Chapter 6: The Dive

The scholarship required a live project presentation. Ethan chose to study kelp forest degradation due to rising ocean temperatures—a big topic for a fifteen-year-old.

He borrowed his school’s camera, filmed the local kelp beds, and interviewed older fishermen.

Then, tragedy struck—while diving to record kelp footage, his equipment slipped. In a panic, he surfaced too fast and ruptured his eardrum.

Recovery was painful, but he didn’t stop. With one ear bandaged, he edited videos, created infographics, and practiced speaking with Ava and Marcus over Zoom.

On presentation day, he stood nervously in front of marine scientists across the country.

He nailed it.