Robotics Competition Challenges Deep Sea Exploration Skills of Middle and High School Students

by The Dauphin Island Sea Lab

Northeast Lauderdale High School NJROTC from Meridian, Mississippi (left) Rehobeth High School NJROTC of Dothan, Alabama (right)

Northeast Lauderdale High School NJROTC from Meridian, Mississippi, won the overall regional champion title this weekend at the Alabama Regional SeaPerch competition. While Rehobeth High School NJROTC of Dothan, Alabama, earned the regional slot to attend the International SeaPerch ROV Competition.

Seven schools competed in the fourth annual SeaPerch ROV Competition at UMS-Wright Preparatory School in Mobile, Alabama, on Saturday, March 23. The Dauphin Island Sea Lab and UMS-Wright co-hosted the competition.

The middle and high school teams competed in two pool courses - an obstacle course and a mission course. Each team designed and built its own SeaPerch underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV) for the competition.

The 2024 SeaPerch competition theme was deep sea exploration, and the two pool courses challenged the students’ engineering and problem-solving skills. The students built their ROVs to take on the mission course challenges of retrieving items, collecting samples, and releasing buoys. They also maneuvered their ROVs through an obstacle course of five hoops at top speed.

The Alabama schools represented were Barton Academy, Clark-Shaw Magnet School, John L. LeFlore High School, Robertsdale Navy JROTC, Rehobeth High School, and UMS-Wright Preparatory School.

Middle School and High School team placements were:

Teamwork Award:

  • LeFlore High School

Middle School Top Technical Report:

  • Barton Academy for Advanced World Studies - Team Syren

High School Top Technical Report:

  • UMS-Wright Preparatory School - Speedy Makos

Middle School Pool Courses:

  • 1st: Clark Shaw Magnet - Three Musketeers
  • 2nd: Clark Shaw Magnet - Nacho Bots
  • 3rd: UMS-Wright Preparatory School - Bionic Sharks

High School Pool Courses:

  • 1st: Northeast Lauderdale High School NJROTC
  • 2nd: Rehobeth High School NJROTC
  • 3rd: Robertsdale NJROTC - Just the Bears

Learn more about DISL’s Discovery Hall Programs STEM classes, camps, and workshops at www.disl.edu/dhp/stem