Abaco Science Fair 2026
Science & Stewardship in Marine Protected Areas
Thursday, November 12th, 2026
New Vision Ministries
Overview
Projects should show evidence of research into a topic surrounding “Science & Stewardship in Marine Protected Areas.” This theme highlights the important role that science, conservation, and community engagement play in protecting marine ecosystems and ensuring the sustainable use of ocean resources. In The Bahamas, marine resources are central to our way of life, supporting fisheries, tourism, recreation, cultural traditions, and livelihoods across our islands. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) serve as vital tools for conserving biodiversity, supporting fisheries, building climate resilience, and safeguarding the cultural and economic benefits that healthy oceans provide. Projects should explore how scientific research, innovation, traditional knowledge, and stewardship efforts contribute to the effective management and protection of marine environments. Categories for projects might include, but are not limited to, marine biodiversity, coral reef and mangrove conservation, sustainable fisheries, climate change adaptation, marine resource management, ecosystem monitoring, community stewardship, and the social and economic impacts of Marine Protected Areas.
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Lower Primary, Upper Primary, Lower High
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All information outlining how the project was done, key findings and conclusions, should be included in a poster presentation, using a maximum of 6ft of table space. Please be reminded if your project requires any additional props to be placed on the ground you must provide some type of mat to protect the flooring. Students will be given 5 - 8 minutes for project explanation which will be followed by a brief question and answer period.
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Upper High School Teams: Grades 10-12 only
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All information outlining how the project was done, key findings and conclusions, should be included in a powerpoint presentation to explain their projects on stage in front of the audience. Students may include props along with the slideshow to help to explain their projects. Presentations should be no longer than 10 minutes.
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All Teams:
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Projects must be based on scientific investigations, an experiment or surveys, including environmental and/or social perspectives. (**All high school projects must include the scientific method. If high schools do not use the scientific method, the project will be placed in the Non-competitive/Display category.**)
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All teams should also use their research to inform an action component that demonstrates student participation in solutions, behavior change, or community outreach for increasing public understanding of the services provided by the chosen ecosystem(s) or species. Proof or samples of the action component should be provided (photo copies, video, photographs, etc).
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All projects must include a list of sources/references for any photos, diagrams, definitions etc. that are borrowed for their project.
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Please note: Students who are homeschooled but live in Abaco can enter to participate in the competition. Please make entries based on the grade level they are currently in.
Judging Criteria
There are four components of each project to be judged:
1) Originality (Score 1- 10 points)
Projects should have original information and not just copy and paste from other sources not made by schools (e.g. brochures, internet). Students should be able to demonstrate an original thought process.
2) Content (Score 1- 10 points)
Information should be consistent with chosen topic and relate to overall theme. For high schools: Headings should relate to the scientific method (abstract, introduction, hypothesis, methods, discussion/conclusion including sources of error and methods for improvement). For primary schools: Headings should reflect what you did, how you did it, and what you found out (do not need to use those phrases verbatim).
3) Presentation for lower primary, upper primary and lower high ONLY (Score 1- 10 points)
Project should be well presented. If hand written, it should be legible. Projects should be neat and tidy, and follow a logical order. Projects which are eye-catching will score higher.
3.1) Presentation for upper high ONLY (Score 1- 10 points)
Students should have an organized powerpoint presentation that is easy to follow, easy to read and eye-catching. Presenters should speak clearly when presenting and must not exceed the limit of 10 minutes.
4) Student Explanation (Score 1- 10 points)
Students should be able to answer questions posed to them by judges and display that they have an overall knowledge of the project. Students will be given 5 - 8 minutes for project explanation which will be followed by a brief question and answer period.
*In the case of a tie, the project scoring higher on student explanation will be the winner.
NOTES FOR ALL ENTRANTS
You are responsible for projects that are legible, audible, etc. depending on project format.
Credit your sources of information (including photos, web research, interviews etc).
For lower and upper high school: You must show use of the scientific method in your project (steps listed below).
Rules
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Each school is allowed one entry per school category (i.e., one for lower primary, one for upper primary, etc.). Additional entries will be placed in the display category and will not be judged.
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Prizes will be awarded to the winning school and not to individual students.
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Registration opens Monday, September 7th 2026. Schools registered by Friday, October 9th 2026 will receive ONE bonus point towards their final score. Schools must complete entry forms by Friday, November 6th 2026.
REGISTER HERE
Registration opens on Monday, September 7th 2026.
All entry forms must be submitted by Friday, November 6th 2026 the latest.
SCIENTIFIC METHOD...break it down!
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Ask a question
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Do some background research
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Form a hypothesis (educated guess)
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Test your hypothesis by doing an experiment
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Make an observation from your experiment
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Analyze results and form a conclusion
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Report your results
HELPFUL TERMS
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Marine Conservation - The protection and sustainable management of oceans, seas, and coastal ecosystems to ensure their health, biodiversity, and resources are preserved for the future. It involves safeguarding marine species and habitats from threats such as overfishing, pollution, habitat destruction, and climate change, while promoting practices that balance human use with long-term ecosystem resilience.
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Sustainable Fisheries - Fishing practices that harvest fish and other marine life at levels that can be maintained over the long term without depleting the population or damaging the surrounding ecosystem. They aim to balance the needs of people who rely on seafood for food and livelihoods with the health of ocean ecosystems, ensuring that future generations can continue to benefit from marine resources.
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Marine Protected Areas- Designated regions of oceans, seas, or coasts where human activities are managed or restricted to conserve marine ecosystems, protect biodiversity, and support the recovery of endangered species. MPAs help preserve habitats, maintain healthy fish populations, and sustain resources for future generations while sometimes allowing sustainable use like regulated fishing or eco-tourism.
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Blue Economy - refers to the sustainable use of ocean and coastal resources to support economic growth, improve livelihoods, and create jobs while maintaining the health of marine ecosystems. Examples in The Bahamas include sustainable fisheries, tourism, boating, marine transportation, and emerging industries that depend on healthy oceans. The goal of a blue economy is to balance economic benefits with long-term environmental sustainability.
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Community Stewardship- The active involvement of local people in caring for, managing, and protecting natural resources. It recognizes that communities often have valuable knowledge about their environment and play an important role in conservation efforts. Examples include participating in beach cleanups, reporting illegal fishing, helping monitor marine life, supporting marine protected areas, and educating others about conservation.
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Marine Resource Management- The process of planning, monitoring, and regulating the use of ocean resources to ensure they remain healthy and available for future generations. This can include setting fishing regulations, establishing marine protected areas, restoring habitats, conducting scientific research, and balancing the needs of people with the protection of marine ecosystems. Effective marine resource management helps sustain fisheries, protect biodiversity, and support coastal communities.
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Bahamas Protected Area Fund- The Bahamas Protected Areas Fund (BPAF) is a national conservation financing organization established by an Act of Parliament in 2014 to provide long-term, sustainable funding for the management of The Bahamas’ protected areas, including marine protected areas, national parks, and other ecologically important ecosystems. Its main role is to support conservation projects, scientific research, education, and ecosystem management by providing grants to government agencies, NGOs, and research institutions working to protect biodiversity and strengthen climate resilience.
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Bahamas National Trust - The Bahamas National Trust (BNT) is a science-based conservation organization established by an Act of Parliament in 1959 and is responsible for managing The Bahamas' national park system. Its mission is to effectively manage national parks and protected areas to conserve and protect Bahamian natural resources. Today, BNT manages a network of 33 national parks covering more than 2 million acres of land and sea throughout The Bahamas.
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Department of Marine Resources -The Department of Marine Resources (DMR) is the government agency responsible for managing and protecting The Bahamas’ marine resources to ensure their sustainable use for present and future generations. Through fisheries management, scientific research, policy development, and enforcement, the Department works to conserve important species and habitats while supporting the livelihoods of Bahamian communities.