[SEMCO] Oceans Alive - High School Science Fair Winners

[Sheri DeRosa]

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                                                            NEWS RELEASE 
                                                                        
     
For more information, contact: 
                                                                                                           For 
immediate release:  April 23, 2008
Jeffrey Brodeur, Communications and Outreach Specialist
(508) 289-2665
jbrodeur at whoi.edu

Young Scientists Present:
Oceans Alive Series Concludes Tuesday With Winners of Falmouth Area 
Science Fairs

 From microscopic bacteria in the Red Sea and sleep-deprived cockroaches 
to the secrets of cryptography and some very angry crabs, four of 
Falmouth's top young scientists will gather on Tuesday, April 29, to 
present their findings in the conclusion to the 2008 Woods Hole Sea 
Grant Oceans Alive series.
 
The lecture in Redfield Lab on the Woods Hole campus of WHOI begins at a 
special time, 4 p.m., and is open to the public.
 
Presenting from Falmouth High School are:
 
§  Neil Forrester of Cumlodden Dr., Falmouth. Neil will discuss his 
project; "Differentiating Random Sequences with Strongly Typed Genetic 
Programming," which took 1st place overall at the FHS science fair (the 
Dr. Mary Sears Award) and at the South Shore Regional Science Fair. In 
the project, Kevin used computer analysis to determine how sequences of 
random numbers were created, which is crucial to the science of 
cryptography.

       Neil, son of Ned and Janice Forrester, is a member of the Varsity 
Sailing, Tang-Soo-Do, Math and Mock Trial teams. He will attend MIT next 
year.

§  Kevin Haung Lin of Hillcrest Dr., Falmouth. Kevin will present his 
findings on the evolution of marine cyanobacteria in the Red Sea, a 
project that took second place overall at the FHS science fair. Kevin 
analyzed DNA of the cyanobacteria to determine how they have evolved to 
the nitrogen-stressed environments of the Gulf of Aqaba and therefore 
differ from other strains of cyanobacteria worldwide.
 
       The son of Jian and Kelan Lin, Kevin is president of the National 
Honor Society and founded the Math Honor Society at the high school. He 
is a member of the Math Team, Ecology Club, Model United Nations and 
Student Government. Kevin is planning on attending 
                          either  Harvard or Yale.
  
Winners from Falmouth Academy are:
 
§  Maia ten Brink of Two Ponds Rd., Falmouth. Maia's project, "The 
Effect of Sleep Deprivation on Cockroach Olfactory Memory," earned her 
first-place and the MBL-sponsored Robert B. Gordon Interdisciplinary Award.
 
          Maia, the daughter of Drs. Marilyn and Uri ten Brink, trained 
American cockroaches to associate reward or punishment with different 
odors, then tested their memory retention after sleep-depriving them for 
24 hours.
                 
           Maia, a junior, plays soccer and is involved in theater, 
sculpture and creative writing.
 
§  Caroline Cotto of Old Jail Ln., Barnstable. "Feeling Crabby: How 
Serotonin Affects the Aggressive Behavior of the Invasive (Asian Shore) 
Crab" won Caroline the A. Lawrence Peirson III and Robert B. Gordon 
Interdisciplinary awards at FA, second place at the South 
          Shore Regional Science Fair and the U.S. Air Force Award.
 
       Caroline wanted to see if increasing serotonin levels in the 
animals would alter the behavior of the Hemigrapsus sanguineus and will 
discuss her results.
 
       The daughter of Kim and Michael Cotto, the sophomore is class 
vice president and member of the FA student council. She is an avid 
dancer and volunteer who enjoys photography and painting.

Parking for the lecture is available at metered spaces on Water Street 
in Woods Hole.
 
For more information, contact the Woods Hole Sea Grant Program, 
508-289-2398 or seagrant at whoi.edu.


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