair

  • Junior High Award

    • Andrea N. Gaines, Goleta Valley Junior High School, Goleta, “Plover Preferences: Is Beach Grooming Driving Snowy Plovers to Extinction?”

    • Conner L. Mosley, Colina Middle School, Thousand Oaks, “Taming Tidal Waves”

• 2001 Science Fair

  • Senior High Award

    • Derek Russell, Mount Miguel High School, Spring Valley, “The Effect of Wave Attenuating Spheres on Wave Amplitude”

  • Junior High Award

    • Rebecca Feinberg, Rita George, and Stephanie Hass, Manhattan Beach Intermediate, Manhattan Beach, “Surf’s Up”