Lauren Arrington just wanted to top the other kids' science fair projects.
But she ended up making a breakthrough that surprised even seasoned, Ph.D.-holding scientists.
Her research showing that venomous, highly invasive lionfish can survive in nearly fresh water was ultimately replicated and expanded upon by ecologists, who cited her in their published, peer-reviewed study on the topic.
Not bad for a 12-year-old.
Craig Layman, an ecology professor at North Carolina State University, called Lauren's work "one of the most influential sixth-grade science projects ever conducted." He said it demonstrated something scientists should have done years before.
"Her project was the impetus for us to follow up on the finding and do a more in-depth study," said Layman, who with graduate students from Florida International University had been researching lionfish in the Loxahatchee River. "We were the first paper that published the salinity of the lionfish, and it was all because of what she had done with her science project."
The daughter of two scientists who love the water, Lauren has grown up fishing, snorkeling and loving science. As a little girl, she went to the classes her dad used to teach at the University of Alabama, piping in with questions that impressed him with their insight.
She got the idea for her project after constantly seeing the red and white, garishly decorated lionfish in Palm Beach County waters. She found out from her dad, an ecologist, that they were taking over Florida's reefs and gobbling up native fish.
"I wanted to do something about them," said Lauren, who is now 13 and lives in Jupiter. "So I was kind of throwing ideas at my dad."
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