SOUTH HADLEY — When Nora Matzen visited the aquarium as a child, question after question popped up in her mind about the critters swimming around tank her eyes remained glued to for hours.

“How did they breathe? Why could they swim so well? What did they eat, and what ate them?” Matzen thought, intrigued by the immense biodiversity of Earth’s oceans.

Matzen eventually learned the answers to her childhood inquires, and now, as a Girl Scout, she answers these questions for children just as passionate and interested in marine biology as she is through cute drawings decorated with ocean facts.

Coral Comics is a series of 36 comic strips and drawing blueprints that explain different aspects of marine life, from the colorful nudibranchs to the physics behind scuba diving. Over 1,500 people have seen Mazten’s series on her website and social media.

“The ocean is so important to everyone on this planet, and yet we don’t learn much about it in school. If you want to do it on your own, most of the resources out there can be pretty hard to understand for a young person,” Matzen said.

Coral Comics earned Matzen a Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor a scout can receive, for her efforts teaching community members of all ages about marine biology.

Yet, Matzen isn’t the only scout from South Hadley who recieved the honor: Adaline Woods got her Gold Award for implementing climate change education programs for children at local libraries. She suggested small ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and even created a craft for kids to begin their own garden that draws carbon out of the atmosphere.

Matzen and Woods are two of the 16 Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts who received Gold Awards this year. The Gold Award requires at least 80 hours of work and took both girls a year and a half to complete, troop leader Kelly Woods said in an email.

“At each stage they needed to assess and problem solve in order to move forward — and as a result their projects evolved with them as they worked,” she wrote. “They each showed grit, resilience, and significant commitment to earn their Girl Scout Gold Award. We are so proud of them.”

While Matzen stuck to the digital world to share her comics, Woods opted to create a tangible portable display of two tall banners explaining climate change and its impacts on winter sports, maple syrup production and farming. Woods could not be reached for comment, but Kelly said the display will be featured at Notch Visitor Center and the Summit House this summer.

Woods created a short presentation on climate change and advocated for small changes in daily routines that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, like carpooling and purchasing from companies with sustainable practices. She also explained how gardens and green spaces absorb carbon from the atmosphere.

Both Woods and Mazten witnessed their projects come to life while teaching children about their topics. To compliment her education on carbon sequestration, Woods taught children how to create plantable seed paper out of recycled paper and native plant seeds.

Mazten tabled at the Woods Hole Science Stroll, a streetwide exhibit on marine science at Woods Hole, where children could draw and color their own comics while learning about the creatures on the page.

“It was the first time I was really able to see my project in action. I got to interact directly with real kids, teach them about marine science, and encourage them to make their own comics and art,” Mazten said. “It felt like I was really making an impact at this event, like my project had officially come together.”

After all their time and effort, both girls are grateful for the award, and excited to see where life takes them next.

“It’s incredible that I can officially say I’ve earned the highest award in Girl Scouting. I’ve been working on this project in various ways for two years, so it feels like the end of an era,” Mazten said. “I put in a lot of time and effort into Coral Comics and it’s paid off in so many ways. I’ll miss making comics, but I’m really excited to see where my life takes me next now that I’m not working towards earning this award.”

Emilee Klein can be reached at eklein@gazettenet.com.