search-icon
2023 Science Without Borders® Challenge: Introducing the 11-14 Year-Old Finalists

Get ready to be inspired! The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation is delighted to reveal the finalists of the 2023 Science Without Borders® Challenge. This year’s theme is “The Sixth Extinction,” and we challenged young artists from around the world to create a piece of artwork that highlights the beauty and importance of a marine species that are on the brink of extinction. We are thrilled with the entries that we received!

Over 1,200 entries flooded in from 67 different countries, and let us tell you, it was no easy feat to choose the finalists. But after much deliberation, our judges have selected finalists whose exceptional artwork surpassed all expectations in terms of creativity, originality, and adherence to the theme. 

The submissions were simply breathtaking, and we can’t wait for you to see them. So, without further ado, here are the finalists for Ages 11-14 of the 2023 Science Without Borders® Challenge. These talented artists will leave you in awe with their remarkable creations that bring attention to the urgency of preserving our treasured marine species.

"Right Whale is Not Alone" by Candy Zhang, Age 11, China

Image 12 of 13

ARTIST'S STATEMENT: A fat, slow, and docile North Pacific right whale mother and her kid are swimming in shallow waters near the shoreline with a mother and a daughter. Not far away, a humans' fishing boat with spears and nets gape the red mouth as if to proclaim the imminent disappearance of these endangered species from the earth. Look at the lights on the shore and the night glow in the water. How much the brightness of the night sky is given by the whale oil with blood and tears? But two pairs of mothers and daughters unaware of it, continue to play and sing. Do humans become less greedy? Or do these ocean giants no longer trust humans? The magnificent, capricious, colorful sea seems to respond to us silently.

Stay tuned to find out who the finalists are from students in our 15-19 year-old category!

Related Posts

Connecting People, Art, and Oceans: Championing Conservation at the 2025 IUCN Congress

The IUCN World Conservation Congress brings together thousands of leaders and decision-makers from governments, non-profit organizations, civil society, Indigenous groups, and the private sector to shape global conservation policy and action. This influential gathering serves as a platform to share knowledge, build partnerships, and advance initiatives that protect our planet’s biodiversity.

As a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation was honored to take part in the Congress, joining a global community of leaders, organizations, and changemakers committed to protecting nature and advancing sustainable futures.

Read More

Take the Pledge to Navigate with Care

Every voyage leaves a mark. Whether you’re steering a small recreational boat, running a dive operation, or captaining a commercial vessel, the way you navigate the seas matters—not just for your safety, but for the health of our oceans. The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation, in partnership with the International Foundation for Aids to Navigation (IFAN), launched the Navigate with Care campaign to help mariners around the world protect what matters most: our safety, our vessels, and the marine ecosystems that sustain life on Earth.

Read More
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.  You can view our complete Privacy Policy here.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Most of our cookies are used to improve website security and reduce spam. These cookies should be enabled at all times. They also enable us to save your preferences for cookie settings.

3rd Party Cookies

This website uses Google Analytics to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site, and the most popular pages. Keeping this cookie enabled helps us to improve our website.