Team Members

Andrew Jae-Woo Kim

My name's Andrew Kim, a current junior at Choate Rosemary Hall, and I'm interested in studying physics and mechanical engineering. I like to spend my afternoons playing squash with friends, practicing with my school's rowing team, and practicing my trombone. Outside of that, I love to spend time with friends, some of whom I have created the Seasweeper together with.

Gun Shin

Annyeonghaseyo(Hello)! My name is Gun Shin, and I am currently a junior at Saint Paul’s Preparatory Seoul, South Korea. It is my pleasure to be a part of the Conrad Challenge! Every week, I try to participate in some form of volunteer work. Nowadays, my favorite activities include marine environment service and cooking in a local soup kitchen. I chose to participate in the Conrad challenge because I believe in the power of small changes and I aspire to become a future leader in the field of marine environment conservation. Our Seasweeper project refuses to stop here and I definitely see its place as a great stepping stone ready to change the world.

Minjae Kim

As a Year 12 student at NLCS Jeju, I have a strong interest in the environmental issues and passionate about fostering friendships. One of my main interests has always been finding methods to make a good impact on the health of our world. I like to seek for solutions that improve the environment, whether we're talking about sustainable practices or coming up with eco-friendly projects. My most memorable moments are those spent with friends, when we laugh together, exchange stories, and encourage one another. I value these times just as much. NLCS Jeju offers me a great opportunity to pursue my interests in the environment and the satisfaction of developing deep relationships with colleagues in this lively academic community.

Silas Dongyeon Kim

My name is Dongyeon Kim, but I go by Silas. I am a Junior at Western Reserve Academy, located in Hudson, Ohio. My life has been crafted by a unique journey that intertwines my Korean heritage with the extensive international experiences from living abroad for more than half of my life, thanks to my father's job. I am very passionate about preserving the marine life which sparked while living on the coastal side of Malaysia.This passion led me to marine conservation efforts, where I realized the power of technology and science in preserving marine life. I am deeply committed to nature and believe that even small actions can have a significant impact. This belief fuels my current ambition for this project to contribute to a sustainable future.

Won Jun Chang

My name is Won-Jun Chang and I am currently a high school senior at Asia Pacific International School. I am willing to consume all my energy into creating new alternative tools to effectively preserve Marine life. I believe that the innovative experiences and activities I experienced will be well-engineered to effectively create a great tool.

Existing Problem ‘Ghost Fishing’

Marine life captured by discarded fishing gear is called "ghost fishing".
The World Wildlife Fund estimates that between 500,000 and 1 million tons of ghost fishing equipment are abandoned in the ocean every year.
The proliferation of disposed ghost nets poses a major threat to marine life and sea habitats, as well as the commercial fishing industry and marine vessels.

Approximately 46% of the 1.6 million square kilometers of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (about the size of Alaska) are composed of ghost nets. The fishing gear discarded in the ocean accounts for 10% of all marine debris.
The number of marine animals killed by ghost fishing is estimated to be 650,000 each year. Annually, about 640,000 tonnes of fishing gear are lost and abandoned and the number is growing.

These discarded fishing gear are mostly made of plastic.
They are light and durable. Having a long and linear shape floating over
a large area in the open ocean.
And it's very difficult to pick up.

Source, Olive Ridley Project
“Ghost Fishing: A Cycle of Devastation.” Olive Ridley Project, 15 Aug. 2021, https://oliveridleyproject.org/what-are-ghost-nets/ghost-fishing
-cycle-of-devastation. Accessed 9 Oct. 2023.

Seasweeper

Solution, ‘Seasweeper’

The Seasweeper
An innovation which collects abandoned fishing gear that has been lost, dumped, or abandoned. It was designed based on the material, characteristics, and movement of discarded fishing nets and lines that causing 'Ghost Fishing'. Our innovation consists of three parts :

1

The core: A battery, GPS, and Sensors

The centerpiece is the part that controls the device, including weight and activation sensors, as well as GPS to determine its location at sea.

2

The generator: The Kaplan Turbine

The vertically attached Kaplan Turbine powers the driving source of the Seasweeper and generates electricity for sensor and GPS.

3

The propeller: With the Solar Panel and Fishing Net and Debris Catchers.

For the changing weather at sea, the generator incorporates both hydroelectricity and solar panels.

In addition, our innovation has the 'Seasweeper App' which displays the devices' debris collection status and location.

Benefits of the Seasweeper

  • This device has a simple central structure and power source. This is to reduce failure rates when operating in challenging marine environments. It targets the characteristics of discarded fishing gear to collect it
  • ‘The Seasweeper App’ allows public participation. It can inspire people to protect the marine ecosystem.
  • By minimizing the human forces required for debris collection, seasweepers reduce labor costs.

Seasweeper App

  • 1. The seasweeper collects discarded fishing gear and debris.

  • 2. Collected debris reached 50kg.

  • 3. The Seasweeper alert 'The Sea Sweeper App'

  • 4. People collect debris using the GPS on the Seasweeper to identify its location.

Seasweeper