Protect the blue
Marine & Ocean Tech
Teams build underwater robots, buoys and sensors that monitor water quality and marine life along our coasts, rivers and reefs.
Marine & Ocean Tech is one of 12 competition categories in TechFest Australia, a national technology competition and festival for Australian school students and young innovators. It is open to Junior (Years 3–6), Secondary (Years 7–12), Tertiary (University or TAFE) and Open (Ages 18–30) entries.
The 2027 challenge
Help look after reef and coastal health: build a device or underwater robot that monitors water temperature, clarity or marine life without disturbing the ecosystem.
Example projects
- Low-cost buoy that logs water temperature and sends an alert when it rises
- Image tool that classifies coral photos as healthy or bleached
- Drifting tracker that maps where plastic litter travels in a river
Flagship challenge
Reef Guardian ROV
Survey the reef without touching it.
Teams build a remotely operated underwater vehicle and pilot it through a pool mission over a mock reef. The ROV must identify healthy and bleached coral tiles, count pest starfish models and collect a water sample. Any contact with the reef structure costs points. Planned: the pool venue and supervision arrangements are still to be confirmed.
- Divisions
- Secondary · Tertiary · Open
- Team
- 2–6
- Format
- Pool mission, planned
- Mission
- Survey, count, sample
Season 2027 dates
- Registrations open
- To be announced
- Registrations close
- 19 February 2027
- Proposals due
- 26 February 2027
- National final and festival
- 30 September 2027 to 3 October 2027
Indicative dates, final schedule to be confirmed. The entry fee for the 2027 season will be published before registrations open.