A Texas teenager has built an aquatic robot to help save fish. Caden Terence Pohlkamp, currently a middle school student, used robotics to study retention ponds and how well they support aquatic life. In coastal Texas communities, retention ponds are important systems for managing stormwater and reducing flood risks. But these man-made reservoirs can also become habitats for fish and other aquatic creatures. Balancing their role in flood management with their ability to support wildlife is not always straightforward. Caden, who is a 7th-grader from Friendswood, decided to investigate the issue himself.
Caden wanted to find out if there was an “optimal way to design them to provide suitable habitats for the local marine life, according to the Society for Science. To do that, he engineered an aquatic remote-operated vehicle that could travel underwater and collect samples without disturbing the ponds.
What Caden’s aquatic robot found in Texas ponds
The healthier ponds had between 15% and 30% non-grass vegetation along their edges and also contained fountains. The results showed that some design features made retention ponds more suitable for aquatic life. These ponds recorded higher levels of dissolved oxygen, an important factor for fish and other aquatic organisms. The project also reflects the connection between infrastructure and wildlife in growing coastal communities. Retention ponds are built primarily for stormwater management, but their design can influence whether they also become useful habitats for fish and other organisms.