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:
"Nature’s Wonderland" by Sarah Peng, Age 16, Canada
Artist's Statement: Contemplating the deep sea often conjures images of unsettling creatures with sharp fangs and distorted features, yet this perception obscures the true beauty of the unknown: the continuously unveiled universe of bioluminescence. In my piece, I aim to highlight the misunderstood charm of its creatures, depicting the collision between the known human realm and the colorful fantasy of the deep sea. As the diver, representing humanity's still developing knowledge, reaches towards a comb jelly’s frame, epitomizing the foreign world of bioluminescence, radiant light scatters across the darkness, symbolizing the beauty of connection. Surrounding them are sea angels, Atolla jellyfish, gossamer worms, firefly squid, Halitrephes Maasi, and crystal jelly, showcasing the remarkable diversity of this seemingly empty region. Thriving in specific conditions between the mesopelagic and abyssalpelagic zones, they symbolize the beauty of untouched life. The comb jelly, notoriously fragile and delicate, highlights the flawless balance of the natural world.
