Innovative Minds: Kiyara Gunawardena

Abby Reinke Elementary School | 5th grade | 11 years old

Continuous Observation and Research for Aquatic Life (CORAL)

About the Idea

Meet Kiyara. Kiyara built CORAL, a low-cost underwater robot that captures 360° reef footage and water data for months at a time—helping scientists monitor ocean health without needing divers.

Why did you enter the 3M Young Scientist Challenge?

I entered the 3M Young Scientist Challenge to learn how to identify a problem and creatively solve it. I know that 3M has many resources that can help me create many more solutions to problems. I want to meet a 3M mentor to improve my project.

What is your favorite invention of the last 100 years, and why?

My favorite invention of the last 100 years is the internet because it changed the way we gain knowledge. My project wouldn't have been able to function without the internet.

In 15 years I hope to be...

A marine research engineer who studies marine life and provides solutions to help people learn more about the ocean, which is a greatly understudied ecosystem. Since I will be 26 in 15 years, I probably will be done with college and pursuing a PhD. By then, I also hope to be in the process of founding a company.