2024 Science Without Borders® Challenge Finalists: 15-19 year old students
The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation is delighted to announce the finalists in our 2024 Science Without Borders® Challenge! This international contest engages students in important ocean issues through art. This year we asked students to create a piece of art that highlights the beauty and wonder of life in the deep sea.
We received a record number of submissions this year—over 1,700 entries from 82 different countries—making the selection process challenging yet rewarding. The submissions were breathtaking. Prepare to be amazed by their artwork, which showcases deep-sea creatures and ecosystems and emphasizes the urgent need to preserve the deep sea.
Entries to the Science Without Borders® Challenge are judged in two categories based on age. Here are the finalists selected from the older group of applicants, students 15-19 years old:
"Crabzilla" by Charissa Laurelia Nadine, Age 18, Indonesia
Artist's Statement: The largest crustacean alive is none other than the striking Japanese Spider Crab. They can grow up to a whopping 3 meters in width once matured and dwell in the Mesopelagic depths as low as 600 meters below the surface. They scavenge exclusively across the Japanese sea floors, crawling with their 10 impressive appendages. The daddy longlegs of the sea is either an arachnophobe's worst nightmare or a legendary twilight spectacle. A creature so grandiose compared to its smaller palm-sized relatives, they should be crowned the true "King Crab". However, not being the rulers of their own fate, the juveniles are often harvested as delicacies; it's no wonder that their numbers are starting to dwindle. This serves as a reminder to be mindful to our land and seas. Because who knows? Nature might come to strike in ways we can't yet imagine!
