Blue Schools Student Symposium: Expanding Oxyfloat Outreach
March 27, 2026
Event Overview
The USA Blue Schools Student Symposium brought together students from the USA Blue Schools and Long Island Sound Schools Network to share environmental action projects and new ideas. Hosted at the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk in collaboration with UConn Sea Grant, the event highlighted marine conservation, environmental education, and the health of Long Island Sound ecosystems.
Presenting Oxyfloat
At the symposium, we presented Oxyfloat to a wide range of audiences, including students of all ages and professionals from Sea Grant and the Maritime Aquarium. We introduced the problem of hypoxia, explained how low dissolved oxygen affects marine life, and shared our design process for developing a biomimetic oxygenation system.
Conversations and Learning
Throughout the event, we engaged in conversations about water quality, innovative solutions, and ways students can contribute to healthier aquatic ecosystems. We walked peers through how Oxyfloat works and its potential to improve dissolved oxygen levels in stressed systems, while listening to thoughtful questions and ideas from fellow students and mentors.
Feedback and Next Steps
We received valuable feedback on our prototype. These insights will help us refine our design and plan future experiments that deepen our understanding of how Oxyfloat performs in real-world conditions.
Impact and Inspiration
The symposium was a meaningful outreach opportunity that strengthened our communication, collaboration, and real-world application of the project. It reinforced the importance of student-driven solutions in addressing environmental challenges and showed how ideas like Oxyfloat can inspire action across schools and communities.