2022 Science Without Borders® Challenge Semi-Finalists: 15-19 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 of the ways people can use a ridge-to-reef approach to conservation to preserve coral reefs.
Entries to the Science Without Borders® Challenge are judged in two categories based on age. Here are the semi-finalists selected from the older group of applicants, students 15-19 years old:
"A Matter of Life and Death" by Rowan Saunders, Age 18, Washington, United States of America
"Poor wastewater management has led to the decline of marine ecosystems. I focused on the improper disposal of pharmaceuticals which are often not removed by wastewater treatment plants. Pharmaceuticals can contain chemicals which can affect organisms’ endocrine systems and other health issues. I also focused on unsustainable farming, which I used a cow to symbolize. Excess minerals get into the water, which leads to eutrophication. This also contaminates drinking water— the effects disproportionately impacting lower-income communities and communities of color. I chose to depict how easily these pharmaceuticals and pollutants get into the water as an IV drip connected to the veins of a marine ecosystem. The IV represents human actions. It is something meant to support life, but instead is negatively affecting it. By spreading awareness of wastewater management and advocating for legislation to be passed, we can ensure both a healthier ridge and a healthier reef."
