Marc Lester / Anchorage Daily News Danny Thomas puts her ROV in the water for the start of a race. About 300 eighth graders from Gruening Middle School in Eagle River gathered at the Bartlett High School pool for an ROV competition on Friday, December 14, 2012. The students have been working on their ROVs, or remotely operated vehicles, in science class for about six weeks. Cally Leader, a science teacher at Gruening, says the project teaches students about buoyancy, electric circuits and various tools. For the final competition, teams consisting of 3-4 students raced the ROVs from the surface of the water to a hoop at the bottom and back as classmates cheered from the stands. MARC LESTER — Anchorage Daily News Buy Photo