2022 Science Without Borders® Challenge Semi-Finalists: 11-14 year old students
The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation is pleased to announce the semi-finalists in our 2022 Science Without Borders® Challenge! This international student art contest engages students in important ocean issues through art. For this year’s competition, students were asked to illustrate one or more actions people can take to protect coral reefs using a “Ridge to Reef”conservation approach.
Entries to the Science Without Borders® Challenge are judged in two categories based on age. Here are the semi-finalists selected from the younger group of applicants, students 11-14 years old:
"Life Meets Life" by Justin Ahn, Age 14, New Jersey, United States of America
This artwork is a piece dedicated to the use of hydroponics and aeroponics to lower ocean acidification levels. Ocean acidification is one of the leading causes of coral decay in oceans. Due to the extensive pollution of agricultural fertilizers and pesticides used in the process of growing, this trillion-dollar industry has caused significant damage to the coral reefs and sea life as a whole. In my piece, I used vertical towers used in aeroponics, a practice of agriculture without the use of a soil medium, in order to promote the idea of an environmentally-friendly practice of farming. In a closed space underwater, the aeroponic towers are placed in two rows. The bottom and top glass windows allow the audience to reflect upon the positive impact of aeroponic systems on coral life. The fish and sea life around the coral represent the impact of aeroponics on coral health.
