Red Lobster recently announced the Grand Prize-winning team and four Runner-Up teams of the Red Lobster Ocean Sustainability Challenge. Middle school students from around the country were asked to develop innovative solutions for protecting or preserving oceans and waterways.
From all the team submissions, a panel of leading ocean sustainability experts selected the 20 Finalists based on creativity, potential impact, use of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) skills and feasibility. These Finalists were then moved onto the crowd-voting phase where the general public voted for the favorite submission.
The final five teams were determined by a combination of crowd votes and scores from the panel of judges. The final five teams were:
GRAND PRIZE TEAM
- Sam Yuan (age 13), Sophie Kouklin (13), Viraj Kamath (14), and Ben Raphael (12) from University School of Milwaukee in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They created a sunscreen to save the coral reefs.
RUNNER-UP TEAMS
- Fiona Clapp (11), Blake Yezak (13), Jourdan Rolfsen (12), Janey Spikes (13), and Sophia Neyens (12) from Bishop Louis Reicher School in Waco, Texas. They created a way to grow an algae farm in the ocean using nitrogen from a land fill.
- Nella Travnicek (12), Miles Vaske (13), and Rhys Phillips (13) from Rex Mathes School in West Des Moines, Iowa. They developed a nitrogen tile drain filter.
- Quinlan Blankinship (12) and Miro Vinck (12) from Putnam Avenue Upper School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. They used AI to decipher old whaling maps to better understand migration patterns.
- Elia Wolk (13), Audrey Shin (13), Kayal Thuduppathy (13), and Zoe Hennenberger (13) from Cabin John Middle School in Potomac, MD. They developed a SIGMA robot for ocean exploration.
Each member of the Grand Prize-winning team will receive an all-expenses-paid, three-day trip to Los Angeles, California, to meet leading ocean innovators at AltaSea; free team registration to the 2025-2026 FIRST competition season; and a STEAM kit for hands-on learning. Their school will receive $1,000 in science supplies. Members of the Runner-Up teams will receive free team registration to the 2025-2026 FIRST competition season and a STEAM kit.
“We are incredibly proud of all the participants who took part in this impactful innovative challenge,” said Damola Adamolekun, CEO of Red Lobster. “The passion and ingenuity these students have demonstrated is inspiring, and it highlights the essential role that younger generations play in protecting our oceans. We look forward to seeing how these teams will continue to drive positive change in our oceans and the world.”
Learn more about the Red Lobster Ocean Sustainability Challenge online.
Red Lobster is the world’s largest and most-loved seafood restaurant company, headquartered in Orlando, Florida.
