Sixteen-year-old Canadian researcher Evan Budz has been awarded the $50,000 Gordon E. Moore Award for Positive Outcomes for Future Generations at the 2026 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair for developing an autonomous bionic turtle capable of detecting microplastics in aquatic environments. The recognition concludes nearly two years of intensive robotics development and artificial intelligence training aimed at modernizing environmental monitoring protocols. Budz conceived the project in the summer of 2024 after observing the efficient hydrodynamic movement of a snapping turtle during a family expedition in Ontario. Motivated by the escalating crisis of marine pollution, he designed a bionic platform optimized for long-range water surveys. Early prototypes struggled with buoyancy control, repeatedly sinking during initial pool tests. Through iterative design and consultations with local aquarium specialists, Budz engineered a propulsion and stability system that mimics natural turtle locomotion. The mechanical chassis and a custom 3D holographic imaging subsystem each required approximately 2,000 hours to construct. To overcome the inefficiencies of traditional microplastic analysis, which depends on costly, delayed laboratory processing, Budz paired the holographic camera with a specialized AI recognition system. Beginning in summer 2025, he focused on training machine learning models to differentiate synthetic polymer particles from organic debris at resolutions as small as 10 microns. Field validation was conducted at regional Canadian lakes before winter conditions halted testing. By the time of the competition, the autonomous platform achieved a 94 percent accuracy rate in microplastic identification while executing user-programmed search patterns without manual navigation. The technology directly addresses critical bottlenecks in remote ecological data collection. Conventional sampling methods often require multiple days of lab analysis and highly trained technicians, making them unsuitable for off-grid or frequently changing waterways. Budz’s integrated system enables rapid, in-situ analysis, drastically reducing both operational costs and turnaround time. The Gordon E. Moore Award, presented at a globally competitive event drawing over 1,700 high school students, underscores the project’s potential to streamline sustainable environmental surveillance. Budz plans to allocate the scholarship toward undergraduate studies in science or engineering. He intends to continue optimizing the hardware-software integration and pursue partnerships with environmental research institutions to expand the system’s deployment capabilities. The project demonstrates how converging advances in biomimetic robotics and edge AI can deliver scalable solutions for pressing ecological monitoring challenges.