Creating Luna
Emiliana with legendary oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle.
The inspiration for Emiliana's book began when she was just 7 years old and became curious about sea turtle anatomy after participating in a sea turtle nest excavation.
At 8, she took that curiosity a step further for her 2024 Wavemakers STEM Competition project, where she was honored as a finalist! Using a veterinary anatomy textbook, she created a life-size sea turtle model with a removable shell to help teach kids about a sea turtle's internal anatomy.
While researching and building her model, Emiliana searched libraries and bookstores for books that could help her understand sea turtle anatomy. But she couldn't find a single book that explained it for young readers, so she decided to write one herself! As Emiliana proudly says, "I wanted to make it easy for kids to learn!"
And so, Anatomy Under the Sea: The Adventures of Luna the Loggerhead was born.
Over the course of a year, Emiliana carefully selected eight marine animals native to South Florida's waters, interviewed scientists who specialize in those creatures, and crafted engaging comparisons between Luna's anatomy and that of her ocean friends.
Her hard work paid off! In 2025, Emiliana's book project won first place in her age group at the Wavemakers STEM Competition, judged by renowned oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle. She was also recognized by Loggerhead Marinelife Center as a 2025 Go Blue Award Finalist.
Published by Orange Hat Publishing in January 2026, Anatomy Under the Sea has taken Emiliana's passion for marine science far beyond the pages of her book.
At just 10 years old, Emiliana has been featured on PBS Kids' America's Awesome Kids, interviewed by NPR, and featured in publications including Palm Beach Illustrated and Jupiter Magazine. Her book has been accepted into the Library of Congress's permanent collection and is available through the Palm Beach County Library System.
But perhaps most importantly, Emiliana has brought her love of marine science directly to her community, delivering more than 40 Turtle Talks to over 3,000 people at schools, aquariums, marine conservation organizations, and other educational venues.
What began with one curious question has become a mission to inspire other kids to ask big questions, explore the ocean, and discover that they're never too young to make a difference.
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