Hawaii teen invents coconut-based filter to capture ocean pollutants

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - An award-winning scientist from Hawaii is being praised for her invention that will help clean up pollution in our oceans, and she’s only 18.

Hawaii’s Vera Wang is in her first year at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she’s weighing her options between microbiology research and biological engineering.

”Just the whole discovery and innovation aspect is really fascinating to me,” Wang said.

But this story is about what the product of Hawaii’s public school system accomplished prior to packing her bags for Cambridge.

”In seventh grade, I had a wonderful science teacher,” Wang said. “Her name was Mrs. Brown at Niu Valley. She encouraged me to submit my science fair project that I had done for an assignment to our school fair.”

From that point on, her interest in science grew.

Before Wang graduated from high school earlier this year, her research on ocean pollutants led to an important discovery.

”I designed and engineered a physical filter that you float on the water, and it basically filters out the plastic and sunscreen from the ocean surface,” she said.

Her filter is made entirely from a source that’s abundant in Hawaii.

”I’ve always been interested in sustainability, so I wanted to see if there were any locally accessible natural biodegradable materials that I could use. Looking around Hawaii, coconut trees are just everywhere,” she said.

Wang gathered coconuts from an Oahu wetland where she volunteered, then she taught herself how to weave the leaves into a usable shape.

“I was inspired by the Hawaiian papale niu, or coconut leaf hat, so it does look like a hat,” she said.

Here’s how it works. The filter captures microplastics and sunscreen found in ocean water. The fungi in the coconut husks can also break them down.

Wang made that discovery while working at the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s Amend Lab.

”My mind just exploded, you know, next steps ideas. I was very excited about it for sure,” she said.

She’s presented her project at science fairs and prestigious competitions in Hawaii and on the mainland. She’s earned first-place finishes, awards and scholarships.

Hawaii’s youth can learn a lot from Wang’s example.

”I encourage all students, especially those from public schools to not give up,” she said. ”If I gave up, I would not be here where I am today.”

There’s more to come.

Vera and her mentor from the Amend Lab are now working on publishing the manuscript of her research project.