V o l um e 1 1, N um be r 2
S c i Fe s t N a t i o n a l F i n a l S p e c i a l E d i t i o n
D e c e m be r 2 0 1 9
S CIFEST E ZINE INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Pictures from the National Final 2
Sixth year student’s research into solving oceanic and freshwater dead zones wins SciFest 2019
SciFest 2019 National Final Award Winners
3
Timothy McGrath, a sixth-year student from
SciFest 2019 Special Awards
4
Killorglin, was named the overall winner of SciFest 2019 for his
Timothy McGrath’s Story
5
SciFest@School
6
research and development of a biofilter to combat oceanic and freshwa-
SciFest 2019 STEM Outreach
6
Judges at the National Final
7
Thank You
8
Broadcom MASTERS Award
2
Community College
ter dead zones. Timothy will go on to represent Ireland at the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Anaheim, California next May. The SciFest 2019 National
More than 10,000
Final took place in the
students participated in
Marino Conference Centre in Dublin on 22 November.
SciFest 2019
The
fair
was
officially
opened by Richard Bruton The 2019 National Final
TD, Minister for Communi-
marks the culmination of
cation, Climate Action and
the 14th successful year
Environment . Timothy was
of the SciFest programme,
presented with the SciFest
a year which saw a record number of over 10,000
2019 SFI ISEF Award by Margie McCarthy, Head of Education and Public
students participating in
Engagement, Science Foundation Ireland. Timothy secured his place at the
local and regional SciFest
National Final after his victory at the SciFest regional final in IT Tralee.
STEM fairs across the country. Since launching in 2008, more than 70,000 students have participated
Through research Timothy realised that eutrophication, an enrichment of water by nutrient salts, which causes structural changes to the ecosystem,
in the competition,
turns huge areas of the ocean into dead zones and affects many countries as
representing an average
a result. Dead zones are low-oxygen areas in the world's oceans and large
year-on-year increase of
lakes, caused by excessive nutrient pollution from human activities. Timothy
almost 20% in
created a technically viable solution and built a structure that stored a halo-
participation.
phyte ecosystem that would reduce nutrient pollution, decreasing algal blooms and deoxygenation of ocean water and freshwater. Timothy was one of 77 students who qualified to exhibit 41 STEM projects at the National Final.