Kearney 1

Liam Kearney

Ms. Green

Systems Engineering II

8 September, 2015

Background Statement

Existent Opportunity:

There exists an opportunity to improve the living conditions of Ace, a Kemp’s Ridley Sea

Turtle. She was rescued in the waters of Mattituck, Suffolk County, NY in poor health. Ace

currently resides at the Jenkinson’s Aquarium in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. The aquarium is in

need of a device that serves as an adjustable resting and sunning platform for a Sea Turtle. The

design and construction of such a platform leads to the improved wellbeing of Ace. Students are

granted the ability to work with the aquarium and capitalize on such a design opportunity for the

sake of their Senior Capstone Course.

Ace at the Bottom. (Kearney, Liam. Tank Bottom. 2015. Jenkinson's Aquarium.. 2015.)

Box Turtle Ramp. (Kearney, Liam. Small Turtle. 2015. Jenkinson's Aquarium.. 2015.)

Kearney 2

Top of Ace’s tank; Area to work with. (Kearney, Liam. Tank Top. 2015. Jenkinson's Aquarium.. 2015.)

Ace’s Sun Spot from above. (Kearney, Liam. Top Chameleon. 2015. Jenkinson's Aquarium.. 2015.)

Kemp’s Ridley on Land. (Morris, Ashira. Kemp's Ridley on Land. Digital image. PBS.org. N.p., n.d.

Web. 2015.)

Kearney 3

People Involved in the Situation:

The people most involved in the situation are the staff at Jenkinson’s aquarium. They are

the most knowledgeable about Ace’s specific situation. The staff has much experience with Ace

and having to manually remove her from the water for mandatory light exposure. This

understanding of Ace’s status makes the staff’s support vital to the completion of the platform

project. They are to be consulted on turtle affairs by the students leading the design and

engineering process. The staff, along with Ace, will make use of the platform in Ace’s tank area.

Jenkinson’s worker above Ace’s sunning area. (Kearney, Liam. Linelle. 2015. Jenkinson's Aquarium.. 2015.)

Jenkinson’s worker cleaning tank. ("Roll, Liz. "Jenkinson's

Aquarium Set to Reopen Friday." Fema.gov/. Federal Emergency Management Agency, 27 Jan. 2013. Web. 7 Aug.2015.)

Jenkinson’s worker above tank; displaying tool. (Kearney, Liam. Walkway. 2015. Jenkinson's Aquarium.. 2015.)

Ace’s noticeably white shade (Kearney, Liam. Albino. 2015. Jenkinson's Aquarium.. 2015.)

Kearney 4

Need For Addressment:

The desire for a platform of this nature is rooted in the wellbeing of Ace. The possibility

of her added exposure to UVB rays alone gives this concept credence. Ace was discovered in a

cold stunned state and was notably unresponsive. Due to Ace’s prior conditions it is important

that she receive any beneficial sun time that she can. The Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle is a favorite

attraction at Jenkinson’s aquarium and it is worthwhile to ensure Ace a long and comfortable

life. It is protective of an endangered species of turtle as well.

Ace’s information board at Jenkinson’s Aquarium. (Kearney, Liam. Info. 2015. Jenkinson's Aquarium.. 2015.)

Ace’s noticeably white shade (effect of being cold stunned) (Kearney, Liam. Albino. 2015. Jenkinson's Aquarium.. 2015.)

Homemade Equipment by the Jenkinson’s Staff (Kearney, Liam. Homemade. 2015. Jenkinson's Aquarium.. 2015.)

Kearney 5

Close-up of Ace’s Chameleon Light (Kearney, Liam. Chameleon. 2015. Jenkinson's Aquarium.. 2015.)

Area for Ace’s Sunning (Kearney, Liam. Sun Spot. 2015. Jenkinson's Aquarium.. 2015.)

Ace’s tank at top, notice visitors (Kearney, Liam. Shark Teeth. 2015. Jenkinson's Aquarium.. 2015.)

Kearney 6

Opportunity Stakeholders:

There are numerous stakeholders in regard to the turtle platform project. The students

designing and engineering the platform itself are dedicating hours to the process. The

Jenkinson’s staff are similarly invested, and care much for the improvement of Ace’s wellbeing.

Ace is a stakeholder in that she is the organism most affected by this project. The platform

affects her every day routine. Those that attend Jenkinson’s aquarium are affected by the

platform as well. These customers spend money to get in and would actually benefit from the

increased health of a main attraction. The Systems Engineering II instructors are large

stakeholders in this project as well. They dedicate hours to monitoring, grading, and following

the student’s work to completion.

Ace at surface of water. (Kearney, Liam. Ace Surface. 2015. Jenkinson's Aquarium.2015.)

Jenkinson’s Aquarium customers. ("Jenkinson's

Aquarium." Aquariums.wanderbat.com. FindTheBest.com, Inc. Web. 7 Aug. 2015.)

Kearney 7

Jenkinson’s staff cleaning. (O'Brien, Kathleen. "Jenkinson's Aquarium Residents Are Doing Swimmingly after

Sandy." Nj.com. New Jersey On-Line, 5 Nov. 2012. Web. 04 Aug. 2015.)

Jenkinson’s staff member feeding emperor penguins. ("Funderburk, Kristi. "Tours go beneath surface at Jenkinson's Aquarium."Archive.app.com. Archive.app.com, 13 Feb. 2013.

Web. 7 Aug. 2015.)

Jenkinson’s staff member decorating aquarium. ("Aquarium Open for

Business." Fema.gov. Federal Emergency Management Agency, n.d. Web. 04 Aug. 2015.)

Kearney 8

Design Mood:

The platform product must fit the desired mood for the project. The platform reflects the

ideals of comfort in its material. Ace is surprisingly sensitive and materials must be taken into

account to ensure her comfort. The extra exposure to the light that gives Ace her UVB exposure

reflects the mood of health. This exposure similarly expresses the delivery of energy as a mood.

When Ace is on the platform, another desired feeling is that of safety. These moods are intended

to encourage Ace’s participation in using the turtle platform as quickly as possible.

Ace at the Bottom. (Kearney, Liam. Tank Bottom. 2015. Jenkinson's Aquarium.. 2015.)

Close-up of Ace’s Chameleon Light (Kearney, Liam. Chameleon. 2015. Jenkinson's Aquarium.. 2015.)

Kearney 9

Gatorade conveying energy. ("GatoradeG4types" by Source. Licensed under Fair use via Wikipedia.)

Crib conveying safety and comfort. ("Krevetac22" by Cveleglg at Serbian Wikipedia -

Transferred from sr.wikipedia to Commons by Micki using CommonsHelper.. Licensed

under Public Domain via Commons.)

Treadmill conveying health. ("Treadmill2" by Susanlady27 -

http://www.physiquesports.co.uk. Licensed under CC0 via Commons.)

Kearney 10

Products that Perform Similar Tasks:

The turtle tank dock that operates on a much smaller scale is similar to the project’s

platform in design, function, and, material. It grants a small turtle added mobility, comfort, and

exposure to artificial sun. The small turtle possesses the ability to climb out of the water on

desire. Similar in function to the desired turtle platform is the common boat ramp. It uses a

steady incline to allow easy access in and out of the water. There is possibility for influence from

this construction in the design for Ace’s platform. The common sandbox is a possible influence

into the design of Ace’s platform. Ace’s platform may contain a layer of sand. There also exists a

product for small scale domestic turtles that allow them to bask outside of their tank.

Reptile Products - Turtle Topper Above Tank Basking

Platform." (Amazon.com : : Pet Supplies.

N.p., n.d. Web. 2015.)

Box Turtle Ramp. (Kearney, Liam. Small Turtle. 2015. Jenkinson's Aquarium.. 2015.)

Sandbox

(Warthunder. Sandbox. Digital

image. Vignette4. N.p., n.d. Web.

2015.

Kearney 11

Summary:

Ace, is in need of a platform that keeps the top of her shell out of the water while

allowing her eyes to continue to be submerged. Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtles are sensitive to lack

of moisture in the eyes and as such it is vital to consider this in the design. The platform must

serve Ace’s need for more UVB exposure under her Chameleon light. The materials of the

platform must be considered, as certain materials will not withstand constant salt water

inhabitance. Ace’s weight, 54 pounds, must also be considered as the platform must support at

least this much weight in order to function. This project is important for the sake of a member of

an endangered species’ wellbeing. The students taking part in the design and engineering of the

product must take care to satisfy the conditions of all of the stakeholders in order for the project

to be successful.

Boat Ramp (“2008-03-09 Falls Lake boat ramp" by Ildar Sagdejev

(Specious) - Own work. Licensed under GFDL via Commons.)

Kearney 12

Conclusion:

A structure that possesses an incline into a slight enclosure which is capable of

maintaining Ace’s necessary submergence is a possible solution to this opportunity. The

structure brings Ace’s shell out of the water and into direct contact with the UVB light.

The product provides easy access to the Jenkinson’s staff for cleaning, feeding, interaction, and

medical maintenance of Ace. The solution must adhere to a set of specifications and limits and

must directly benefit Ace’s life.

Kearney 13

References

"Aquarium Open for Business." Fema.gov. Federal Emergency Management Agency, n.d. Web.

04 Aug. 2015.

Cveleglg. Krevetac22. Digital image. Wikipedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 2015.

Funderburk, Kristi. "Jenkinson's Able to Reopen in Point Beach."Archive.app.com.

Archive.app.com, 13 Feb. 2013. Web. 7 Aug. 2015.

<http://archive.app.com/article/20130201/NJNEWS/302010115/Jenkinson-s-able

-reopen-Point-Beach>.

GatoradeG4types. Digital image. Wikipedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 2015.

"Jenkinson's Aquarium." Aquariums.wanderbat.com. FindTheBest.com, Inc. Web. 7 Aug. 2015.

<http://aquariums.wanderbat.com/l/148/Jenkinson-s-Aquarium>.

Kearney, Liam. Tank Bottom. 2015. Jenkinson's Aquarium.

Kearney, Liam. Small Turtle. 2015. Jenkinson's Aquarium.

Kearney, Liam. Tank Top. 2015. Jenkinson's Aquarium.

Kearney, Liam. Top Chameleon. 2015. Jenkinson's Aquarium.

Kearney, Liam. Linelle. 2015. Jenkinson's Aquarium.

Kearney, Liam. Walkway. 2015. Jenkinson's Aquarium.

Kearney, Liam. Albino. 2015. Jenkinson's Aquarium.

Kearney, Liam. Info. 2015. Jenkinson's Aquarium.

Kearney, Liam. Chameleon. 2015. Jenkinson's Aquarium.

Kearney, Liam. Sun Spot. 2015. Jenkinson's Aquarium.

Kearney, Liam. Shark Teeth. 2015. Jenkinson's Aquarium.

Kearney, Liam. Ace Surface. 2015. Jenkinson's Aquarium.

Kearney 14

Kearney, Liam. Homemade. 2015. Jenkinson's Aquarium.

Morris, Ashira. Kemp's Ridley on Land. Digital image. PBS.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 2015.

O'Brien, Kathleen. "Jenkinson's Aquarium Residents Are Doing Swimmingly after

Sandy." Nj.com. New Jersey On-Line, 5 Nov. 2012. Web. 04 Aug. 2015.

"Reptile Products - Turtle Topper Above Tank Basking Platform." Amazon.com : : Pet Supplies.

N.p., n.d. Web. 2015.

Roll, Liz. "Jenkinson's Aquarium Set to Reopen Friday." Fema.gov/. Federal Emergency

Sagdejev, Ildar. 2008-03-09 Falls Lake Boat Ramp. Digital image. Wikipedia. N.p., n.d. Web.

2015. Management Agency, 27 Jan. 2013. Web. 7 Aug. 2015.

Susanlady27. Treadmill2. Digital image. Wikipedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 2015.

Warthunder. Sandbox. Digital image. Vignette4. N.p., n.d. Web. 2015.