This high school student won $10,000 because he saw a mysterious outbreak killing sea turtles in his hometown of Hawaii and decided to do something about it

• Maddux Alexander Springer was freediving in Hawaii when he saw green sea turtles with huge tumors.

• He spent 2.5 years researching the disease and discovered its likely cause, plus a solution.

• He won a top prize at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair, raising $10,000 for the university.

Maddux Alexander Springer spent his free time in the blue waters of Oahu.

Each day, the high school student would leave the seahorses, eels and octopuses in his home aquariums, walk a short distance to Kāne'ohe Bay and go freediving.

"It's almost ...