Nine-year-old Wellington native Emiliana Fuger recently won her age group (7 to 10) in the statewide 2025 Wavemakers STEM competition, judged by legendary oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle, former Apple and PepsiCo CEO John Sculley, Wavemakers founder Gabrielle Raymond McGee and more. The award included a $5,000 scholarship.
Fuger’s award-winning project is a heartfelt and imaginative book, called Anatomy Under the Sea: The Adventures of Luna the Loggerhead, about a loggerhead sea turtle on a journey to lay her eggs on the very beach where she was born in Juno Beach.
Along the way, Luna meets eight incredible sea creatures, such as the great hammerhead shark, the Atlantic longarm octopus, the giant manta ray and the Atlantic horseshoe crab, all native to South Florida’s waters.
Through charming rhymes and engaging comparisons, readers of all ages learn about the fascinating similarities and differences between Luna’s anatomy and that of her ocean friends.
The inspiration for Fuger’s book began when she was eight years old, working on her 2024 Wavemakers project, where she was a finalist. She had a big idea: to create a sea turtle model with a removable shell to teach children about the internal anatomy of a sea turtle. But when she searched the library and bookstores, she couldn’t find a single book that explained it for younger students — so she decided to write the book herself. “I wanted to make it easy for kids to learn,” Fuger explained.
The book is beautifully illustrated by talented children’s book artist Jess Burbank, bringing Luna’s adventure — and the wonders of ocean life — vibrantly to life.
Now, Fuger is working to get Luna’s story published — and she needs your help. She is collecting preorder requests to show publishers that there’s excitement for the book. Be part of this inspiring journey by reserving your copy at https://tinyurl.com/y6rnu27c.
