Ibrahim Ghassan, 15, Republic of Maldives

Saimaera Saysithideth, 12, Lao PDR

Lee See Theng, 14, Brunei

Lim Jia Jia, 14, Brunei

DK Musfirah Wajihah bint Pg Hj Zainurin Ferale, 10, Brunei

Mahabuba Sudrul, 15, Bangladesh

Ji Hyun Hong, Thailand

Malilinh Phrommala, 12,
Lao PDR

Chilapha Phatvilaysone, 14, Lao PDR

Soukvilay Boothavixay, 13, Lao PDR

T ing Cheuk Man, 16, Hong Kong

Southida Oudomsinh, 16, Lao PDR

Naiyana Kitprayoon, 8, Thailand

Simon Binta Sayeed, 12, Bangladesh

Alisha Babar, 14, Bangladesh

Douangdala Khanthavong, 15, Lao PDR

Natthaporn Raksakiat, 11, Thailand

Vonnapha Saysongkham, 11, Lao PDR

Kwong Yan Yin, Zoe, 11, Hong Kong

WANTED SEAS AND OCEANS- DEAD OR ALIVE?

The ocean, a blue mystical world filled with ulcerated rocks and death-defying volcanoes. This vast blue terrain is the home of sublime and evergreen fish, tentacle filled octopuses and ragged teeth of ferocious sharks. Its grounds are filled with numinous and striking plants making the seabed like Greenville.

But over the past years human beings and his compatriots are helping us by not only cleaning the environment, but by killing it too! As people start to propagate, wants amplify by masses. These days, oil tanks are seeping out tons of noxious oil in the seas causing marine life to die. And what does the Government have to state about it? Nothing! They always hide themselves under a veil and plan something more scheming. On the other side, gigantic powerplants and chemical factories are totally causing chaos. Various contaminated gases and other lethal wastes let out by these factories completely swab marine life. Next thing you know, there will be carcasses everywhere. Global warming increases, causing the colossal icecaps to thaw. Even gigantic dykes can’t save us from the rampant force of water. Never overlook acid rain. Drops from this mortal agent may leave the marine life in disarray.

Naturalists are enthusiastic about wiping Mother Earth’s profound tears. Many people have started organizations for the fortification of the seas and oceans. Protection of sea-creatures from poachers is an example. Oil tanks are being reduced and dumpsters have been put on all sides of beaches. Saving the ocean is like a lifecycle. If we protect it, the effect might be dramatic!

Hitesh Pant, 14, Nepal

Fragments from a Shark

I open my eyes, struggling to turn my body. I falter. My body is covered with sores. It hurts everywhere. I remember I was winded by a sudden outrage.

Where am I? I look around. I land on the seabed, I can't see the sky but there are clouds of rubbish. Suddenly, a flood of blood blurs my eyes? Am I swimming happily with my family, playing hide-and-seek around the coral? I remember being attracted by a small, colourful starfish and a shoal of fish just now. My body hurts again. My memory of what happened next is only a blur. I seemed to lose my way, then I vaguely senses a strong light a heard people clamoring, then I felt an acute pain that tore me into pieces and I was left in a stupor.

There is no body around to help, I feel like fainting. Mum, Dad, I can't swim without my fins, I can't even float or move a step. I don't want to die yet. I still have many unfinished adventures. I haven't been to the Pacific Ocean, the warmest ocean in the world. I wish I could set my foot there.

I lie paralysed at the bottom of the sea; the water is murky, and heavy with the smell of blood. My body is sticky and smelly. No far, I find another corpse lying near my tail. My heart will go on, but my flesh is weak. My eyelids become heavier, heavier and heavier.

Lam Hoi Ying, 15, Hong Kong

The Plight of Turtles

TURTLE is a lovely animal. They live in the seas and lay eggs on the beach. My dad told me that if we don't take care of the environment, turtles will be gone forever.

In Brunei, turtles are protected animals. No one is allowed to catch them or even eat their eggs. People love to eat turtles' eggs because they are delicious. My dad told me that if one is caught selling turtle eggs, they will be sent to jail. I think they should be asked to breed more turtles as punishment instead of sending them to jail. In this way they will learn to love the turtles.

According to my dad, turtles shed tears when they lay eggs. After that, they will go back to the sea.

When the eggs hatched, baby turtles will also head for the sea. Sometimes baby turtles will be eaten by the big fish.

Several turtles will be caught in fishing nets and died. Some die when they eat garbage that had been dumped into the sea. Some died because our water is so polluted.

Please, please, please help the turtles to live for they are such lovely animals!!!

Fina' Fazlan, 8, Brunei

Effects of throwing rubbish to the sea

It was a beautiful sunny day. Some of my friends and I decided to go fishing. In the morning we headed to the island side I used to go with grandfather when he was with me.

Whenever I went that area with grandpa, we used to catch a lot of fishes. The area was full of glorious fishes and corals.

This is the first time I am going there after my grandpa’s death. I was hoping to catch at least two fishes. One of my friends got a plastic bag on his book, we all were surprised to see such things in that place, and we couldn’t catch any fish. We went home in the evening deciding to come next day.

Next day also we went in the same time, but we were unsuccessful in catching fish strangely we caught many plastic bags. Because of such things we decided to check the area by diving. We brought our diving package and dived. We were astonished to see damaged corals. Corals covered with unbiodegradable wastes. There were very few or better to say no fishes. We took some of the plastics and come home.

While we were coming back, we saw many people throwing rubbish in to the sea. We asked them to stop throwing that rubbish in to the sea, if you want beauty of the sea and ocean to be alive.

After that day we wrote a letter to the island chief, with the help of the island office we organized a program to tell people of the island to stop throwing rubbish in to the sea. After few days all the islanders acted upon our advices and helped us in taking the rubbish from the reefs, thus conserving the marine environment.

Ahmed Zydan Shafiu, 11, Republic of Maldives

"Wanted seas and oceans - Dead or Alive?"

"This year's award for best scietist is... Osvehanis!" flustered, I walked up the stage to receive my award and gave a short appreciation speech. As a child, I have always dreamt of being a scientist, especially so when I won my first meteorologist competition at aged eleven.

Naturally, once again I was off on another scientific expedition. Here I was standing on a boat from Phuket heading to the Andaman Sea. Three days later, my crew and I had reached our destination. The sea wind was exhilarating with a hint of adventure. Already from afar I had spotted an odd sight in the water. There floating strangely was a whale. What species I could not tell yet. We stopped the boat's engine to investigate. Already in our swim gear, without hesitation, I jumped into the water with a few members of my crew and swam towards the whale. My assistant was busy collecting water samples. No wonder the whale was floating weirdly, its already dead!

We reported all this to the local marine police station as soon as we got back to Phuket. We gave the collected water samples as proof that the seawater was badly polluted and anything living in it would either be choking to death or were already dead. Our entire actions and pleas fell on deaf ears and worst still our expedition grant was suspended. One person cannot change everything but it would certainly make a difference. So I decided to take matters into my own hands. I wasn't about to let the sea disappear just like that.

Soon news about the polluted sea due to an oil slick reached the media becoming a hot topic. Lives around and in the sea were dying at an alarming rate. I got the green light to proceed with any necessary action, I set out to put things back in order.

The oil slicks were not from ships or tankers and spreading towards the equator. Nine months passed and culprit was still at large. The situation was worsening. I was sitting under a shady and well-hidden spot when I noticed a black ship I have not seen before. Five men were on board acting suspiciously.

I ran back to get my camcorder and caught them red handed loading drums filled with waste like chemicals and used oils. The laws dealt promptly with them. After two weeks later signs of recovery were seen around the sea. Before long, I was headed for home, happy with the knowledge that not only had I saved the sea but the ocean too!

Osvehanis Diyana Binti Hj Osman, 12, Brunei

Seas and Oceans-Dead or Alive?

Why do we look upon the poisoning and destruction with blind eyes?
Pushing the beauty aside and forgetting the life that should be made to last
What happened to that enchanting second when we gazed out into thesaffron skies
With ivory clouds dozing over the rippling sea that was the sunset's mirror of golden cast
The dwelling of extraordinary creatures that began the legends of long ago
A home to those who live to follow the tides, slinking along the rainbows of the ocean floor
Or should it be a hold for all human poisons, with nothing but mutilated existence to show?
The waters could be bled until the life it holds exists no more
The people won't heed, thinking that they are dominant and therefore have nothing to fear
They heedlessly let the oil spill, the toxins flow, the wastes invade, devastating the fragile reality
Of the finned animals that fly undersea, beneath the melted sun, in pools of Mother Nature's tears
Responsibility should be taken in the right and able hands, not mutilated by the used of voracity
Wrongly we hurl our pollutants into the purity of the untainted water left
It is our obligation to help the underwater kingdom to remain and to thrive
It is mainly our choice on whether anything survives or how long, it is our plight, our gift
Our judgement has to be right for we are the ones who decide whether anything is dead or alive

Lamia Haider, 14, Bangladesh

Wanted seas and oceans-dead or alive

Where are you planning to go this vacation?
To the oil clothed surface of the sea?
Or, a reef containing carcass of lifeless creatures?
Or, is it a beach covered with plastic
That once boasted of golden sand?

The coziness of human beings
Has caused Mother Nature a lot of pain
I can’t take any more of the present scenes
By polluting seas and oceans what have we to gain.

When you reach the polluted oceans,
Be sure to fish
You’ll get a closed lamp,
Not containing genie but soul dead creatures
Cursing you for what humans have done.

Lets make the seas and oceans
Like the way they used to be
Let us not welcome the time
When we take our children to a cemetery
Saying “this once was a recreational area of mine.”

The oceans that I once surfed on
The pleasant water that I once kissed
Has now been turned to dumping sites
In which the plinth of life co-existed.

Sprishya Devkota, 14, Nepal

Wanted! Seas and Oceans Dead or Alive

It was a sunny day and I was looking forward to the trip me and my friends were planning to go on, as the holidays had finally begun. As we made our way to the island, I saw the turquoise waters that stretched for miles and the nice corals in the lagoon. After we reached the island, we all planned to go snorkeling. And this turned out to be a great adventure. I saw seaweeds, turtles, beautiful multicolored fish and colorful corals. This under water environment was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in my whole life.

After this we made our way to the beach where there were very few people. Suddenly I saw some men in a dhoni. They were taking in something from the lagoon. I saw that they were corals. They were also catching turtles in need of selling the expensive turtle shell. But these actions were strictly banned in our country.

I did not want these men to destroy our beautiful seas and coral reefs that I had just seen and admired. I knew that this had to be stopped. Me and my friends decided to call and tell my father, who was a policeman. He said that he would see that these men wre arrested. I was very glad that I could help save our corals reef from dying. I planned to go on a trip the next holiday too, as this was a journey I would never forget.

Hassan Izhan Mohamed, 9, Republic of Maldives